Going green, or helping the environment out by using few chemicals in gardening is a growing trend. One way to help nature is to cut back on yard and garden chemicals by using natural insecticides.

photo credit: James Jordan

People are either for or against the use of natural insecticides.  These decisions are often decided by circumstances.  How advanced is the insect infestation?  What are you allergic to?  What will harm your plants?  What will be safe to use around your children pets or livestock?  What is available and accessible to you and how fast can you get it?  Do you need to use more than one method of control and removal? And with today’s economy, what is cost effective?

To get the most benefit from natural insecticides, you’ll need to understand the best way to use them.  What will work best for the type of insect you’re trying to control? But even with natural mixes you need to be careful what you mix.  Certain combinations of substances are unsafe or toxic.

One of the biggest benefits of a natural insecticide is that it comes from nature in some form.  That doesn’t mean it’s problem-free.  It just means you’re benefiting the environment by using a safer product that is not full of toxic chemicals.

An example is liquid garlic. Garlic is a natural plant that is grown around the world.  It can be used to keep insects off garden or farm plants. Mix with water and a dash of dish soap and this easy solution will ward off many insects.

Another example is boric acid.  Boric acid is defined as a white crystalline weak acid that contains boron.  Boron is a mineral substance, and minerals are of the earth.

If you use things made with what the earth provides, you benefit and so does the earth, animals and humans.  Natural insecticides are not always the quickest way to solve your insect problem.  And it’s not always less harmful.  That’s why education on your choices is a must.

On-line sites will help you with natural insect mixes and green gardening techniques.  And you will find additional information at your local library or gardening books.

I have used natural insect control for many years. I have noticed the longer I use natural insecticides the less insects I seem to have and the healthier my overall yard is.

Technorati Tags: gardening, going green, natural insecticides, natural pesticide mixes

Do you have a favorite seed that you like to grow?

photo credit: Dermot Keigher

Unfortunately I have too many favorites but I always like any tomato seeds and hot pepper seeds. The ornamental pepper plants are beautiful and make great indoor plants.

I prefer heirloom seeds to hybrid seeds. I like the older variety of vegetables and flowers and feel heirloom seeds are better for the environment. But I do understand why some people prefer hybrid seeds.

I like the Malabar spinach because it’s edible and beautiful. It makes a great patio or balcony plant. Being a warm climate plant I start this seed indoors.

The rattail radish makes a great ornamental plant and keeps squash bugs out of the garden. The radishes grow skinny and long – like a bean. It also grows on the plant instead of in the ground. The radish is ok for eating if you use it when its small, but I really like using the seeds for a ground mustard. This radish is a bit warm to the taste.

And I like any and all gourd seeds. Gourds are fascinating to grow, cure and decorate. It’s a plant that adds variety and interest to the garden areas.

I guess that’s why I like different seeds. It add fun to the garden while you are waiting to see what the plant looks like and if it’s really as interesting as it sounded on the seed packet or in the garden catalog.

If you haven’t ordered you seeds yet for your gardens, do it now so that you will get the seeds you want.

And here is a link for free seeds - Free seeds. I use the “grow a row for the poor” seed offer every year. The seeds grow well and its for a good case.

So what’s your favorite seed?

Technorati Tags: Creative Organic Gardening, favorite seed, gardening

Allium sativum, (more commonly known as Garlic) is a member of the onion family and can be grown very easily at home in your open garden, in a cold green house, in a pot or even a window box.

photo credit: ginnerobot

Garlic will grow all year round in mild climates although in colder climates, like in the UK, planting Garlic is best around autumn so the plants will grow slowly throughout the winter frost and start to flower around spring. Garlic is a Perennial with long green flat leaves and white flowers.

Garlic is available in two varieties, hardneck (also known as ‘top-setting’) and softneck.

Hardneck Garlic is well suited to growing in cold climates and the bulb produces one layer of cloves which is much larger than those of softneck. The cloves of hardneck garlic also have a stronger flavour and are easier to peel than softneck. However, they do not keep as long in storage.

Softneck cloves last much longer in storage and are more readily available.

Planting your Garlic

Garlic seeds can be rare so it is more common to grow garlic from the bulb segments (cloves) which you can obtain from a specialist garden center or even from your local supermarket.

Before planting your garlic cloves you should prepare the soil by working in compost and make sure the area of your garden has good drainage as cold wet cloves will rot. To improve drainage you should consider constructing a raised bed to grow the garlic in. Since garlic has shallow roots you will only need a 5 inch high bed.

You should split the bulbs just before you intend to plant and discard any damaged or small cloves, and try to use the biggest clove as this will produce a bigger bulb.

When planting the cloves it is better to use a planting drill because pushing the cloves into the ground may inhibit root development. In cold climates the cloves should be planted to a depth of 4 inches whilst milder climates will be fine with a depth of 2 inches.

Spacing is important to properly grow garlic; you should plant your cloves in a row setting them 6-8 inches apart for softneck and 4-6 inches apart for hardneck. If you plan on setting additional rows leave 12 inches between rows. After planting, water your crop thoroughly and mulch with leaves if available.

Care for your Garlic

Depending on the weather, after planting your crop in autumn you may not need to water again until Spring. From spring onwards you should water your crop regularly but don’t over water or allow your crop to become soggy or else your bulbs will rot.

If you applied mulch when planting your crop there should be few weeds. Be sure to check your mulch is not retaining moisture, if so reduce the mulch and cultivate the soil as needed to keep your crop free of weeds.

Harvesting your Garlic

You can expect to harvest your crop in late spring/early summer. A sign that your crop is ready for harvesting is when the leaves begin to turn yellow and bend over. When you see that a quarter of the leaves have dried up you should pick a couple of bulbs to check them.

Ripe bulbs should have a firm skin and the inner cloves should be fully separated. Don’t delay if your crop is ready – you should harvest right away. Use a garden fork to gently loosen the bulbs out of the soil.

After picking all your bulbs you need to cure your crop – this can be done in a greenhouse, shed or even a garage, and curing normally takes one to four weeks. Fully cured garlic plants will have a completely dry outer skin.

Once your garlic is fully cured you should clip and gentle brush off any excess soil. When clipping leaves and you find any moisture then your bulbs have not fully cured.

You can store fully dried bulbs in baskets, string bags or sacks in a frost-free dark shed or garage.

For more great tips and advice on how to grow Garlic, visit http://www.rassad.co.uk/grow-garlic-at-home.

Technorati Tags: gardening, garlic, grow garlic, how to grow garlic, vegetables