Showing posts with label Pesticide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pesticide. Show all posts
Organic Gardening Benefits Our Health & The Planet
Did you know that interest in gardening is increasing at a rapid rate? The increase is due to the under 35 set who is said to have a greater interest in the environment and going green. The primary field of gardening interest of Generation Y is organic gardening.
There has been a lot written about organic gardening in the mainstream media and it has become a very popular topic with many people around the world, not just youth. With so many more health and environmentally conscious people around today, organic gardening has become quite popular. With its explosive growth in the past decade, organic gardening has gained acceptance in mainstream society. No longer the realm of hippies and health fanatics, organic produce is now consumed by the general public and readily available in large chain grocery stores.
Organic produce has become a featured item at many large-chain grocery stores so it is no wonder people want to know more about organic gardening. Some would even grow their own organic produce if they only knew how or had the time or had the space for it.
But do we really know what organic gardening is.
My definition might differ from yours, but to me, organic gardening means raising vegetables, flowers and plants without harmful artificial chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. I don't think it is possible to be one hundred percent organic and I certainly don't think the average hobby gardener should worry about meeting whatever the commercial gardening standards are in their particular area. But I do truly believe that people can enjoy a healthier life by including more organic gardening in their lives and more organic produce on their tables.
So how do we go about creating an organic gardening project that will actually result in healthy harvests of pure healthy foods? How do we nurture a sick planet back to health and assure a brighter future for ourselves and for future generations to come? Well, one way is to stop using so many chemical poisons in general and in our food in particular. It has been said that our food can contain up to 450 different added unnecessary and even dangerous chemicals.
By simply removing artificial chemicals from the gardening equation, we can improve our health. We can be successful at organic gardening without the use of chemicals through building the soil and mimicking nature's ways to do the rest. This doesn't mean that we don't adapt them, but in general, if we follow nature's lead and use the wisdom that the environment has accumulated over the course of Earth's history, we can be very successful in our organic gardening efforts.
Nature is diverse and resilient. It will always fight back to reclaim its rightful place in our ecosystem. Our agriculture will be so much more robust with organic gardening. Poly-culture and lack of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers make organic gardening the only sane choice for our own health and the health of the planet. Try organic gardening today.
Organic Gardening Articles: http://www.organicgardenarticles.com/
Author:
Want more tips like this? Be sure to visit our blog at www.everythingoutside.com/blog
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vdfuCuWC2ntXk73Mu9RQzLBVG-kwb3dXPNLMK8gEFiGZORUfseY_WnNJPqyRtzQIMMre1TqPbQ__iTs0B_KaYloDfkaIxAKrMONmxiQ9mJ1cbPfp5w5_v-l1J7ZWavdltk0ZxUAy7nl-D2Sc0awQ=s0-d)
Organic Gardening Requires Strict Certification
| There is a shift in buying habits among some families, seeking a healthier, more natural lifestyle, that has moved them to become involved with organic gardening. While some of the major players in the industry have moved into offering all organic gardening as part of their business strategy, some buyers believe that not everything on the market claiming to come from organic gardening fits the bill. To qualify for the designation of organic, food items must be planted in soil where artificial pesticides and fertilizers have been used for a minimum of three years and the farm must offer sustainability for organic gardening beyond one or two years. For individuals, it is easier to produce their own vegetables from their small plots of land, but is does leave open the need to buy products if they cannot grow enough to meet their annual needs. While some stores sell only organic gardening produce, many grocery stores offer their customers a choice of organic and traditionally grown merchandise, attempting to slice off a piece of the natural market. It is also not only the fresh produce section that is touting the presence of organic gardening as many other food items are being labeled and sold as containing only organic ingredients. Questions Arise About What Is In The Name It are these other products that causes some confusion with consumers as the ingredients from organic gardening resources may contain some that are not truly organic. There are different labeling requirement for products that contain only organically grown ingredients and those that contain mostly organically grown items. To carry the designation of 100 percent organic, obviously that has to be the case, however those products that claim they contain organic ingredients need only contain 80 percent organically gown ingredients. It is this disparity in labeling laws that has some people moving to organic gardening to grow their own food, making their own compost fertilizer and natural products to keep the insects away from their plants. The belief of organic gardening is to put everything back in nature that has been removed and not to add anything that will harm the environment or the person consuming the food. Many folks who grow produce and vegetables with organic gardening firmly believe there is a cleaner taste to their products and will recycle the organic waste from their garden to use as compost fertilizer for the following year. They will make sure that nothing other than organic materials are used in the growing stages, keeping their organic gardening sustained for years to come. |
| Author Resource:- For more information about gardening please visit my Gardening and Moon Phases website where you can find more articles and information about organic gardening |
| Article From New Ezine Articles |
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sJKTu4jeWC8mMyfdz3MW7zdyRsMZUOBF0ScyG50vgW8mJABxJ4-wHFFltd4MdG9rpxcC4aCEzBNaFW4iC-7rKh0pht_cKmztbwZGsHvHGsyzO_Jqa-BSgBvLnlm49DQtpITAOXIadCBogq2tfVo9Jo=s0-d)
Gardening OrganicThe Connection Between Organic Gardening And Your Health
Perhaps the greatest benefit is the reduction of chemical exposure. In the process of normal farming, a number of pesticides are sprayed on plants in order to kill bugs that may destroy the crop. These pesticides, however, are not good for humans or for the environment. Eating foods that have been sprayed with these chemicals means you are ingesting these chemicals as well. In addition, the chemicals gets into the air and pollutes it. Similarly, it runs into the water and causes water pollution as well.
The same holds true with artificial fertilizers. While these fertilizers may help yield large crops, they are not healthy for humans to ingest. By gardening organic, you avoid using these unhealthy chemicals and find ways to help the plants grown healthy and strong while remaining bug free.
An area of organic gardening that many people overlook is the lack of hybridization. Genetic engineers have discovered methods for manipulating plants in ways to grow larger crops and to create plants that are more resistant to bad weather, to disease, and to pests. But, in order to accomplish this, they have altered the DNA of plants.
The potential long term effects of this form of hybridization is still unknown. One concern is that humans may have allergies to these altered plants or may otherwise become ill for them. And, if these plants are allowed to cross-pollinate with non-hybridized plants, we may ultimately be left with nothing but genetically altered plants - with no way of returning to the ones that nature provided. For this reason, many countries do not allow genetically altered plants to be shipped to their land.
Gardening organic is the only way to be sure you are growing fruits and vegetables in the way nature intended them to be grown. As such, your body is better able to digest the foods and you are less likely to become ill from the foods you consume. In addition, you can ensure you receive the full nutritional benefits from the foods.
By adding chemicals to crops, some of the nutrients are destroyed. Furthermore, the soil is depleted of nutrients for future crops, which further reduces the nutritional value of the crops that are to be grown. Therefore, by choosing organic gardening, you receive the fullest nutritional benefit from the foods you grow and consume.
While it's a lot a more time consuming method of farming, the results are far superior to other forms of gardening when it comes to your health. Therefore, it is in your best interest to choose organic if growing your own crops and to support the farmers who choose this method by purchasing foods from the supermarket that have been organically grown.
BlueWaterArticles.com: - Gardening OrganicThe Connection Between Organic Gardening And Your Health
About the Author
Learn the easy way to gardening organic and eating healthy for life. Get this amazing fact filled guide which will help you keep your family healthy and save hundreds of dollars each year on your food bill. Visit now: http://womans-health.net/organicsecrets/organicgardening/index.htm
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uoCdnm0MDPZqaSNc7PSEG4AtuaN26j6lTWsSz4TKI-KKCXc9evKBGza4ve-o9UxUe6TXc7bs3Qr4odR8VsiVo0yZ1_zMixuXX9iZdpmIluZUidSKo1em4Niibu_ZKy94h-pRnVQMxNpLBbzQJTfpYC=s0-d)
Must Have Equipment For Gardening
Many people take up gardening as a hobby because it helps you to relax and will help reduce the stress in your life. The rewards are great as you watch your harvest flourish right before your eyes.
To get the most out of your gardening time you will need some equipment for gardening to help make your hobby enjoyable and safe. Although your needs will probably be simple if you have the normal size city garden, the right equipment for gardening will make all the difference in the world.
The first thing you should probably do is to protect yourself. When you expose yourself to nature you may get some harsh results without proper protection. The weather is normally hot during the gardening season so you should make sure your head is protected with a good hat. This will keep the sun from your face and help protect you from sunburn.
You will want to invest in a pair of quality gardening gloves to protect yourself from sharp briars, fertilizers and bug bites. You can find gloves made especially for your gardening needs at your local department store or online if you prefer.
The clothes you wear while you are in your garden should be something you do not mind getting dirty or stained. You will be dealing with dirt; mud, spray chemicals and nature, so wear clothes that will take the heat.
If you choose to use spray pesticides a mask to wear while you are spraying your plants would be wise so you will not breath the fumes from your sprayer.
The size of your garden will determine what type of tools you will need to work your soil. A postage stamp garden will not need as much equipment as a large garden. No matter what size garden you decide to grow you will need items such as a shovel, rake, hoe and fork.
As your garden gets bigger so will your equipment needs. A tiller is a wonderful addition for most gardeners.
Do not forget the everyday common items most people tend to forget. You will need tomato cages or stakes, trellises for your climbing plants to grow on and do not forget the essential garden hose. There are many attachments available to water your plants with.
To enjoy your hobby to the fullest it is important to think about the equipment for gardening you will need before the gardening season begins. Take some time to make sure you are prepared and you should have a most wonderful gardening season.
Source: Free Articles
About the Author
For more information on equipment for gardening try visiting http://www.onegardens.com.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as growing an organic garden of your very own.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sIld-_H06tVHsxZ5sAjOq5J2xsLhL8HbpzBHvzec_g3d8mT7fG1agv0kxvFSpmeYMdLVG6izZwPmkh-lOXNSSWJzpgvufIMLFxFv3BYeZ5ONxwASdDd9fcxX0_0Q5e4t7uKto68uxi4mZbQ-8yiHw=s0-d)
Seven Tricks For Organic Gardening
Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.
Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?
1. One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.
2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.
On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child's life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.
Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose - to kill living things.
3. Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.
4. Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion.
The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 - 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.
5. Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.
Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.
6. A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.
7. Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.
Source: Free Articles
Author: pilkster
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uGFoz6puGs-buOsmU_AIde70rc2C-N3iLlTxXppQ93qXoHvG8DTO9v_aVmgdkiBTytJVWikfZaog9D2jfUQH9zVE1W2Mih2ZRcidXsgJzgszAa39xBVIlojihVEHvg0ImRcr4FyFIIAuQA9svjoCwW=s0-d)
Tips and Advice for Organic Gardening
Organic gardening is becoming more popular as people are tending to move away from the harsher chemicals involved in artificial gardening and towards a more natural product. Organic gardening greatly reduces the use of pesticides and harsh chemicals, trying to keep the garden as natural as possible, and keeping the nutrients in the soil.
There are a lot of advantages to organic gardening. One advantage is the fact that you can enjoy a wide diversity of garden insects, birds, and mammals which are otherwise affected by artificial gardens; for the most part, it is considered that organically grown food tastes better all around; you can do your part to stop waste and environmental pollution from avoiding fertilizers and other chemicals that have been proven to harm the environment. Another advantage is that you can be assured completely that absolutely no pesticides whatsoever will go into the fruit, vegetables, or herbs that you eat.
If you are thinking about going into organic gardening there are some tips and advice you may need. One of the most critical is to be sure and avoid the planting up large areas with the same plants. Instead, grow plant companions, especially those plants which repel insect pests.
There are also some tips that every organic gardener should know. Garlic is used as a natural antibiotic and antifungal remedy and when garlic is combined with mineral soap and oil, it then becomes a very effective pest control product. Milk is used to help control powdery mildew on cucumbers just as effectively as a synthetic fungicide. Beer is used to attract slugs, which are actually beneficial to gardens. Floating row covers are used for preventing insect pests from reaching the plants, and newspaper is used to smother and rid the garden of weeds.
Protein fertilizers are available almost everywhere these days, and besides that, there are numerous household recipes for starting and maintaining a fresh and healthy garden - without the use of harsh pesticides.
Organic gardening has become so popular that there is so much information available on the issue of organic vegetable gardening. Whether you are interested in starting in on this trend yourself, or you have already begun and simply want more information on the subject, it will not prove difficult to find.
Learn more Organic Gardening information at http://www.homegardenyard.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chelsea_Aubin
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vItJ7uL9VnnuWkgn-LquKS7GWIxcdYJhvpqlnx3IRpdYhPM7hTw5Mb53VXBg4YVTVJVfGyKY3mn1tPibgP9DKQYLGAW2V6beta2lDs_Kcwmj6g3S3Yt3Sy_O8xQLXG_fbS8jMI6nfTy1C5ZxqMytel=s0-d)
Growth Control for Efficient Gardening of Vegetables
A good garden aficionado must know that cultivation or weeding is effective for growth control. Weeds are your garden's most persistent and cloying enemy. You need to be able to know how to handle weeds in order to foster growth control for your organic garden. If you let weeds take over, they will completely obliterate your capacity to yield a rich number of vegetables.
They are the number one stealer of nutrients, sunlight and revenue for farmers, so the earlier you try to eliminate them, the better will it be for your gardening. This can eat up your time to such extremes at certain seasons, but monitoring weeds and eliminating them is definitely worth your time and effort.
Weeds are usually much harder to remove when they have matured. So it might require you a keen observing eye to really check out and inspect your garden for the earliest appearances of these culprits. Cultivating your soil regularly in the garden will help eliminate the younger weeds. Once you let those young weeds take hold and be firmly established in the garden, it will become a more herculean task to try to remove them from your garden.
Seasons also affect the appearance of weeds. Warm-season and cool-season weeds proliferate at different times of the year, and it will be your advantage to recognize which weeds are in season so you can more easily expect them in your garden and prepare your anti-weed arsenal more effectively. Some of the weed seeds may also lie in your garden, so make sure that you are able to cultivate your soil properly to remove them as well.
Make sure that your ground remains filled up with the good stuff. If you leave any portion idle or bare, the weeds are more likely to secure that area for their growth. If you are unable to fill the entire area with plant outgrowths, at least have a good cover to keep the weeds from invading your plant territory.
In the case where weeds have already grown when you discovered them, chopping them off from the ground is the most efficient way to remove them. Some of these weeds may cease to be removed, and will not stop even when you cut them down. But repetitive cutting down of those weeds will help eliminate them for good after some time.
The use of herbicides and pesticides is also advised, but it is not entirely necessary when you are able to do good cultivation of your land. The pesticides and herbicides, especially the commercially available ones, may prove to have other harmful effects. It may also pose as a threat to other useful organisms living in your garden. In any case, when you are presented with a huge weed problem, you may use herbicides and pesticides but only sparingly.
Mulching and composting are also good ways to help maintain the soil and ward off the weeds. Ultimately, you will not have to encounter huge problems in weed management if from the start, you are able to keep them from thriving in your garden in the first place.
If you are really consistent in digging up your space, you will have made the most out of your vegetables' garden and have exercised true growth control against weeds that can steal, kill and destroy your organic garden.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tIAVIE1joe-YgTTdSG211j-pIJRp2Nz0QoBOJfeoOBUV2owAvMyBzRoW3iGWY7EVnJ9pWZWtMLWrQ2suOjHw41viTI6I9zaicACj8Zm67v-4c7EJW-1tHsI1vnS_gf114v6FLpQPLro4mwGiofJemI=s0-d)
The Main Antagonist of Your Organic Gardening Venture
If you are only starting on this hobby or business, however you'd like to put it, you may be wondering about the pests. How are you going to be able to get rid of them without turning to synthetic pesticides. The short and quick answer is that you buy an organic one. There are actually many brands that are available commercially. You just have to ask around what are the types that will work best in your location and with the kinds of greens that you are growing on your garden.
But before you start choosing the right pesticide, you must be fully aware what the problem really is. To do this, you must inspect your garden thoroughly. Take down notes. You can also take pictures if you are not so sure about the kind of pests that are pooling on your garden.
Then you can go to the store and detail to an expert the problems that you are having. This way, you will be given a brand that will best fit and solve the problems that you have on your garden.
The other way that you can do so that you won't have to turn to pesticides, even the organic type, is to do things manually. Yes, this is harder. But just consider this as a challenge that you need to overcome to help yourself become an expert.
If the plants are infested by unnecessary pests, what could be the problem? One root of the problem could be the plants themselves. They may be depressed or stressed. What have you done to them? This type of gardening means that you are to take things personally. You are being one with nature. So this succeed on this, you've got to take things seriously.
What makes a plant depressed? You may not be spending enough time with it. It may sound weird, but talking to your plants or singing to them may help you with the whole process. Throughout your gardening trek, you should be able to familiarize yourself with all the plants in your garden. You have to know how to make your plants healthy, happy and productive.
If you have to pick out the pests manually, then do it. This can be done as long as there are only few that can be found on your garden. You must only resort to the pesticides once the situation becomes uncontrollable.
You can also add some insects and animals that will help you kill the pests. This way, you are still staying in touched with nature and helping in the process of food chain. For example, a lady bug would eat up an aphid banquet. Frogs and lizards can also help you sort your problems with these pests.
Above everything else, whatever problem you may encounter in organic gardening, just think about nature. How are you going to solve things that you will still be able to help nature and be one with it.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uQbBBASsVnsg3OG6_MGkbSx2U5obuvMK0N6QUoPZ2GciUjZRhxUKmGTDKhvNVNhlRFL1eJxNB-vc3J_tImxQ0HpX3v_2ynOgO2fhmDeJ4uNQmcTImm7FjRT-WFvp1HYEyQsRY03MXAJpsOTJyAXVMj=s0-d)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
