Coming Soon

Hi, I've been busy but I wanted to let you all know that my next post will be on natural insect and disease control. I know that many people are not happy to have spiders in the garden but they are beneficial  and we just need to learn how to tell the poisonous ones and to mark where they are and avoid that area. The only draw back of spiders is that they will also kill other good insects as well as pests. But I'll try and have some new information for you in the next few days. I need time to research before I post. I really want you to have good information. By the way how are your compost piles doing? Keep putting water on them and turning them. Planting time will be here soon. So that's it for now and thanx for visiting Runnindog's Organic Garden. Keep it organic! : )

Should you start from seed or from seedlings?

     Well that's the question we all face when we start gardening. It seems easier to start by buying seedlings to transplant. Allot of mistakes happen when transplanting seedlings. The main one is how the small plants are handled. You must be very careful and try not to handle the seedling by the stem. You see the stem or trunk of all plants is vital to it's survival. Just inside the skin (epidermis) or bark there are tiny tubes vascular tissues that take nutrients to the roots and leaves. If these are damaged the plant can die. So you must handle them by the root ball but you still need to use caution. The other mistake people make is that they don't fill the area with enough water, the water must go to the bottom of the root ball and force all the air out. Trapped air will cause the roots to rot and kill the plant. So if your going to plant seedlings don't handle the plant by the stem and make sure when you water them in all the air comes out, you'll know because the bubbles will stop.
     Now if you want to start your garden by seed you need to make sure you buy good seeds. Don't be tempted to buy cheap seeds because they may be old and many won't grow. You can find many seed companies online and there are many places locally to find what your looking for. Depending on where you live the time to plant will vary. Planting should be done after the last frost in your area. The ground temperature should be 65 degrees or higher. Follow the directions on the seed package and you should not have any problems. You can use the time now to research everything you need to know before you decide how you'll put your garden in. And also keep working on your compost pile.
     Some plants are better started by seedling like berries, and berries like a acidic soil. Pine needles are good for bringing up the acid content in the soil for berries. You can also find soil additives online. Well I hope this helps you plan your garden better. Have fun planning your garden and remember keep it organic.

compost tips

     Hi Runnindog here and I have some tips about composting. When your growing organic anything the best food for your plants is natural rotting organic matter. As this matter breaks down and rots it will be taken up by the roots easier. So to make sure you help your compost along with water and turning it over. You'll know when it's done it'll smell like a deep hole or if you've ever been to the forest and dug all the soft dirt that lays on top of the harder dirt, what you smell is natural compost. So your trying to achieve what happens naturally in the forest, for your plants.
     Now when your ready to use your compost, a tip I will share with you is how to make compost tea. Once you make this tea you can put it in a spray bottle and spray on your plants or on the dirt around your plants. They will love it. Ok you will need a bucket well 5 gallon one will work fine. You'll need a small water pump that can aerate the water in the bucket. Fill the bucket about half way make sure you have a screen on the pump so you don't get big stuff in there and burn it up. An old stocking should work. Turn the pump on and then ad some compost to the water about 2 handfuls should do, let it run like that for around a week in a dark place. When it's done put the tea in a spray bottle and feed your plants. Oh yeah if you don't have a pump you can still do this by using a small container to mix and aerate the tea by hand and do this 2 to 3 times a day for a week. It's well worth it. Well there you go and remember keep it organic, till next time.