so I was pleased to see that some are checking for the “certified organic” label.

As I was reading through the comments, I came across a most interesting question concerning Heritage seeds sold by Canadian Tire.

Shelley had posted this question:

“I just bought seed at Canadian tire called Heritage, from Heritage Garden Products, 30-9th street Brandon, MB R7A 6E1. Is this a division of McKenzie seed?.
Does anyone know if these seeds are non GMO , non GE?
I can’t find them on the McKenzie website and Heritage is too general to find a site.”
In other other words, Shelley was wondering if Heritage seeds were organic seeds.

Although I thought that Shelley’s Heritage seeds were probably organic seeds because the Heritage organization is usually associated with sometimes rare  organic seeds exchange, I wanted to be sure before answering Shelley.

Those names — Heritage, McFayden, McKenzie — sounded familiar,  so I went back to check the post Organic Seed Sources for Organic Gardeners ( also on this blog) which I had written back in April, and I looked at the list of companies whom the governmeent has identified as companies selling  organic seeds.

Sure enough not only are both McFayden and McKenzie on that list of companies selling organic seeds, but also both  seemed to have the same address as the Heritage seeds mentioned by Shelley.

So I decided to contact McFayden’s customer service and explained what Shelley wanted to find out.

Mandi Boyle, Customer Service Representative graciously sent me this answer,  so with her permission, here is her explanation:

“Hi Marcie

I received your email regarding McKenzie/McFayden seeds.

McFayden is simply the mail order division of McKenzie Seeds, who supplies to various retailers throughout Canada.

Heritage or Heirloom is not specific to McKenzie, but to all seed companies that carry rare varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. In some catalogues- like McFayden’s- the heirloom varieties are marked as “organic seeds” or “organic certified”, but not necessarily in all- so you have to know your varieties. Here is a great website to further assist you:

http://www.seeds.ca/en.php

Any of our seeds that are certified organic will be marked as such.

If you have any further questions, please contact me directly or call our customer service department at toll-free 1-800-205-7111. We are available Monday- Friday, 7am- 5pm CST.

Mandi Boyle, Customer Service Representative
McFayden- A Division of McKenzie Seeds
1000 Parker Blvd. Brandon, MB R7A 6E1
(204) 571-7506/Toll-Free 1-800-205-7111

I am so grateful to Mandi for clearly explaining the situation.  I’m sure that if you have further questions, she would be glad to answer them.

And Shelley, your Heritage seeds are definitely non GMO. non GE.  They may not be marked as certified organic, but I think it is quite safe to think that they are organic seeds.

Thank you to both Shelley and Mandi for their permission to use their name and information.

By the way, I think Shelley was wise to double check to make sure her seeds are organic.  If people keep asking and double checking, after a while the companies will make sure they are selling organic seeds and will be proud to mark their packages as “certified organic.”

Happy Gardening!

Marcie

Please note: You can use my articles on your blog as long as you use it as is without changing any of the text and  you  include my bio with my website link.

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Where is this rubber mulch coming from? What is rubber made of? Is rubber not rubber anymore once it has been ground up?

First of all, what is rubber in this rubber mulch made up of?

If  you think of it for a minute, it’s quite obvious  that rubber requires some type of synthetic material to first of all bond together the rubber material so rubber tires can exist.  What is rubber really made up of? Is it something we know would be safe if the broken down particles would end up in our food and water?

Why is it that that we are not allowed to throw old tires in municipal dumps with the rest of the garbage but must bring in these tires to be disposed of in a very particular way? Nobody wants old tires, yet people would buy it as rubber mulch?

;Also  some companies are advocating using this shredded rubber as rubber mulch compost which is supposed to nourish our soil?

How the heck is that supposed to happen when there is absolutely nothing natural in rubber!! Nothing even slightly similar to microorganisms or micro-organisms, so how can rubber nourish soil? Leave a tire to rot, do you find worms gathering around the tire to help the decompostition of the tire? Why not?

I did a google search with keyword ” rubber makeup” and was taken to a Wikipedia page where I found the following information.  Some of the information is about a compound called PPD.  Here’s a jpg with part of this information.  To see a large copy of this jpg, you will need to double click it twice: once on this page and then on the next page.  You may also go directly to the wikipedia page using the url at the end of the PPD section.

“PPD (p-Phenylenediamine, a derivative of aniline) is easily oxidized, and for this reason PPD is used as antiozonants in production of rubber products”

“In many cases, PPD causes allergic reaction, and can cause scarring in some people. PPD should never be applied directly to the skin in its pure form or mixed with anything else”

“The CDC (Center for Disease control) lists PPD as being a contact allergen. Exposure routes are through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, and skin and/or eye contact; symptoms of exposure include throat irritation (pharynx and larynx), bronchial asthma, and sensitization dermatitis.[5][6] Sensitization is a lifelong issue, which may lead to active sensitization to products including, but not limited to black clothing, various inks, hair dye, dyed fur, dyed leather, and certain photographic products.”

“It was voted Allergen of the Year in 2006 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society” ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-Phenylenediamine

I think we need to ask ourselves, “Do we want our food growing in areas where there are possible allergens from rubber mulch?”

Do we want our children playing in playgrounds where there is possible breakdown of rubber into dust and breathing in that dust?

How do we know that the rubber which is being used to make this rubber mulch hasn’t been further  contaminated in some way while being used on vehicles?

Secondly some people may argue that sand used in children’s playgrounds can be more dangerous than the rubber mulch for the children’s health.

It may be true that children  can fall on the sand and hurt themselves. However, at least the sand is a natural material which has been a part of earth for millenia.

On the other hand,  manmade material such as rubber mulch or rubber playground squares  comes from rubber tires which have been put together by adding chemicals, chemicals such as PPD which can be detrimental to the child’s health.
The worst part of this hazard is that it is a hidden hazard.  Unfortunately people trust companies who sell these products and they don’t check to see how safe it is before they buy.  The product looks good, so Hey! it must be good for us and our children.  In this case, fooled again??!!??

When cigarettes were first out they were touted as being safe. At the time, nobody mentioned all the chemicals used to turn tobacco plants into smokable cigarettes . . . chemicals which would one day be responsible for cancer.

After the second world war when farmers were being told that synthetic fertilizers were safe, that farmers would have even better growing results when using this synthetic fertilizer than they would by using compost and manure, nobody mentiioned that this fertilizer was made from the same chemicals as those used in the war to kill.

The common people who thought they were being told the truth had no idea how much this synthetic fertilizer would damage both soil and crops. Now we have to reverse our way of thinking and go back to old fashion methods to save our soil and water.

To further complicate the situation,  we have big companies trying to find a place to get rid of old tires — – guess where!   Right into our back yard, into our soil which we are trying to bring back to former high standards of nutrition.  What next?

In this video, Nancy Alderman, President of Environment And Human Health Organization explains WHY anything such as rubber mulch or playground rubber is hazardous in our gardens and on our children’s playgrounds . . .

Nancy is right! She is warning us: “This rubber mulch will bring only more damage to our health and ecosystem.”

Will people ignore Nancy’s warning regarding the toxins and carcinogens present in rubber mulch just like they ignored David Suzuki”s warning re insecticides/pesticides on our food in his article “The David Suzuki Foundation released a document, “The Food We Eat” — An International Comparison of Pesticide regulations, October 2006.?” To read this short article, please scroll down to almost the bottom of the post at

http://organicvegetablegardeningguide.com/blog/grow-your-own-vegetables/

One more thing re this rubber mulch or rubber playground squares:  Isn’t there enough of this rubber in our atmosphere as it is?

Tires wear out, and as tires wear out leaving dust particles behind, where do these dust particles  go?

Should we allow  more “dust particles” be added to our environment by buying the shredded rubber mulch and adding it to our soil and our children’s playgrounds?

Are we so blind that we cannot see how  the chemicals from all these degenerating (rotting) rubber particles will seep from our  soil into our water, and ultimately will be swallowed by our children?

I hope people will realize before it’s too late that if farmers and gardeners embrace using this shredded rubber mulch in their gardens/playgrounds, they will be further destroying their own health, their children’s future health, and that of our present ecosystem.  Is that what we want for our children?  Think about it!!

Marcie

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I have seen, first hand, how the new conventional farming techniques spearheaded by large companies have changed the organic agricultural methods to such a point that  in many cases vegetables have been/were being forced to grow in very unhealthy environments.

Perhaps once you have discovered how farming has changed since the 1960′s, you might be inclined to grow your own vegetables . . . or at least start buying organically grown veggies.

1: Mixed farming/crop rotation replaced by growing only one type of vegetable , and compost replaced by “special” synthetic fertilizers.

Back in the 60′s, potato farmers in Prince Edward Island had been persuaded to do less mixed farming and grow more potatoes to satisfy consumer demand.

I remember it well! The leaders of this trend were trying to persuade the New Brunswick farmers to do the same.

These leaders were going from place to place,  targeting especially the farmers’ coops, and  telling farmers how it would be more profitable to plant huge fields of one crop and use more synthetic fertilizers which they claimed were just as good as compost . . . that in the end the cost of the fertilizer would be offset by selling more produce. After much discussion, the NB farmers decided to decline the offer and continue with mixed farming.

At the time, PEI farmers did grow their own vegetables, were organized into Co-ops, and had been producing many different varieties of delicious potatoes which had become renowned as being the best in the world.

However, when the farmers began growing such huge crops of potatoes on a continuous basis, the soil could not keep up with supplying all the needed nutrients anymore . . . especially since the old method of replenishing the soil with compost and rotating crops had been abandoned.

Since the synthetic fertilizers could not replenish the soil with all necessary micronutrients and macronutrients as did the old fashion method of crop rotation supplemented with manure and compost, the growing crops of potatoes became less healthy… not only did they not feel and taste the same anymore but also their “shelf life” was shorter.

Any potato farmer knows that potatoes which are less than really healthy are attacked more frequently by insects or potato blight, so to keep their crops from being destroyed, growers would have to spray more often with insecticide and pesticides.

What a vicious circle! A double whammy for the consumer. . . 1) vegetables lacking in nutrients and 2) insecticide/pesticide on our food and spreading in our water table. No wonder cancer and other disease is rampant!   Would it then be better to  grow your own vegetables?

2: Excessive spraying

However potatoes were not the only crop affected by this new farming technique. In the summer of 2003, I saw something which makes me believe that more food than we think are being laced with insecticide/pesticide…

Let me explain. From early spring until October, I had to travel every day down a country road here in Ontario. At the beginning of the summer I noticed this huge field being planted, and as time passed, I soon recognized that these plants were head lettuce.

One day, however, when the plants were almost mature, I saw, to my horror, that a tractor pulling spraying equipment was going from row to row and was spraying a horrible smelling liquid I recognized as being the smell of insecticide.

Before that crop was completely pulled out, I had witnessed those plants being sprayed at least one more time. (I couldn’t help but wonder where in the lettuce that spray had ended up!. . .)

Then later on during the summer, when half the field had no more of this first crop of lettuce, I noticed workers were replanting another crop on that same stretch of land. Now maybe they added compost to the field before replanting, but I saw no signs that anything of that nature had been done.

Before the summer was over, this second crop of head lettuce had been treated with the same spraying routine.

Imagine! How can soil support two crops of the same type of vegetable in one summer without being replenished?

Because of the spraying,  how could any living organism and/or precious worms which are so necessary to keeping your soil healthy  survive the sprayings? What kind of food were we being sold? Definitely not as healthy as when you grow your own vegetables and know what goes into the garden.

Reason 3: Farmers forced to use chemical fertilizers instead of the organic fertilizer

In the spring of 2004, one day around 9:30 a.m., my brother and I happened to be driving past a farm where the farmer was spreading chemical-based fertilizer.

Being a beautiful spring day, we had our car windows down. All of a sudden a strong gust of wind came breezing our way and brought with it a stark sharp smell which made us both choke and gasp. The smell of that fertilizer was 10 times worst than fresh manure which in all my years of experience has never made me choke up (gag maybe, but not choke)!

As we quickly closed the windows, I asked my brother, “Why on earth do farmers use such junk?”

He answered: “One of the farmers told me that composted cattle manure was hard to ‘come by’ because cattle farmers hang onto it. The vegetable farmers who do not own cattle have no choice but to buy this fertilizer!” He went on to explain that most farmers have very little money so cannot afford to buy compost by the ton, hence must resort to this chemical-based cheaper fertilizer. What a predicament for the farmer! Gardeners/Farmers  know that to grow your own vegetables which are healthy and filled with nutrients, you must use organic amendments.

4. Farmers Having To Buy Genetically Modified Seeds For Some Of Their Crops

After watching “The Future of Our Food” (a rented documentary which I watched in 2009), I can understand the farmer’s predicament. Not only are farmers forced to use synthetic fertilizers but they must now contend with genetically altered seeds.

As I was viewing the video, the part about how big companies are planning to sell seeds which have been genetically altered to self destruct after one year of growth made me feel really sorry for the farmers as well as for us consumers!

How will farmers be able to survive? How can seeds be saved for the following year’s crop?

How is eating that type of food grown from seeds who are to self destruct going to affect us financially and healthwise?

As I kept viewing these videos and reading about the farmers’ dilemma, other thoughts popped into my head:

“How much insecticide/pesticide residual are we swallowing as we eat our vegetables? ….. and who knows what else we are swallowing!”

“Why would cattle and even pigs and wild animals refuse to eat corn grown from genetically modified seeds? Why do some animals glow when they eat certain genetically modified foods?”

To read the whole story and view the video explaining why the farmers are so extremely concerned and worried, click  Genetically Modified Foods Vs Organic Foods, which was written when certain groups in the US wanted to outlaw organic farming.

The advantage you have when you grow your own vegetables is that you can avoid using genetically modified seeds, thus avoid the hazards that go along with genetically modified foods, and they wanted to strip home owners of having this choice.

Hidden Dangers in Kids’ Meals: Genetically Engineered Foods (1of3)
is another revealing video dealing with genetically modified foods. This video can be viewed along with two other videos about this subject on Google at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3015279868041217732#

5. Here’s one last proof that one should  either buy or grow your own vegetables .

“The David Suzuki Foundation released a document, “The Food We Eat” — An International Comparison of Pesticide regulations, October 2006.

The Foundation made the claim that Canada’s pesticide regulations are among the weakest in the industrialized world. Sixty chemicals used in 1,130 pesticide products are banned in other western industrialized nations, they say.

However, in 2007 Canada’s maximum residue limits on food are significantly lower than the US, the European Union, and Australia.

Canada reports a 10 percent residue on fresh fruit and vegetables, as compared to the US which reports 76 percent.”
~ CFA-Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Currents Events, “CFA Environment and Science Activities” (September 2007)
http://www.cfa-fca.ca/pages/index.php?main_id=335

Since that time a very strong organization in the United Kingdom called the Soil Association have become very involved in supporting and promoting organic farming by setting up rules which are strictly enforced.

After reading all these facts on how farming has changed,  I’m sure you understand better why it’s important that you learn to grow your own vegetables.

You are able to make sure that you are planting non-gmo seeds in a healthy soil well supplemented with compost or manure so that very little or no spraying with insecticides/pesticides is needed when you grow your own vegetables.

Since you’re in control when you grow your own vegetables, you can keep your veggies healthy by adopting an organic  preventative program.

It only makes sense to either buy organically grown vegetables or if at all possible, take a patch of land around the house, add lots of home made compost or manure or both, and grow your own delicious, nutritious, and healthier vegetables in your own little garden.

Click on the picture and see how one family is using a corner of an extremely small area beside the house to grow their own vegetables.

Besides being more healthy for the family and the environment, to grow your own vegetables can even be fun!

Marcie

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What do you do when you love gardening but you just had a hip replacement  and you will never again be able to get down to soil level to get the work done?

Well you may want to do what my sister in New Brunswick did:  have someone build you a raised  garden bed ( “a raised wooden box large enough to add soil and plant a garden” built at the perfect height so that she can continue gardening without having to bend much). If you are as lucky as she is, perhaps that person can also put in place not onlya raised garden bed but also a hot house and an automatic watering system.

Click on the picture for a better side view of her hot house and raised garden bed

This raised garden bed is 51 inches wide, 149 inches long, and approximately 12 inches deep.

Building The Raised garden Bed

1. When building a raised garden bed,  one should buy  red pine  or red cedar. ( Normal cedar can be used, but it will rot faster than the other two.)  Of the three, red pine is the strongest and will last the longest i.e. will not rot as fast as the other two.

In this case, Jacques (her son) chose to make this raised garden bed with “rough” red pine.  He needed some 4×4 for the pillars (legs), and some 2×6  boards.  (Again they don’t have to be fancy.  The “rough” red pine boards work well)

2. To make the box frame of the raised garden bed, he nailed together the 2×6 red pine boards standing on edge.  (Depending on how long and how wide you want this raised garden bed to be, you cut the boards to the required lenght (2 for the end and 2 for the sides, and nail them together in the form of a box.)

3. Then he cut long 4 x 4 beams into six  4×4  beams/posts/legs  –  each 22 inches long,  and nailed one of these inside each corner of the box and one at the middle of each side.  (Remember the box frame is still on the ground and the legs are sticking up in the air. No bottom to this box yet)

3. Next he  made sure he nailed strengthening “cross boards”  in place from side to side across this frame  (minimum 3 cross boards), and then he  uprighted this structure so that the “legs” of the box were now touching the ground and holding up the box frame.

NOTE: When Jacques set up his raised garden bed, he did not realize that he would need  to put blocks of cement 12 inches square and minimum 2 inches thick under each of the six 4 x 4 beams/posts/legs (whatever you want to call these).  He only realized this when during the summer, the weight of the raised garden bed was slowly causing the legs to sink into the ground.

(You may want to remember to put cement slabs in place when you build your raised garden bed. . . especially if you have heavy clay soil under the “legs” of the raised garden bed. A few heavy rain storms would change this clay soil to mud and the posts holding up your raised garden bed will begin to slowly sink into the ground.)

As a temporary fix, Jacques put reinforcement blocks at different spots  under the garden bed to stop the supporting posts from sinking into the ground. (Quite a job when the raised garden bed is full of soil and growing vegetables!!)

4. The box is now up on its legs and the box has only 3 or 4 cross boards under it. Now it’s time to build the bottom of the box with a bunch of 2 x 6 red pine boards by setting them from side by side or from end to end. Personally I think from side to side would make the structure even stronger and the center less likely to sag after a few years.

These boards are now nailed on top of this frame and arranged from end to end.  Putting these boards tightly side by side allows excess water to simply seep through the tiny gaps between the 2 x 6 boards and fall to the ground thus avoiding  overwatering  the plants. On the other hand, the boards must be set side by side tightly enough that the soil is kept in place.

If you look carefully at the next picture, you will notice this layer of boards on top of the frame.  It looks like it is meant to  separate the frame from the above  layer of  boards, but that was not Jacques intention. He just decided to save on cutting so extended long boards from end to end.

5.  The fifth step is to nail pieces of  2 x 6 red pine boards upright on the oustside of the box frame upwards. The side boards will be nailed to these 2 x 6 pieces to keep the garden’s side boards in place.

The length of these pine boards will depend how high you want the raised garden bed to be. Jacques figured that a 12 inches deep raised garden bed  should be enough even for deep rooted vegetables such as carrots; therefore to have the garden box itself be 12 inches deep and the side of the box frame  is 6 inches, so each upright piece would have to be 12 inches + 6 inches minimum = 18 inches long.

In the above picture, you can see four of these  2 x 6 boards extending upright on the outside of the raised garden bed.  If you want a box 12 inches deep, you will have to add a few inches to the length of these pieces so that they can be nailed securely to the frame.

6. The sixth step  to building a raised garden bed is to add the sides of the box itself and secure the boards in place. Once Jacques’ side boards were nailed in place,  his finished raised garden bed had enough place to put into it  12 or so inches of soil, homemade compost,   or whatever else his mom wanted to add.

As a last step, you could add a flat layer of 2 x 4  red pine ( or other type wood)  around  the very top of the box to provide a resting area and to lock together the side boards even more securely.

You may want to put a layer of gardening cloth in the bottom of the box before adding the soil as a further precaution to keep the soil in place. However, it’s not necessary.

When all was done, my sister’s raised garden bed stood approximately 34 inches high, just the right height for her.  Click on the picture to have a better view of what the end of the raised garden looks like.

Here are my sister’s comments:

“It makes it easy to weed and I really like it.”

“My hot house is made out of glass on both sides, plastic in front and back with a window in back and the top is plastiglass. I have a rain barrel with a pump that has a timer to water the garden twice a day or however often I want. Jacques (my son) bought the timer because he forgets and/or does not have time to water the garden. So if there is no one home the garden gets watered anyway.“

In this last picture you will have a better view of her rain barrels and her compost bin.  Notice beside her wheel barrow the aerating tool which can be used to add air to her compost every so often.  You can read more about this tool at
http://supercompostingtips.com/adding-air-to-composting-pile/

Although her back yard is very small (as most backyards are), she can still make her own compost to feed her vegetables, use rainwater to water them, grow her own seedlings in her hot house, and enjoy the best vegetables in the world: organically grown lush, healthy, nutritious Vegetables!…thanks to her son Jacques…..

Now don’t you think this little raised garden bed with the automatic watering system is the best setup in the world?

for more reasons on why use raised beds, visit http://plantsandgardeningtips.com/raised-beds.

Marcie

Please note: You can use my articles on your blog as long as you use it as is without changing any of the text and you include my bio with my website link.

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. . .if  you are the type of person who hates mowing a lawn and everything else that goes with it  — yet  you want an aesthetically pleasing front yard which is low-maintenance.

If you have rocky areas, high hills, or extra shady spots, in other words, land where grass does not grow well, an option is to convert to dry garden landscaping or hardscaping.

Here are some ideas which may help you. Click on the picture for a better view.

Soft waterfall fountain at base of steps

1.Paving  walkways  (hardscaping) or — even better — putting in patios and/or gazebos or other dry garden landscaping ideas such as a waterfall at the foot of stone stairs will reduce the amount of grassy area in your lawn, giving you a very low-maintenance yard.

2. You might consider putting wood chips or shade-loving ornamental plants like ivy, hostas, periwinkle or pachysandra at the base of a tree, or even do some hardscaping by using big rocks to create eye pleasing “sculptures”.  This type of dry garden landscaping could save time, money, and water resources.

Here is an example of an area where it was hard to get grass to grow.

Simulate a dry river bed with rocks

Using wood chips for pathways between flower beds

The home owner decided to do a bit of dry garden landscaping and give this area a completely different look by
1) using small- to medium-sized rocks to create a dry river bed in one area and
2) alonside this “little dry river,” creating a series of small beds filled with different types of hostas
3)creating wood chip paths to separate the beds. Looks very nice and is easy to maintain.

Replacing grass with a wood chip lawn interspersed with shrubs/plants

Dry Garden Landscaping with Wood Chips

Here’s another version of a lawn where grass has been replaced by wood chips.

Ben Conte, a young home owner here in Oshawa, decided he did not want any grass, so he came up with this delightful layout for his lawn.

By creating this dry garden landscaping idea, his only lawn care will be adding wood chips every so often to keep any grass from growing through the wood chips and providing a feeding place for worms and microorganisms which will provide necessary nutrients for his shrubs/weeping caragana and other interspersed plants.

3. Another  option is to cover the area with one of the many excellent ground covering plants available. Three of these many great ground covering plants are:

- The Creeping Juniper, an excellent ground cover for rocky slopes for it grows slowly, grows well in full sun, can tolerate dry rocky soil, and loves good air circulation. There are different cultivars, so you can easily find one for heights from 20 cm to 60 cm.

- Thyme, often used between patio stones, for it thrives in full sun and dry sandy soil. In addition, it has scented leaves and tiny flowers in late spring.

- The ajuga, a fast-spreading groundcover which, in spring, has spikes of deep blue flowers over shiny rosette-looking leaves. It can tolerate sun to light shade and moist soil. It grows to about 10 cm high and multi-colored leaf cultivars are available. Some cultivars can be especially resistant to insect attacks.

See other examples of beautiful ground covering plants .

Using boulders to create levels

If you have a large area where the slope is steep enough, you may want to use huge rocks as a  retaining wall to correct it (hardscaping).  Several different kinds of retaining walls exist, but they all serve the same purpose. Basically, the idea is to hold back areas of soil so that you can separate your yard into levels of flatter surfaces. Retaining walls also prevent soil erosion.

If you don’t like dealing with grass or growing grass is a problem, you can use some form of dry garden landscaping or hardscaping and still have your  beautiful front/back yard!

Marcie

Please note: You can use my articles on your blog as long as you use it as is without changing any of the text and you include my bio with my website link.

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. . . is not only possible but desirable.  In fact once you have done the ground work, you will notice, first of all,  that this innovative natural lawn care method is even more economical than the old-fashion way of spraying once, twice, or even three times during one summer with all kinds of chemicals.

In addition, and more importantly, by using this natural lawn  care method, you are creating a healthier environment not only for you and your family but for the whole ecosystem.

What Are The Benefits Of Natural Lawn Care?

Avoiding insecticides/pesticides and using organic  or natural lawn care methods that supports the ecosystem promotes the following benefits:
1. You get thick grass which prevents soil erosion
2. The soil becomes a rich source of worms and microorganisms for birds. By the same token, worm castings nourish the soil which in turn promotes growth.
3. Non-contaminated grass can filter contaminants from rainwater and absorb many types of pollutants such as soot and dust from the air
4. More importantly, like trees, healthy grass can absorb the carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen in return — in other words, this new natural lawn care method is a great way to clean the air and diminish the global warming effects.

How Can Anyone Get Good Results With the Natural Lawn Care Method?

In order to get good results with this natural lawn care method, you must think “preventative”;  that is, you must take preventative steps that discourage weeds and insects from taking over your lawn!

In order to work with nature and avoid using pesticides/insecticides but  still have a beautiful lawn, follow these steps:

A. Mow high – up to 3 inches- and often.  Cut no more than a third of the blade length

B.  Fertilize only as needed

C. Aerate and add soil amendments such as compost or sand to relieve compaction

D.  Water for maximum absorption

E.  Top dress with compost and topsoil to level your ground and to prepare for overseeding.

F.  Overseed with grass varieties appropriate for the specific area

G.  Dethatch when thatch is too thick

E. Control white grubs safely.

To find extra detailed  information which will help you know exactly what you must do when following this natural lawn care method . . . PLUS more on how to safely control white grubs in your lawn, please go to

http://www.plantsandgardeningtips.com/organic-lawn-care/organic-lawn-care

Note: If you are having problems with grubs, yet you want to switch to this natural lawn care method,

there is an excellent organic product available that can help you get rid of all your grubs and  at the same time  promote a healthier ecosystem in your lawn.
Find out more about nematodes – the lawn’s best defense against grubs at the pest control options.com blog.

. . . And for those of you who simply prefer not to bother with a grass lawn or have areas where grass does not grow well, you could try your hand at natural lawn care by hardscaping or dry garden landscaping these areas.    You can get ideas by reading  Hardscaping &  Dry Garden Landscaping Ideas.

No matter whether you grow grass or choose to hardscape your lawn, either way you will be using a natural lawn care method which is much healthier for you and the environment.

Marcie

Please note: You can use my articles on your blog as long as you use it as is without changing any of the text and you include my bio with my website link.

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and how much of this organic matter you put into your soil as organic fertilizer.

Using organic matter (or an organic fertilizer) is of prime importance because it . . .

1. improves the soil by preventing it from compacting and crusting.
2. increases the water’s holding ability so earthworms and other microorganisms can aerate the soil
3. slows down erosion and
4. in later stages of decay, organic matter is able to release nitrogen and other nutrients which help the crops grow.

Using organic matter is a technique which is old but is now making a come back.  Why?

The conventional method of using synthetic materials such as synthetic fertilizer and pesticides have ruined the soil and depleted it of organic matter to such a degree that the soil does not produce very well any more.

The soil contains fewer and fewer nutrients, the plants are less and less healthy, so insects abound and spraying insecticides is a must.   After some years, your vegetables are tasteless, lack nutrients, and just don’t grow well.

(You may want to read about the unadvertised ramifications when vegetables are grown with synthetic fertilizers rather than grown organically  as explained in Grow Your Own Vegetables.    Also,  scroll about three quarters  down the page to read David Suzuki ‘s warning about pesticide/insecticides on our food.)

Different Forms of Organic Matter Usable as Organic Fertilizer

Fresh Animal Manure

Believe it or not, the best form of organic matter comes from animal manure. The fresher the better because you can apply this directly to the soil.

HOWEVER fresh manure should be applied only in the fall or MINIMUM two months before planting and plowed down to give it adequate time for sufficient breakdown and ammonia to release before the planting season begins.

Caution:  Know Your manure!!!

While animal manure can be a great way to improve your soil, it is essential that you check where it’s coming from.

Manure from a non-organic farm is likely to be polluted with residues of veterinary products such as antibiotics that are fed to most intensively reared farm animals on a daily basis, or the remains of toxic worming products.  Get your manure from an organic farm or a local source that can provide guarantees regarding its purity so that you are sure that your organic matter will do the job of nourishing the soil and not contaminating it.

Dry Animal Manure

If you don’t have access to fresh animal manure, you can use the dried version that is being sold in nurseries and garden stores.  Cattle and sheep manure are  the most popular.  This dried version can be used immediately when you plant or transplant.

A good way to save somewhat is to dig the hole where you wish to transplant and mix dry manure with the soil you took out of the hole; then, use this mixture to refill the hole around your new plant.  If you are using seeds, use a stick to draw a line where you want to plant  and simply mix in the  dry manure with the existing soil along that line.  Then put in your seed as per directions on the package, cover, and water.

Again BEWARE OF THE WORD “ORGANIC” . . .

Not because organic is bad but because the use of the word can be.  Gardening items that are labelled as “organic” need only be of  “living origin”.  so your organic manure might be from battery chickens.

Only those products that are certified as organic by an official certifying body or carry the label “certified organic” are guaranteed to have been produced under strict organic standards and therefore qualify as proper organic matter for your soil.

Of course if your gardening center are pro organic, they will probably make sure their products are the real thing.  Just ask.

Here in Canada, as far as I know, Pefferlaw.com, where the nincompoop which looks like earth but works like mulch originated,  seems to be the only one at this time (fall 2009) that carries the ” certified organic” label, and they sell their products through Home Hardware, Tru Serve, A&P, and Sobeys.

I’m sure that in the future, more companies will become “certified organic” as people become more aware of what is organic matter and will begin asking questions.

Compost

For those who don’t use manure, you can use compost instead. This type of organic matter can be made from lawn clippings, leaves, food waste and other plant materials. It is cheap but its nutrient content will depend on the  materials you have used to make your backyard compost.

The ebook How To Make Compost In Your Back Yard outlines hot and cold composting and what materials can be added to your compost pile plus two other composting methods in easy-to-understand step-by-step  explanations from A to Z.   Alternately you can simply browse through the composting explanations at SuperCompostingTips.com blog

Green Manure
There is another kind of manure which is better known as green manure. No animal is used to create this excellent type of organic matter.

Green manure means growing a cover crop such as alfalfa in your garden and then plowing it under so you are adding organic matter to the soil. The best way to maximize this method is for you not to use the garden for one season.

Alternatively you can sow the seeds of the plant you are using for your green manure in the fall and then turn it under with a plow or a large tiller in the early spring — at least one month before planting. That way, you can use your garden normally while at the same time building up the soil.

Alfalfa - best organic matter ~ istockphoto

Alfalfa is the best organic matter for green manure.  You can seed it in the fall and plow it under in the early spring before it comes to seed.  Annual ryegrass is also  good  for green manuring and covering.   If this is not available, you can use  rye or wheat.

One great advantage of planting green manure seeds is that it helps prevent weeds from growing. Remember though that in order for this green manure to be effective, you must plow it under at least one month before you  plant. . . AND NEVER allow it to flower and create seed.

Sewage Sludge

Sewage sludge is also a good source of organic matter. There are two types: digested sludge and dried activated sludge.

The digested sludge is relatively low quality. It contains from 1 to 3 percent of nitrogen and should only be applied during the fall. But BE CAREFUL:  it sometimes contain metal ions that are not good to use on vegetable gardens.

The second, the dried activated sludge, has been separated from coarse solids, inoculated with microorganisms and aerated. This activated sludge is better than the digested  sludge because it is filtered, dried in kilns and screened. It contains 5 to 6 percent of nitrogen and 5 to 7 pounds can cover an area of 100 square feet. (I’ve used the dried activated sludge  on my lawn and it worked well. I was a bit leery about putting it in my garden soil. I preferred the green manure.)

Take note that these two types are different from raw sewage. That being said, never use raw sewage to garden any soil.

Keeping your soil nourished and able to sustain and grow lush, nourishing, delicious vegetables can only happen if you use  organic matter or organic fertilizers — with compost and manure (animal or green) being the top best.

Marcie

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because these organic soil amendments can add a reservoir of nutrients for plant roots to absorb.

To produce big juicy nutritional vegetables, your soil must be able to supply the plant with the following five critical nutrients:

*  Nitrogen — for leaf development;
*  magnesium — to help the plants with photosynthesis
*  Calcium and phosphorus — to help the plant bear fruit and help root growth.
*  Potassium — for root development and to resist disease.
*  a range of micronutrients such as boron, iron and zinc.

Adding organic matter as organic soil amendments stimulates the natural cycles that enrich soil. Earthworms and soil microorganisms break down organic matter into forms that plants can use. As organic materials are slowly broken down by microorganisms, they are releasing their nutrients slowly over months or even years.

Organic soil admendments are far superior to synthetic chemical fertilizers because synthetic fertilizers are water-soluble and produce a sudden flush of mineral salts that are taken up rapidly py plants. However, even though such salts can produce good yields, they also repel earthworms and other compost-making creatures, our most important allies to keeping the soil fertile and rich. (Here’s a personal experience which showed me how worms hate synthetic fertilizers.)

If you use only synthetic chemical fertilizers, your soil will be lifeless soil, low in nutrients, and low to nil in compost. The only way to support your crops would be to add more doses of chemicals — and you’ve started on a merry-go–round of ruining your soil.

Because your soil is not being replenished, it will have less and less of the necessary nutrients for lush and healthy growth, the plants/vegetables will be less and less healthy thus more and more susceptible to being attacked by insects and pests.

To avoid this type of catastophic ending to nutritious food and better health, you might want to consider the opposite route of feeding the soil — i.e. using organic soil amendments.

If you want to find out exactly what nutrients might be missing in your soil, discover how to take a soil sample and send the sample to get your soil tested. The testers can tell you exactly what soil amendments must be added to your soil.

Organic soil amendments can be made of

natural plants (ex leaf mold or peatmoss) or animal materials (such as bloodmeal or bonemeal) or of powdered minerals or rock (such as rock phosphate or granite meal).

Different Ways to Create Organic Soil Amendments:

Here are examples of good common organic soil amendments you can use. These natural materials will feed and remedy any soil structure.

1. Compost or decomposing plant material — organic soil amendments which improve soil texture and add nutrients to the soil. Straw, grass clippings, or shredded leaves are examples of such mulches.

When organic soil amendments are added to the upper few inches of soil as mulch and are allowed to slowly decompose naturally, you are in fact mimicking nature’s process of feeding not only plants but also the soil.

The end result is the creation of humus, a stable form of decomposed organic matter that improves soil structure so roots can penetrate the soil easily.

Not only is the soil being replenished with nutrients, the compost or humus also increases the soil’s capacity to hold air and water.

On the other hand, you can choose to use compost bins to make compost– a mix of decomposed plant and animal materials.  This organic soil amendment can then be worked into your soil in the spring before you plant or in the fall after harvest time.

OR…you can choose to cold compost also.  All these methods of composting are explained step by step in the ebook How To Compost In Your Backyard or you may choose to read individual posts outlining each of the   four composting methods step by step.

2. Peat moss, a lightweight and inexpensive natural and organic soil amendment, — helps loosen heavy soils or in the case of sand, to radically improve the ability of soil to hold moisture.  Peat moss can be bought in big or small quantities.  I always used to keep a bag or two in my shed.

3.  Composted manure, (usually cow or sheep manure which can be bought in bags) — improves drainage and moisture retention in the soil and adds nitrogen among other nutrients. Composted manure has a rich, dark texture and is easy to work into soil.

4. Leaf mold (composted or decomposed leaves) — helps loosen the soil.  High in nitrogen and potassium, the leaf mold releases its nutrients slowly in soil. Leaf mold and other garden leftovers are often called “the gardener’s gold” for when decomposed, the resulting organic soil amendment helps any type of soil become rich loam.

5. Shredded bark or wood chippings — improves soil texture by making it more airy and help with proper soil drainage.  Shredded bark such as cedar bark is often used to mulch around the base of plants and trees.

Avoid shredding or chipping any wood which has been painted or have been tainted with oil preservatives or such things as plywood which is kept together with glue.

6. Worm castings — is a terrific addition to organic soil amendments which bring with it much needed nutrients. I have been using worm castings for my balcony and indoor potted plants and have found worm castings to be every bit as good as composted plant material.

7. Green manure, — a great organic soil amendment which can add many nutrients and amend texture immensely.

Green manure is easy to make.  In the fall after the harvest, plant alfalfa seeds or soy seeds (be sure the seeds are  GMO-free) in your garden.  Allow it to grow some, and in the early spring before the crop starts making seeds, cut the growing plant to the ground and then plow it in or with a shovel turn this green manure under.  I’ve used this method extensively during the last five years I still had my house.

By adding the proper organic soil amendments to change the texture of your soil, you are well on the way to producing rich loam, the road to healthier, more nutritious vegetables and plants which are lush and vibrant.

Marcie

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it is most important that once you have found the perfect location for your garden, you  do a soil analysis so that you can begin getting your soil ready for planting.

You should do this testing for soil structure as early in the spring as possible, as soon as the ground is dry enough,  so that you will have at least a month for the amendment product (especially manure) to settle in before it’s time to plant.

Your aim is to have a healthy garden soil, in other words, a soil structure which is roughly  half solid material (mineral particles and organic matter) and half pore space (occupied by water, air, living creatures and plant roots).

There are three basic soil structures: heavy clay, silt, or sand.

Clay has the finest mineral particles and sand has the  coarsest.

1. The first type of soil structure is Clay.

Clay soils drain poorly or not at all and tend to crust over as it dries, blocking air and water.  When pure clay soil is extremely dry, you will hardly be able to make a dent in it even with a shovel.  When extremely wet, it becomes soggy, slippery,  and slimy looking.   It’s difficult to walk through it, for you sink a little with each step you take; the soil seems to want to keep you stuck in it.

However, clay soil is very rich; actually potato farmers prefer this type of soil (amended of course with manure) since clay soil stays moist longer than sandy soil.  The one advantage to clay soils is that because  it drains slowly,  nutrients don’t get leached out as quickly.

On the other hand because  it compacts easily,  it has very little space for air, and plant roots don’t always survive because of this lack of oxygen. Thus it is necessary to add amendments to permit more air and oxygen go get to the plant roots.

2. The second type of soil structure is Silt.

High- silt soils tend to compact, preventing deep root penetration.

3. The third type of soil structure is Sand.

On the opposite end of the texture spectrum is the sandy soil.   Sandy soil generally drains quickly so tends to lose nutrients quickly.

Before preparation and cultivation, clay soil forms hard lumps when dry while sandy soil feels gritty on the fingers.

The aim is to recognize your soil texture and then choose the proper amendment so that your soil structure allows  your plant roots to get the  oxygen, water, and nutrients  conducive to lush growth.

To reiterate — soil structure refers to the texture of the soil (the way soil particles are bound together)  and to the proportion of solids and pore space.

This video will illustrate quite clearly the three different textures of soil (soil structure).

Testing for Soil Structure

Soil Structure Test 1: Basic Test

The most basic test is to pick up a handful of moist soil, roll it into a ball, and squeeze the ball lightly.

A.  If the soil feels slippery and your fingers leave an impression in the surface, you are dealing with clay soil.

B. If the soil feels gritty and forms a loose ball when you squeeze it, there’s  significant sand content.

C. If the soil feels greasy, then you’re dealing with a high proportion of silt.

D. Finally, if the soil crumbles into large particles or is difficult to roll into a ball, it has a well-balanced texture characteristic of loam.  In that case you’ve hit pay dirt, for loamy soils are excellent for gardening.

Soil Structure Test 2: Visually Compare

Another test which will help you determine the texture of your soil is to visually compare the proportions of sand, silt, and clay.

To do this, you first half fill an ordinary mason quart jar with your soil then add water to the top of the jar. Securely close the jar with a cover and shake until the water and the soil have become thoroughly mixed. Then set it somewhere for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, check the layers:  the sand proportion will be at the bottom, the silt will hover in the middle, and the clay will be towards the top.  By seeing what you have the most of, you can get a rough idea of whether you are dealing with mostly clay, silt, or sandy soil.

Soil Structure Test 3: Soil Drainage Test

If you click on the article Determining Soil Drainage which is on the blog PlantsAndGardeningTips.com, you will learn a third method which was often used by seasoned gardeners. This method is a quick and sure way to determine whether you should add a lot of  compost or amendments or you can get away with only a little more to get proper drainage.  Please be patient when loading this file.  It might take time to load.

To better identify what type of and how much organic matter should be added to your soil, be sure to use one or all three methods to identify whether your soil structure is clay, sand, or silt; then you can begin adding your organic matter or fertilizer.

Happy Gardening!
Marcie

Please note: You can use my articles on your blog as long as you use it as is without changing any of the text and you include my bio with my website link.

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Well you can wait till the last minute and chance buying your seeds at your nursery or such places as Canadian Tire or Home Hardware. However, your best bet is to plan ahead and order via organic seed catalogs  so that you can identify whether the company’s seeds are labeled as organically grown.

When researching seed sources, organic seed buyers  look for companies who can identify their seeds as having the  following labels: “U” for untreated, “O” for organic, “OP” for open-pollinated, and/or “H” for heritage.

U — Untreated seeds are seeds which have not been coated with chemicals that are harmful to soil life and humans. However, “Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada” does insist that certain varieties of imported seeds be treated.

Also, organic growers shun like the plague any seeds that have been genetically modified, that is, seeds in which the genes of anything from a pesticide-resistant weed to an animal or even a bacteria have been inserted or spliced right into the seed’s DNA.

There are two main reasons for this:

Organic growers have no idea how these injected genes will mutate into something that will endanger a person’s health, such as create different allergens in the food, damage the liver or the kidneys, combine with the good bacteria in the gut to create its own version, etc.

The second concern is the environment. Once introduced into the environment, no one can predict where the wind will carry the seeds, and there could be irreparable damage done if these genetically engineered plants cross breed with wild ones.

O — Organic seeds come from plants which have been grown via organic methods.

OP — Open-pollinated is the best type of seed because these seeds are capable of reproducing themselves. You can save the seeds from these plants, let them dry off, store them in plastic bags, and use them the following year.

Hybrid seeds, on the other hand, do not always reproduce true to type. The hybrid seeds will grow, but you might have some variance in your results, so if you want the exact same type of plant, it is usually necessary to buy new seed every year. The company will usually identify those hybrid seeds which do reproduce true to type.

H — Heritage seeds are a little more difficult to find for they are not necessarily sold in mainstream seed catalogs.

Heritage seeds have been passed down from generation to generation and are usually a collector’s item. These seeds are generally sold through small seed companies and seed saving organizations who try their best to keep them in circulation to preserve a diminishing genetic diversity. Often people who are interested in heritage seed will find other people who are willing to exchange seeds and thus grow their little collection.

If  interested in conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the diversity of open-pollinated plants where members are encouraged to save and exchange seeds, please contact one of the following for more information:
Seeds of Diversity Canada, SoDC, Box 36, Stn Q, Toronto ON M4T 2L7;  Voice Mail (905) 623-0353.
Seed Savers Exchange, a large US organization that promotes seed saving, at SSE, 3026 North Winn Road, Decorah IA 52101 USA.

Organic Seed Growers Recognized Worldwide

McKenzie Seeds, (http://mckenzieseeds.com) 30 – 9th street, Brandon, MB R7A 6E1
Has a plethora of useful information about gardening, seeds, tips and so much more.
(McKenzie Seeds are sold by Home Depot),

BISHOP SEEDS ( http://bishopseeds.ca)  Box 338, Belleville ON K8N 5A5.
You can order at their website, or phone the Belleville office, toll-free at 1-800-411-2062 and ask for a free catalogue and where the closest dealer is.

DOMINION SEED HOUSE (http://dominion-seed-house.com/en-CA/) Box 2500, Georgetown ON L7G 5L6
Founded in 1928 by the Harding family in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada, Dominion Seed House is a leader in gardening products by mail order: flowers, vegetables and herbs (available as seeds, plants, bulbs or cuttings), as well as accessories.

Dominion Seed House proudly wears the official title of CERTIFIED ORGANIC ENTERPRISE since January, 2006.

McFAYDEN SEED CO. LTD. (http://mcfayden.com) 30-9th St., Suite 200, Brandon MB R7A 6N4 The website is available in both French and English. To learn more about this company, you must click on “About Us” after you have clicked on one of the products. Since McKenzie is the parent company, although it does not say so, I presume like the McKenzie seeds, these are also organically grown.

Spring gardening tips can be found under Q&A tab.

ONTARIO SEED COMPANY (http://www.oscseeds.com/) Box 7, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z6), Phone: (519) 886-0557 Fax: (519) 886-0605 Email: seeds@oscseeds.com
The Waterloo store is situated at 16 King St. South
The Hamilton store (the old Tregunno Seed Co.) is located at 126 Catharines Street North.
The Ontario Seed Company is Canada’s foremost supplier of Native Seeds for Conservation and Reclamation. Note: OSC is unable to deliver to addresses in the USA.

STOKES SEEDS LTD. (http://stokesseeds.com) Box 10, St. Catherines ON L2R 6R6)
(Accommodates new customers and returning customers)

VESEY=S SEEDS FOR SHORTER SEASONS (http://veseys.com) PO Box 9000, Charlottetown, PE, Canada, C1A 8K6 Phone: 1-902-368-7333 Fax: 1-800-686-0329 (toll-free) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

This website is extremely easy to navigate and has one website for Canadians and another one for US citizens.

Veseys offers a selection of certified organic seed – seed which has been produced under strict guidelines which govern the production of certified organic products. Veseys is also certified as a shipper/handler of organic seed and is NOP accredited. For growers who require documentation for their certification reviews, you can see their printable GMO-free document.

(When I was living in New Brunswick, my sister and I would order our seeds religiously every year from Veseys. We have always been totally satisfied with our results.)

Full Circle Seeds (http://fullcircleseeds.com) Box 807, Sooke BC V0S 1N0. T:250-642-3671 F:250-642-3671
Open-pollinated vegetables, flowers, herbs, and more

RICHTERS (http://www.richters.com) 357 Highway 47, Goodwood ON L0C 1A0
Herbs: Medicinal, Culinary, Aromatic   (U=all, O=many, OP=many, H=some)

Extensive collection of herb seeds plants (over 700 varieties, some biological), a few gourmet vegetables.

Besides herbs, they sell such item as tea blends, spice blends, bath collections, exclusive oils, Home and You, Garden Products, Bodyguard Products under the banner “Herb Wild”. That’s quite an impressive array of products and so close to home, too.

Their products are available online and at the Richters giftshop in Goodwood, Ontario, Canada. They may also be contacted by fax at 1.905.640.6641 or by phone at 1.888.HERB.726

If not interested in any of these Canadian companies, you can always google “organic seeds + your location” to find a place closer to you where you can find organic seed sources for organic gardeners.

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