Caring for your chicken in winter

If you have a chicken coop, you have chicken around the house so you know that you need to take care of the chicken during winter. This means doing things a bit differently from what you’re used to in other season, particularly in summer. Winter is the season when your chicken need additional care, particularly if you have a chicken shed that is not particularly well organized for the winter cold.
Read the rest of the article at How to care for your chicken in winter.

Four Steps For Organic Gardening Pest Control

If you are wanting to grow some great tasting food, then your garden needs to be protected from pests and diseases. A good vegetable gardening guide will teach you how to do this. By taking four simple steps, you can turn you bad situation around. But before acting on the problem, however, you must first know the problem. Get a guide that will help you to identify the trouble first, then you can learn how to respond.

First, be sure you are strengthening your vegetables for good growth.

Using a compost will help to minimize the affect of pests, simply because the soil will have nutrients that the vegetables will need. It is like strengthening the immune system of your plants. Make them strong and they will have a better chance of surviving unwanted pest.

Second, check what insects are living in your garden.

They might be beneficial insects that can actually help you protect your vegetables. You need to find this out. There are vegetable gardening guides that provide lists of insects in order for you to identify which are beneficial and which are not. It is very important that you identify the insects so that you will know what to do.

Third, invite more of the good guys.

If you were able to spot a beneficial insect, look for a plant that will attract more of them. This is a great idea that can help your garden. Plant them together with your vegetables. This is called plant companionship. Study shows that 90% of pests present in a garden actually are beneficial to some plants. If you acted immediately without reading first, and used chemical sprays to drive off the insects, you might also kill the beneficial pests.

Fourth, get rid of the bad guys.

If you find that you do need to rid your garden of pests with a spray, consider this: you can make an organic home-made insect spray. In addition, you can also use certain spices to repel insects. Study shows that all bugs avoid and hate strong odors and spices.

These are some possible solutions that may help your garden to have protection from pests. And, these steps will also allow you to practice good organic gardening pest control. Keep in mind, if you have a healthy garden, you will likely find that many beneficial insects will actually assist you in tending your garden. Healthy plants can attract beneficial insects. And of course, since you do not need harmful chemicals, you get to grow healthier vegetables for your family.

Cindy Richards, an organic garden enthusiast, has found that not all bugs are pest to be rid of. You can learn how to use the organic gardening pest control method, and also get free gardening information at these Great Gardener links.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Richards

Also read more about other home appliances that will make your life easier in the kitchen, such as the best water cooler dispenser around or getting clear plastic bags for packing all your food to remain fresh for a long time to come.

Chemical Issue in Organic Gardening

In recent years, organic gardening has moved to the forefront. Like so many other aspects of gardening, however, organic practice often involves little more than plain common sense, in this case, using only natural organic materials and not using inorganic or synthetically manufactured substances unless absolutely essential.

In other words, you should generally work with nature rather than against it. If you follow these rules in your garden, then you are pretty well organic already. So, in essence, organic gardening amounts simply to gardening without the use of chemicals although some naturally occurring chemicals are allowed.

Chemicals are often used by gardeners as a form of shortcut; it is so much easier to spray a border full of weeds than it is removing all of the weeds by hand. A slight change of mindset is all that is needed here.

Gardeners need to try and accept that gardening is inherently a time consuming occupation, and that it is far better to spend a bit more time on chore rather than waste your money on all kinds of unnecessary chemicals.

In terms of flower gardening specifically with annuals and perennials, the visual results of following organic principles are pretty minimal, but over time there are great advantages to the garden as a whole.

If, for example, you treat the soil with well rotted organic materials, such as garden compost or farmyard manure, then the structure of the soil will be improved and the plants fed at the same time.

If, on the other hand, you just add chemicals feeds to the soil, you will have well grown plants, but, over the years, the structure of the soil will break down and in the long term plants will suffer.

The Author is an expert in article writing and has done a lot of research online and offline. Come visit his latest websites on Patio Furniture Sale and Auto Floor Mats as well as Latex Mattress Topper and Electric Meat Slicer

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Azlan_Idris

Inorganic Fertilizer in the Organic Garden

"You don't feed the plant, you feed the soil"

Horticultural fertilizers are the most familiar fertilizers to the home gardener and are commonly found at your local garden center or hardware store. There seems to be much misinformation regarding these fertilizers especially as they relate to organic gardening.

All plants need 16 basic elements for growth. Three elements, - carbon, oxygen and hydrogen - are obtained from the air we breathe through a process we call photosynthesis which creates 95% of the plant's structure from these 3 elements. The other 13 nutrients are water soluble and are accessed by the plant's root system.

Fertilizers are designed to be used infrequently in order to provide a well balanced soil for a healthy growing environment, but fertilizers have been demonized recently due to overuse and misguided publicity.

Fertilizers come in many blends and types. There are timed release or controlled release varieties designed to be used only as needed and water soluble types which need to be applied more often as they leech away quite rapidly. Most of these commercial fertilizers are mainly composed of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in predetermined percentages with fillers and some small amounts of trace elements added.

Most of these products do not replace the trace elements such as Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Boron, Chlorine, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, and Zinc which have been depleted by the crops grown on the land. In addition, the heavy metals often found in manufactured phosphate fertilizers tend to amass in the soils after years of heavy use or run off and accumulate in water sources.

It is always advisable to do a soil test in order to find out exactly what your soil is lacking or needs. A soil test will also provide vital information concerning the PH level of your growing medium.

All gardens need fertilizer in one form or another because the soil gets worn out, sometimes in the space of one or two years and need to get refueled. Judicious use of horticultural fertilizers will provide the nutrients needed for healthy plants and a flourishing garden. Organic fertilizers have the disadvantage of slow nutrient release rates so a quick shot of fertilizer will bring timely results. Organics may also not provide the specific nutrients that your plants require and the content can vary from batch to batch. Mineral nutrients, which are readily available can always be added to your soil as needed.

Obviously the best practices of organic gardening should always be practiced. Planting a winter cover crop and composting are two of the smartest solutions in the quest for the perfect garden and may possibly alleviate any need for fertilizer.

Dick Murray is a retired urbanite who has kept his passion for gardening alive with the creation of informational and how to web sites such as - http://www.vegetablegrowingbasics.com/ - More and more families are beginning to grow their own fruits and vegetables due to their increased concern regarding the quality, price and safety of our food supplies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Murray

Also check out the information on electric meat slicer accessories.

What is Organic Composting?

'Organic' with a capital 'O' is the new word in food production. Food crops in particular are grown without chemical assistance. That means no chemical fertilizers or pesticides of any kind may be used if the food we buy is certified as 'Organic'.

Many people adhere to these Organic gardening principles when gardening at home too. Ornamental flower gardens and food production plots all benefit the environment if reared without artificial assistance. Plants grow stronger if they grow more naturally and slowly. The local ecology is not put at risk by toxic pesticides and we all benefit by cleaner air and less polluted water-ways.

Any gardener and particularly any using Organic principles will know the benefit of recycling garden waste and kitchen scraps into their own garden compost. Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste we send to land-fill and it gives us a free all-purpose soil improver and plant food. But, now for the environmentally aware there is the worry about whether we are carrying out Organic composting or not.

The simple answer is of course we are. Anyone creating compost is doing so organically. Compost, is by nature a decomposed form of organic matter. This true meaning for 'organic' is that the matter was once alive. Whether that means it is vegetable scraps, manure, lawn clippings, old newspapers or sawdust, anything added to the garden compost bin is by its very nature organic.

It seems ludicrous to be concerned about only putting Organic waste onto the compost heap. Sure, that means no chemical residues are put on your heap but it also means less organic matter period. We should all aim to put as much into our compost bins as possible to minimise the polluting effects of our lives. Any chemical residues remaining on your waste food, or in the newspaper ink will all be tiny volumes unable to have a detrimental effect on your garden soil. Plus, the decomposition of all that waste will mean most residues are broken down into harmless mineral components anyway.

Even the Soil Association realizes how difficult it is to maintain soil fertility while relying only on Organically produced waste matter. They allow certified Organic growers to use animal manures from conventionally reared animals. That means those manures are produced by non-organic feed and are likely to contain veterinary chemical residues. They specify how long such manures should be stored or composted for, before being safe to put on the land without any loss of Organic credentials to the resulting crops. Some manures are not permitted but this is due to welfare issues not practicalities. So for example poultry manure from battery farmed hens is not permitted because the Soil Association would prefer battery farming to stop. But, manure from hens reared in sheds and fed ordinary feed can end up on Organic farms.

This is good news, it shows how we should be practical and pragmatic when it comes to organic food production. Rather than worry about whether the apple core ready to go on the compost pile has been grown without pesticides we should be more concerned with how to get the goodness left in that core back into our garden soil.

Of course if we manage to live off our own land we can ensure everything going back onto it has been farmed in such a natural way. Or if we have vast amounts of money to only ever buy Organic produce we can do the same. But, in reality even the most environmentally aware of us must battle with economics and practicalities. It is very unlikely more than a tiny proportion of us live off Organic produce alone.

We should not fear what is not a problem. Whenever we hear of Organic Composting we must remind ourselves that all garden composting is in fact 'organic composting'. Forget about the lifestyle connotations associated with that capital 'O' and remember what organic gardening is really all about; making the most of our land is as natural way as possible. The principle way to do this is to ensure we always put nearly as much back into our soil as we take from it.

For more information about organic composting, creating garden compost and finding the right garden compost bin have a look at my other articles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lec_Watkins

Organic Gardening - Reasons Pepper Plants Can Turn Yellow

One of the most common problems that the home gardener have with their pepper plants is the yellowing of their leaves. This can be caused by a few different reasons. The first is the lack of nitrogen and magnesium, another reason is chlorinated water, soil splash on the lower leaves from watering and a fungal problem.

The first reason, the yellowing of leaves is most of the times caused by a lack of nitrogen and magnesium in the garden's soil. This can be simply a result of the nutrients being leeched from the soil due to excess water. Pepper plants only need 1" of water per week. Another reason is the plants may need an application of fertilizer that is high in nitrogen to get past this problem.

Normally you wouldn't want to give pepper or tomatoes a high dose of nitrogen, it will usually result in lush foliage and not a strong harvest. You need to get the plants healthy again, so if they need a dose of nitrogen do it sparingly.

Another thing that works for me is to apply an epsom salt spray to my pepper plants. Epsom salt will supply magnesium and calcium that can be absorbed by the leaves for a quick recovery. You may want to try this foliar spray. I mix 3 tablespoons of epsom salt to one gallon of water and spray the foliage.Then I apply a slow release organic fertilizer that is high in nitrogen to the soil around the plant. At this time I remove any flower buds so the plants can solely concentrate their energy on there foliage. There is still plenty of time for a productive harvest.

If chlorine is the problem, you can simply rid the water of chlorine by just running the water into a bucket and letting the bucket stand for a few hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate.

Lower leaves that turn yellow on your pepper plants can be simply caused from soil splash when watering. They will yellow and wilt. Remove these yellow leaves and your plants should do just fine.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Yazo

Organic Gardening - 5 Tips For Watering With Sprinkler Systems

Organic gardens usually require less water as you amend and build up your soil. Organic gardeners want Mother Nature to be the boss since real rain is the best medicine for any lawn and garden. Non-organic gardeners don't want to run the sprinkler system either for that matter, especially when they open their water bill!

Our common goal is to never run the sprinkler system -or as my friend Mike likes to call it "upside down rain". But droughts or extremely hot weather usually turn our no run plans into a non-starter. The challenge we all face is how to best manage our sprinkler system for maximum effectiveness with the least amount of water used.

The reality is that most homeowners water too much, not too little. These tips will require you to turn off that switch in your head that says "more water" and let your garden tell you what it needs.

1. Equipment check: Run your sprinkler system while you are watching! Ensure that all sprinklers are working correctly and all parts of your landscape are being reached by the relevant sprinkler and you're not watering too much of the street. I recommend you do this at the start and midway through the growing season. Lawn mowers damage sprinkler heads and your plants will grow through out the season so what worked before may no longer be the case.

2. Sprinkler schedule: Your sprinkler system should only run 1-2 days a week in the heat of the summer when there is no rainfall. You only need about 1 to 1.5 inches of rain a week to maintain your landscape so keep a rain guage out or pay attention to the weather to see if you need to run your system. Why so few times? You want to run your sprinkler through multiple cycles each time it runs for ground saturation and then you want to let it dry out just in time for the next sprinkler run. This forces the roots deeper since they follow the water deep into the soil which allows your plants to better withstand dry conditions in the future.

3. Cycles for each zone: The number of times you water each zone on the days you run your system depends on your soil and how easily it absorbs water. Excessive water run off on the sidewalk or driveway will tell you that you can reduce your cycles or the time for each cycle. Remember we want to saturate the ground, not just water the surface.

4. Cycle Start Times: Start your cycles before dawn and finish before the sun is above the horizon. This will prevent excessive evaporation in the heat of the day and also reduce any fungus issues that might arise with a wet lawn and cooler temperatures if you were to run the system early in the evening.

5. Zone Run Times: Adjust your run times for the type of sprinkler heads in each zone and the amount of sun each zone receives. Pop up sprayers are a constant spray to specific area while rotor sprayers will water each area once on each pass so they will probably need almost twice as much time as a pop up for the same amount of water. The southern and west sides of the yard receive more sun and will probably need more water while the northern and east sides may not need as much.

So, what could this look like all summed up?
Sprinkler Runs: Sunday & Thursday
Cycle start times: 3am, 5am, 7am
South lawn/pop up head: 8-10 minutes each cycle
South lawn/rotor head: 16-20 minutes each cycle
North lawn/pop up: 6-8 minutes each cycle
North lawn/rotor: 12-16 minutes each cycle

Most sprinkler systems have 6-8 zones so you'll need to make sure that you give enough time to run through the cycle before you start to cycle through again.

Follow these tips and you'll have both a healthy landscape and more money in your pocket!
Susan LaRocca has experience in landscaping and organic gardening in the Dallas, Texas area. If you would like more information on organic gardening and a free organic gardening 6 day course "Organic Gardening Magic" visit http://easyorganicgardeningguide.weebly.com/