I received some emails from people about my using the milk solution for the fungus problem. Seems a lot of people are interested in decreasing or eliminating pesticides from their food where and whenever possible.
Here's some reasons to consider stopping or at least decreasing pesticide use in your garden:
- Pesticides are toxic to many forms of life. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs and honeybees can be killed by pesticides which can lead to worse insect problems in the future.
- Pesticide residues can accumulate in the food chain. These traces may cause damage to birds, fish and other forms of animal life. In many cases these side effects are not immediately apparent, but may show up later, for example, in the abnormal eggs of birds that have eaten pesticide-laced insects.
- Children are especially at risk from pesticides and are much more susceptible to these chemicals than adults. Kids have more skin area relative to body volume than adults and their skin may be more permeable to pesticides. Young kids also tend to play for hours in the yard, putting dirty fingers, other objects and dirt in their mouths.
- Pesticides don’t remain on your lawn and garden. Storm water runoff carries toxins into nearby streams, rivers and lakes harming fish and other water wildlife. These water bodies may also be the source of your drinking water.
- Many pesticides contain ingredients known or suspected of causing cancer. Studies also suggest strong associations between pesticides and other serious health consequences. (Source: David Suzaki Foundation)
Colony collapse is one of the problems facing bees and beekeepers today. Some scientists think it is due to the increased use of pesticides which honeybees are unable to tolerate. If honeybees are not available to pollinate then nature as we know it dies.
Personally I became aware of the effects of pesticides after our neighborhood had been sprayed and our dog had a reaction to the spray. He experienced tremors, and seizure activity. We were able to get him to the emergency vet's office in time. But it made me much more aware of the effects of spraying and pesticides. Until that time I had never actually seen the effects of the chemicals directly. It definitely makes me more aware.
Many locales such as Ontario have enacted legislation to decrease the use of pesticides. Here are some tips from another Texas group, the Arlington Organic Garden Club.
Consider visiting some of the links to see how you can decrease or eliminate the use of pesticides in your garden. You can make the decision to go organic and still have a healthy garden. And the health of you, your family and pets will be better as well.
All in a gardener's day,
Thanks to Mateusz Stachowski and Katarzyna Lipi?ska for use of the photo
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You then remove the sensor and attach the sensor to your computer. It plugs into a USB port on your computer.
The sensor can check into an extensive database and let you know what plants will thrive in the location you checked. You can choose plants by type, color, size, season, drought tolerance or even those that attract butterflies. You set up an account so you can track and keep the information.
If you want you can use the sensor to determine if a particular plant is receiving enough light, moisture or the correct temperature for optimal growth. And if you want it can even determine whether a particular plant needs watering or not. The technology built into the sensor is similar to that used by NASA in their horticultural technology.
What I like most about the EasyBloom Plant Sensor
I predict this is going to be on a lot of gardener's holiday wish lists this year.
All in a gardener's day,
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I was sitting in the dentist's office while waiting for an appointment. I happened to pick up an old magazine.
The article described how farmers used to plant by the phases of the moon. According to the theory well used by many older farmers each phase has certain chores associated with a phase of the moon. The farmers adapted their gardening to the phases of the moon. Now it's been well documented the effect the moon has on the tides. But the data on growing crops isn't as clear cut.
History shows many ancient cultures used the phases of the moon to determine what plants were planted during specific days of the month. Now when I looked online it doesn't seem current research supports the study. But when you look at the many almanacs they also uses the same system.
And it's certainly a system Native Americans and others used to indicate seasons of hunting, planting and harvesting. For example the Tewas of the Rio Grande plant when the moon is waxing, this way the plants can draw on the strength of the moon. (Source: Native American Gardening: Stories, Projects, and Recipes for Families by By Michael J. Caduto, Caduto, Joseph Bruchac, Bruchac) Again these cultures adapted their gardening to the phases of the moon as well.
Here are some of the the suggestions for the various moon phases:
For the new moon-This is the time to plant plants which need leafy growth. It's also a time to mow your lawn to encourage growth
The first quarter of the moon is good for beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes and all vine plants.
The full moon is the time to plant bulbs, root crops or underground crops. At this time the moon pulls the sap down into the roots.
The last quarter is a resting phase of growth which is good for weeding, pruning and fertilization.
To find out the phases of the moon, check out this site. Maybe it's time to see whether it's just the sun which affects the crop cycle or the moon plays a part as well.
All in a gardener's day,
Photo courtesy of ilker
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