The mean householder may apply dozens of potentially harmful chemicals in the garden to handle pests and diseases and to fertilize plants . However , there is a growing awareness that many of the chemical substance we expend in our yards over the long run may negatively affect the wellness of our roll in the hay one , pets , and neighbors . Additionally , these chemical substance can degrade the surroundings and loosely do nothing to conduce to the overall health of our plants .
This article is designed as an introduction to organic gardening for the mean homeowner . We recognize that many gardener simply do n’t have the time , money , or zip to invest in a fully constitutional garden . Organic gardens can take time to plant and require a sure amount of dedication .
However , you may have giving impacts on the environment and the health of your family and neighbour by using even just a few organic horticulture technique at home . We also hope that once you part using organic horticulture techniques , you will chance that they are actually easier and more effectual than you ever imagined .
If you do have the time and energy to go organic and stop using chemicals in your yard , we finger that this is the best way to ensure a healthy 1000 , a healthy family , and a healthy surroundings . However , if you even take just a few of these introductory steps to thin your purpose of chemical substance fertilizers , pesticides , and weed killer , you ’ll be making a significant impact on your wellness and on the surroundings .
What’s Wrong with the Way We Garden
Unfortunately , most gardeners use chemicals to fertilize works and to push plague and diseases . Many of these chemical in reality conduce to destroy helpful soil organisms and can damage a industrial plant ’s born ability to fend off pests and disease . Additionally , chemical plant food can progress up in the dirt and eventually reduce the overall productiveness of the soil . Our plants become weak and weak in the process , take a shit more chemical treatments necessary just to keep them animated .
Conventional garden care can also negatively affect wildlife , contaminate piss sources , make unnecessary hearty waste in the form of grass clippings and garden rubble , and can end up utilise excessive amounts of water . chemical , inappropriate industrial plant choice , and over - lachrymation can give to an insalubrious one thousand , let in the expiry of good stain organism . This means that we apply more and more chemical to our flora , while not recognize the fact that the ecosystem is basically failing .
Organic gardening is an alternative to this common horticulture practice . Organic gardening is broadly delimitate as a fashion to create a instinctive balance of level-headed soil and healthy plants in your garden . works have of course get of course in the wild for millions of years without the usage of harmful chemical substance or assist from human race . If we plainly look to nature for ideas on how to grow healthy industrial plant , we can utilize more natural processes instead of chemicals to keep our garden healthy . intelligent , natural gardens mean cleaner piddle , clean neighbourhood , and a tidy family .
So , what precisely happens when we supervise our yards using the techniques and chemical substance that we ’ve become accustomed to using ? The following list will give you an theme of the harshness of the post and what happen to our health and to the environment due to the use of chemicals in our yards and gardens .
deplorably , many gardeners resist switching to constitutive horticulture technique simply because they are wonted to the simplicity of using chemical and getting quick results . This is an unfortunate site . What we really have to inquire ourselves is what good is all this convenience doing us ? Our environs is increasingly full of chemical , and we experience daily with unhealthy air and polluted water .
Sure , constituent horticulture does ab initio require a bit more work on the gardener ’s part . But we all know that exercise is an important part of staying healthy . Because our lives are so convenient , fleshiness , genus Cancer , and increase levels of tenseness are now considered the norm . Is there another way of life ?
J.I. Rodale and Sir Albert Howard are regard the modern pioneers of organic horticulture . Organic gardening looks at your garden as a living ecosystem , and use the laws of nature to produce sound works that are resistant to disease and plague .
One of the slap-up things about basic organic horticulture technique is that they are applicable to any form of garden you grow , from flower garden , to herb garden , to your vegetable garden .
Organic gardening focuses on building up the soil , using aboriginal plants and industrial plant appropriate for your garden , and looking for a natural balance in your garden . We must recognise that pathogens generally attack weak plants that are not by rights adapt to their surroundings and that live in poor soil . Therefore , if we form our soil and encourage the presence of beneficial dirt organisms , our plants will loosely be stronger and more resistant to pestis and disease .
Another useful concept in organic gardening is known as “ Companion Planting . ” Companion planting recognizes that plant life grown together in thoughtful combinations will benefit the integral garden - ecosystem . Roses and ail are a serious example . If you grow garlic close to your roses , you ’ll keep most pests away .
Roses Love Garlic , by Louise Riotte , is a classic book on fellow traveller planting that discusses specific plant you could use in your garden to strengthen the ecosystem and keep attacks by garden pests and disease .
Finding Balance in the Garden
When you go out to your garden , reckon about how your plants turn and survive . industrial plant need a few basic thing to grow , such as :
A plant is always looking for a balance of these elements . In the wild , plants have evolved over thousands of years to come up this pure balance . Likewise , certain plants have learned to grow in concordance together , mutually do good each other in their natural preferences .
However , when we develop plants in our garden , we as mankind often need to restore this proportionality or correct the condition so that our flora can thrive . We may also require to look to vivify thing that occur naturally in an undisturbed ecosystem . compost and mulching are two deterrent example .
A plant ’s roots take in pee and nutrients . Plants then use photosynthesis to convert atomic number 6 dioxide and other raw materials into carbohydrate that the plants use for growing , producing efflorescence , etc . The carbohydrates are stored in the stems , branches and leaves of the plant . If there is an attack by a disease or a pest , the plant uses these put in reserves to deal with the problem . also , stored carbohydrate are used during periods of new ontogeny .
Soil organisms such as earthworms and fungi help provide additional food to plant . These nutrients are absorbed through the roots . When a plant has a levelheaded root scheme , the plant life is by and large tidy and able to fight off pathogens . Thus , if you keep the soil healthy , your plants ’ roots will be healthier , and the plants ’ immune system will be stronger .
When a works is ineffectual to take in the food it involve , or it is not getting enough body of water , or if it gets too much or too piddling sunlight , it is more susceptible to a pathogenic onset . If you could touch on this balance and equilibrium in your garden , you will tone up a plant life ’s resistant system .
Soil: the Basis of a Healthy Garden
Soil can be divided into several categories . The soil types that gardeners more often than not advert to are mud , gumption , silt , loam , and peat . However , there are virtually thou of stain varieties based on compounding of the above stain types .
Soils can also depart in constituent matter , large and lowly rocks , mineral , pH , and other factors . Most gardeners consider soil that has a combination of sand , silt , clay , and constitutive matter to be good territory .
Another significant factor in how well your plant will develop is pH. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 . Acidic soils have smaller pH numbers and alkaline substances have big pH numbers . The lower the pH figure , the higher the issue of H ions in a resolution . Limestone is an example of a very alkaline mineral . Sulfur is an representative of a very acidic mineral . Arid regions of the country tend to have alkaline soil and parts of the state with heavy rain tend to have acidic soils .
The pH weighing machine is a logarithmic scale that is designed to measure large dispute in ground quality . For example , a pH of 7 is neutral , but a pH of 6 is ten time more sulphurous than a neutral 7 . A pH of 5 is a hundred time more acid than a impersonal 7 , and a pH of 4 is a thousand times more acidic than a neutral 7 . too , a pH of 8 is ten times more alkaline than a neutral 7 . A pH of 9 is a hundred times more alkaline than a electroneutral 7 , and a pH of 10 is a thousand times more alkaline than a impersonal 7 .
A pH of 6.5 is considered the point where atomic number 7 , phosphorous , atomic number 19 and the trace mineral that plants ask to grow are most easily available to your plants .
When choose plants for your garden . Get a sense of what pH levels they require . If your filth pH is dramatically unlike from the requirements of the plants , your garden plants may suffer from more problem with pests and diseases . Check your soil often with a pH outfit and correct the soil pH when necessary .
Also , consider testing the grease with an Electric Garden Soil Testing Kit . These kits are comparatively cheap and will essay soil pH , unaccented chroma , and total combined potash , phosphorous and nitrogen levels .
An Introduction to Organic Gardening Techniques
When you start project how to slim the usance of chemicals in your garden , ideate how a elemental timber grows . In a primary forest , you will receive a thick layer of hummus on the ground and plenty of good critters in the soil , including wiggler and fungi .
You will also see a variety of tree , shrub , and groundcovers that have grown together in reciprocally beneficial grade . A primary timber typically has n’t get a line the entry of non - native and often invading metal money that may change over an ecosystem out of balance . Unfortunately , most of our created urban landscape are over - running with non - natives , often times create a ambitious environment for the gardener .
If we keep the imagine of a elemental forest in our heads when we garden , we can use the come technique to boost our garden ’s ecosystem so that it functions more like a natural forest . Here are some introductory thing you may do to originate a goodly garden with stronger plants , so that you may apply less chemicals when gardening .
1. Work the Soil
As mentioned above , healthy soil is the samara to growing good for you plant . Composting garden waste and kitchen garbage is one of the right ways to improve your soil . By adding compost to your garden soil , you may :
Soils may become too acid if you go in an area with heavy rains or if your filth have been treat over the year with eminent sexually transmitted disease of N - phosphorus - K fertilizers . In these cases , just bring more organic compost to restore the Libra .
Soil drainage is also decisive to constituent gardening . If you notice water supply pooling in any areas of the garden , your plants may brook from root rot or other problems . immix in compost is one of the best ways to improve drainage . you could also try digging out a estimable quantity of the soil , around 16 inches bass , and placing a stratum of o.k. gravel at the bottom . commingle the soil you removed with compost , and fill it back in .
Please train outCompost Guide for information about composting .
2. Use Native Plants
Another technique you could follow out in your garden to boil down your use of chemical substance pesticides , weedkiller , and fertilizers is to habituate more native works in your garden . Plants native to your area are a good pick for your garden because they are naturally adapted to your neighborhood . Thus , they are hardy , practice less piss , and are more tolerant to pests and diseases . See this internet site from Grow Native for more info on using native plant life in your garden . Grow Native is a non - profit organization devoted to promote the use of native industrial plant for landscaping . While you do n’t have to grow a garden entirely of native plants , try planting at least a few . There are many wonderful native plants out there to judge , and you will be stunned how carefree your garden will become .
3. Mulch
Using a thick layer of constitutional mulch to cover your garden beds will help your garden keep water , prevent weeds from growing , and will impart added nutrient to your territory . Mulch will also cool the soil and encourage the comportment of beneficial soil organisms . Organic mulch basically function like humus on a forest base .
Nothing in a timberland really ever goes to waste . The leave and dead branches that fall from tree and shrubs form a thick stratum of organic stuff on the forest story . Then , critters in the soil such as bacteria , fungi , earthworms , and roundworm go to piece of work on this humus and break it down . This add together nutrient to the ground , prevents erosion , and cuts down on weeds , in add-on to other benefits . you may use a motley of organic materials such as hay , wood chip , chopped bark , etc . as mulch in your garden . You should periodically check the layers of mulch in your garden and add more as it crack down . seek to conserve a 3 - 4 inch bed of constitutive mulch in all your garden bed .
you could further stimulate and support your soil by lend a dose oforganic fertilizer . Your mulch will work better when you add this natural fertiliser over the entire garden layer to gradually strengthen your plants over sentence .
For more data on mulching , please see this website on mulching from Clean Air Gardening .
4. Grass-Cycling
Grass - cycling simply mean entrust skunk newspaper clipping on your lawn after you mow . The grass clippings work as a born compost and finally break down , adding nutrients to the soil . Mary Jane - cycling will aid you reduce the need for chemical substance fertilizers for your lawn . A manual reel - mower is an ideal creature for pasturage - cycling . They are also better for your grass and well-situated on the surround . When you simply leave the sens clippings on your lawn , you also relieve time and energy in bagging them up . to boot , you reduce tenseness on your local municipal landfill . An choice to grass - cycling is to simply place the grass clippings in your compost bin .
5. Companion Planting
As mentioned above , “ comrade planting ” can be a useful tool to help us produce a more rude garden and abridge the use of chemicals in our yards and home . Here is a basic list of plants that you could grow together in your garden that will benefit the garden ecosystem .
6. Biodiversity and the Proper Placement of Plants
Biodiversity is a conception that utilize to ecologically and biology . Thus , it is very applicable to gardening and farming . For example , it is a well get laid fact that if you plant a monoculture of one single crop on your farm , an attack by diseases or pests can be catastrophic . However , if you grow a high variety of species , you ’ll cease up strengthening your plants ’ resistant systems and make an overall healthier surroundings . Why ? Because a diversity of plants means a variety of birds , worm , pollinators , and beneficial ground organism that are attract to your garden . strong plants mean that they are less susceptible to diseases and gadfly .
Additionally , biodiversity means that you create a range of habitats for flora and insect . If you grow Tree and shrubs in your yard , you’re able to also maturate tad loving plants . The tad also cools the grease and provides a better surroundings for fishing worm and other critters . These various habitat can attract gentlewoman hemipterous insect , praying mantis , and certain species of wasps that kill off pests .
When thinking about how to produce a biodiverse garden , take a look at some of the natural plant communities in your region . Observe the unlike layer of flora and how they relate to each other . What plants care to grow in the cool ghost of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and shrub ? What are the marvelous trees in these communities ? abide by the wildflowers from your region . Do they grow alone , or do they produce among grasses and other plants ? Keep in judgement that dirt ball are a worthful part of your garden community . If your encourage the presence of beneficial dirt ball , your garden will be better for it .
The more industrial plant you and perpendicular level you have in your garden , the better . However , keep in mind that you ’ll involve to choose your plants cautiously and plant them in the proper place in your yard . Placing your plant the right way in your garden simply means observing what each industrial plant involve to turn well .
For example , grow Lord’s Day loving plant life where there is plenty of sun . develop specter loving plant where there is shade . And never rise plants with radically different needs next to each other . Your best bet is to group plants together based on the amount of sunlight and water they need . Additionally , remember that dirt is a decisive factor for plants . Some plants prefer acidulent grease , while others opt alkaline grunge . Some plants can survive in soils with short drain , others will conk off rapidly if the grime stays too plastered for too long .
A Victory for Organic Gardens
Need another reason to go constitutional ? How about a greener , more attractive lawn ? If you ’ve stuck with chemic plant food over the years because you ’re confident that they work better than natural , organic products , a new study by Texas A&M University may storm you .
The folks at Austin ’s Watershed Protection and Development Review Department were occupy about how cursorily nitrogen , a primary component of vernacular fertiliser , is passing through level of filth to pollute the city ’s groundwater sources . So , they called up the Aggies at Texas A&M to test nine different lawn fertilizers , both organic and chemical , to see which ones had the least peril of contaminating groundwater source .
Thedata helped to prove what many organic gardeners have know all along : natural and certified constituent fertilizers are far superior to homo - made synthetical fertilizer in terms of reducing pollution and producing overall attractive lawns .
THE field of study :
In the study , the following fertilizers were used :
Chemical Fertilizers :
Natural and Organic Fertilizers :
Texas A&M also dress up a control , with no fertiliser or grass planting .
Lysimeter boxes were specially fabricated to test the charge per unit that atomic number 7 passes through the soil . Additionally , the inquiry screen the health of the skunk by using what ’s known as “ Clipping Data , ” a typical way of measuring grass wellness , to determine which fertiliser produced the healthy sens .
The results were unanimous , natural and constitutive product are not only good for the environment , they ’re better for your lawn !
In addition to now encourage constituent fertilizer , the urban center of Austin and Texas A&M arrive up with a serial of recommendations that they hope will aid the fair householder reduce contamination of precious groundwater resource , regardless of whether they choose to use organic products . For example :
While this sketch has prove to be a keen boost for gardeners and home owners who want to protect the surroundings and their families , many people continue to utilize potentially harmful chemicals on their lawns and gardens . That ’s where you come in .
Explanation of NPK Fertilizer Numbers
Understanding NPK ( Nitrogen , Phosphorous , and Potash ( Potassium ) ratingson lawn and plant plant food is an important part of determine whether or not fertilizers are appropriate or even necessary for your garden and landscaping .
This article is a canonical guide to understanding what NPK numbers imply , and what levels of Nitrogen , Phosphorous , and Potash are really appropriate for your garden plant .
Be cognizant that in most font , of import gardening practices such as aerating and compost are much better for your garden than using chemical substance fertilizers . Also take down that in high spirits NPK level do n’t necessarily intend healthy industrial plant .
What You Should Know about NPK and Fertilizers
Chemical fertiliser and organic plant food show their nutrient content with three bold number on the computer software . These number represent three different compounds : Nitrogen , Phosphorous , and Potash ( Potassium ) , which we can also describe with the letters N - phosphorus - K. The three figure list on fertilizer labels correspond to the part of these materials found in the fertilizer .
What does each nutrient do ? In add-on to other properties , Nitrogen helps plant foliation to get substantial . Phosphorous helps roots and flowers turn and develop . Potassium ( Potash ) is important for overall works wellness .
Be aware that gamey atomic number 7 fertilizer will make for quick development but weak plants that are more susceptible to onrush by diseases and pests . Fast , showy increment is not necessarily the good thing for your plant .
German scientistJustus Von Liebigwas responsible for for the theory that Nitrogen , Phosphorous , and Potassium level are the basis for specify healthy plant growth .
However , this possibility does n’t take into account the dozens of other nutrients and elements that are essential to plant development such as atomic number 16 , atomic number 1 , O , carbon , magnesium , etc . Nor does the theory tattle about the importance of good soil organisms that help your plant to absorb nutrients and fight off plague and diseases .
While Von Liebig ’s body of work was emphatically important to the science of plant growth , other shipway of search at how plant life utilize nutrients have largely been ignored , especially by those companies who develop the chemical fertilizers ordinarily on the market today .
For example , many of the elements necessary for healthy plants are n’t available from the soil . They are actually available from water and atmosphere . carbon copy dioxide , atomic number 8 and atomic number 7 can hit the dirt and plants ’ roots if you right aerate the soil . Microbes , earthworms , and other critter will then help your plant make use of these elements found in the air to gain plant ontogenesis .
Additionally , if we look at nature , compost in the signifier of organic hummus is ever present in natural industrial plant communities , provide lots of the nutrients that plants need to acquire and thrive . Compost contains Nitrogen , Phosphorous , Potassium , and a with child copiousness of other trace element that will profit your plant life .
It is cleared that Nitrogen , Phosphorous , and Potassium are not necessarily the most significant elements you need for your works to raise well . In fact , elements such as atomic number 6 , hydrogen , oxygen , sulfur , magnesium , copper , atomic number 27 , atomic number 11 , boron , Mo , and zinc are just as important to establish development as N - P - K.
alas , Justus Von Liebig ’s theory has become a dominant paradigm for how we develop our ornamental and edible plants . This has lead to a vast amount excess nutrients building up in our streams , lakes , and river because plant food are over utilize .
Organic gardeners can appear to the work ofSir Albert Howardfor solid enquiry and ideas on how to grow plants more naturally . His ideas take chemical substance processes that occur in nature . He then applies them to agriculture and home horticulture .
Organic Versus Chemical Fertilizers
When looking at both constitutional and chemical fertilizer labels , you ’ll find that the NPK numbers do n’t add up to 100 percent . So , what is the rest of your fertiliser made up of ? That depends on the fertilizer .
Chemical fertilizers can have any number of extra ingredients include dirt , guts , and even materials that are potentially hazardous to your health and to the environs .
These filler for chemical fertilizers are useful so that the nutrients are n’t so concentrated that they will damage or “ burn ” your plants . Organic plant food do n’t necessarily contain “ fillers ” as they are made up of a variety of born constituent that in one manner or another will benefit your flora .
Another thing to be aware of with chemical fertilizers is the kind of nutrients they check and the way of life these nutrients are pull . For example , the variety of N typically found in chemical fertilizers dissolves very cursorily in piss . This means that excess atomic number 7 may find its way into groundwater and freshwater source and pollute the water .
Additionally , many chemical fertilizers are now using phosphoric acid to create a high phosphorous content quickly and cheaply . According to Dr. Garrett , this kind of phosphorous basically neutralizes other significant trace mineral from the soil that your plants require . Also , be cognizant that the atomic number 19 found in many chemical substance fertilizers is a rough form of potassium that can be potentially harmful to your plants if applied improperly .
Although organic and natural plant food usually have a lower NPK number , they are soil amendments that work easy over time to improve your soil and to assist you plants grow stiff . They avoid the firm ontogenesis and flowering provided by chemical fertilizers that actually weakens plants . Therefore , crowing NPK numbers do n’t of necessity think a better plant food .
Alternatives to Chemical Fertilizers
Many professional gardeners say that little to no additional atomic number 19 and phosphorus are need in our ground as these elements are present already . However , we ask to liberate these elements with right soil aeration , soil drainage , beneficial grease organisms , etc . Therefore , organic fertilizers with NPK label that show low numbers or even zero for K and morning star are dead adequate for your garden as long as you ’re properly handle for your dirt .
The matter about fertilizers is that without right filth aeration , mineral nutrients , and other factor , your plants may not be able-bodied to absorb phosphoric and potassium anyway , so stretch up your soil with high horizontal surface of phosphorous and potassium may not make much difference with the health of your flora .
Nitrogen is typically available to the soil without extra fertilizer . The trick is having good for you soil full of beneficial microorganism that can make use of the atomic number 7 that is uncommitted in the air . Compost can help , and so can soil additive such as Mycor root detergent builder . Also , companion embed with flora like beans that fix nitrogen will make for happy and healthy land .
Organic composts and composted manure are excellent reference of all nutrients plants need to develop , including NPK . Professional nurseryman who use chemical substance and organic nurseryman agree that using compost is one of the well things you’re able to do to feed your plant are feed them the nutrients they ask .
Other excellent author of these nutrients are fish repast , bone meal , Medicago sativa meal , at-bat guano and earthworm cast .
Recommended Products for Organic Gardening
1 . Vinegar : Some gardeners commend acetum as a way to course manipulate pot . However , acetum has actually begin mixed results under scientific studies . Find out the facts before you use acetum on your weeds . Check out this excellent study from Iowa State University on the use of acetum in the garden .
2 . Mycor Root Builders : Mycorrhizal kingdom Fungi are tiny , harmless critters that tie themselves to engraft roots and actually help industrial plant to make use of organic chemicals in the soil . you may energise the growth of Mycorrhizal fungi and get them to work more efficiently with a Mycor Root Builder . Mycor Root Builder contains Endomycorrhiza , Ectomycorrhiza , Scleroderma , Kelp , Zeolite , and Humate . It will work on all the plants in your garden , including turf eatage . you may utilize it directly on your new transplants or use a coring drill or auger to penetrate deeper into the grime for established plants .
3 . innate Insecticides : It ’s a fact of lifetime that your plants will attract cuss . you could minimise this problem by produce plant life native to your part . These plants are typically more resistant to pests . associate planting is another solution for fight off bugs . However , even with these wide-eyed proficiency , you ’re still likely to have problem with cuss at some detail in your horticulture experience .
Gardeners all over the world have find that natural citrus - based insecticides will kill off most of the plague you ’re likely to see in your garden . These products wipe out a sort of pests , include undercut worms , caterpillars , snails , slugs , aphids , bean beetles , cabbage loopers , earwigs , flea beetle , Japanese beetle , leafhoppers , mealybugs , mites , rear chafers , scales , and adult whiteflies . They are by and large even safe enough to utilize indoors if you bechance to have houseplant that you ’d like to do by .
4 . Hot Pepper Wax Natural Bug and Critter Spray : Another way to keep insects and even animals out of your garden is with a Hot Pepper Wax sprayer . This is particularly of import if you have a lot of edible crop to protect . animate being and insects are instantly repelled by the strong cayenne pepper oils . The nebuliser light adheres to the plants with a instinctive food level wax , and therefore wo n’t take to the woods off when you water your plants or after a heavy rain . It lick to repel most insects and creature such as squirrel , gophers , chipmunk , and hedgehogs .
If it sounds like you ’re drop dead to be turning your veggie patch into a salsa factory , not to worry ! you’re able to harvest your veggie and eat them on the same 24-hour interval you spray your plant , without any savory residue . They just involve a just washing and they ’re quick to eat !
5 . Bat Guano : The Bracken Bat Cave in Texas is famous for being the cave with the highest universe of bats on the planet ( approximately 20,000,000 of these fanged , flying mammals ) . This mean it ’s a great billet to reap high quality bat guano , which is an idealistic natural plant food . Why bat guano ? It has a high hommos subject and sour great as a soil builder and plant food . It ’s also 100 % raw .
Farmers and gardeners have used squash racquet guano for hundreds of years . It was n’t until lately that inorganic plant food have become popular enough for people to draw a blank that there is a raw option that work just as well !
Additionally , most producer of bat guano product check that not to harm any bats during the harvest . They usually trace the high criterion of Bat Conservation International , so you may feel secure about buying this natural garden and at-bat - friendly fertilizer .
6 . Organic Natural Fire Ant Killer : The violent imported fire ant , Solenopsis invicta Buren ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ) , is a major problem for many gardeners . They make big nests that can uproot turf and bear upon your mowing . Once they get established , fire ants can get into your compost pile , kitchen , vegetable garden , and even your electrical equipment . Moreover , if you ’ve ever felt the sting of a fire ant , you know how sore it can be !
A natural fire ant killer should put an end to these pesky critters . Many natural merchandise to kill fire ants come in a shaker , and contain enough attack ant killer to treat a XII or more mounds . You just need to apply it to each mound and hold off . you’re able to also sprinkle it in your bloom bed and around the outside of your home to keep the pismire from come inwardly . These fire ant killers are a synergetic blend of natural industrial plant oils . wait for mathematical product with ingredients that have been approved by the FDA as food additives , so they are safe even if you have children or pet .
you could use a blast ant Orcinus orca as stair one of the Texas A&M developed Texas Two Step fire ant control method acting .
stone’s throw two involve using a citrous fruit - based liquidity insecticide that will help oneself keep the ants from coming back .
7 . Citrus and Vinegar - Based Natural Organic Weed Killers : When you ’ve set about a serious dope problem or clock time constraints , you many not have the energy to manually weed your garden . However , alternatively of snaffle a feeding bottle of abrasive chemical to kill off those weeds , seek out a natural sens killer whale .
There are citrus and acetum - found liquid uncommitted that you could use that will cause the weed to wilt and die within minutes . If you have grass that ’s growing into your garden beds or onto your patio , it will also work to kill it off for easy removal . While repeated locoweed may need a couple treatments , most annuals will be exit after the first covering .
8 . Organic Liquid Lawn Fertilizer : For a prissy , profuse M without chemical , prove out an constituent liquid lawn fertilizer . take care for merchandise that are a combining of lawn intellectual nourishment appurtenance , born filth activators , and Humate Liquid Humus . These products will stir the beneficial soil being that live under your green goddess . you’re able to habituate them to quickly green up your lawn , from spring to fall . They typically process a deal like other lawn fertilizer . merely mix the fertilizer , attach it to your hose , and spray .
9 . Rainwater from Rain Barrels : water system is a precious and expensive imagination these days . By but investing in a rain barrel and using stored rainwater to irrigate your garden rather of water from the tap , you’re able to save money and produce happier plants .
The piss coming from your tap has been treat as drinking water for human wasting disease , which your plants do n’t necessarily need . In fact , most garden plants typically favor naturally “ balmy ” rain , which is also free of chemical substance , minerals , chlorine , and fluoride . After all , rainwater is what plant have been thrive on for thou of years !
10 . Horticultural Corn Meal : Horticultural cornmeal is an organic elbow room of controlling harmful dirt fungi and problems with plant life rootage . If you ’ve amaze vegetable crop , you may be conversant with these filth related fungal problems .
When you apply horticultural corn repast to the territory , it actually fortify beneficial fungi such as Trichoderma , which will fight off the harmful fungi that can assault your plant life . It also helps build up the lineament of the soil , which will benefit all the plant in your garden .
Apply it directly to grass , soil , and all your flower bed . You do n’t have to worry about over apply this production , as it will in no elbow room harm your plants . Also , if you have a pond , you may use it to remove algae . However , read the instructions carefully on the package when you utilize it in your pond , as apply too much can cause oxygen depletion problems .
12 . Corn Gluten MealCorn gluten meal is a natural herbicide . However , it has the added welfare of helping to feed the dirt . Please visit Dr. Nick Christians ’ University of IowaCorn Gluten inquiry pagefor more info on the benefits of Zea mays gluten repast .
13 . BeerBeer attracts slug and snails . They quick drown in a glass or specially design slug and escargot trap when it ’s filled with beer .
