Articles from The Growing Guide

Growing More “Perfect” Organic Fruit In the absence of chemical sprays, dusts and synthetically manufactured growth-boosting fertilizers, organic fruit growers have learned to live with a few blemishes. It’s a small price to pay, knowing the fruit they grow is pure and natural. But did you know that you can grow more “perfect” organic fruit? Here are our best tips for the handsomest fruit on the block, without chemical sprays.

Watering & Conservation Water gives life to growing things — you couldn’t have a garden without it. The average garden requires about an inch of water per week, sometimes more, depending upon what’s growing there. Of course, it never rains precisely one inch per week, so we usually have to augment the water supply during dry periods. This article provides a number of best practices and helpful tips for proper watering and waste prevention.

Soil Health Go out to your garden and scoop up a handful of soil, then really look at it. Is it pale or dark? Does it have little holes throughout and crumble easily, or does it stick together when you compress it? Do you know whether your soil is healthy or not?

Beneficial Insects As gardeners, we are well acquainted with pest control. Japanese beetles, aphids and caterpillars are the bane of our existence, and a sizable portion of our time in the garden is spent trying to get rid of them. There are chemical controls, and also products like neem oil — which are made from natural ingredients — but there’s also another method of pest control, and that is to fight insects with insects.

Organic Mulches Mulching — which dates back to the Stone Age — didn’t really catch on in the U. S. in the ‘70s. Since then, mulch materials and practices have evolved into a literal science, and mulch has become something of an obsession among some yard enthusiasts.

How To Make Compost What if someone told you that the very best fertilizer in the world doesn’t cost a dime, that you don’t have to drive anywhere to get it, and that it virtually manufactures itself?

The Benefits of Bats Bats are among the most beneficial creatures to have in residence near your garden, yet they’ve always gotten a bad rap. Halloween and its associated lore would have us believe that all bats are vampires (they’re not all bloodsuckers¬, though some are).

Example of a grouping of permaculture plants

Permaculture The word “permaculture” has taken on meanings that include the practical, the ethical and even the magical — but according to the Australian “father of permaculture,” Bill Mollison, it is essentially:

What USDA Organic Certification Means 'Organic' has become a generic term, and is broadly used to describe everything from foods, products and practices that are merely natural to those that are authentically certified USDA Organic. The green USDA Organic seal above cannot be displayed without certification by a USDA-accredited agent. Our organic farm, and the trees we grow upon that land, have been officially certified as USDA Organic.

Organic Weed Control Weeds are not just unsightly - they sap nutrients and water away from your organic trees and plants. Try these easy, inexpensive tips for keeping weeds under control.