I was browsing the Internet to see what other people thought about growing tomatoes and I came across a nice informative article. Check out the Helpful Gardener for a great, lengthy article on how to grow tomatoes, and different types of tomatoes. It is an older article, but a good one.
12 Apr 2007 The Organic Gardener

There are several million to billions of organisms, which typically require a microscope to see, that live in soil and around the roots of plants. The way these organisms interact with each other and with plants is called the Soil Food Web. There is a best balance of all the different kinds of microorganisms for each kind of plant to get best plant health and quite often improve yield. A spoonful of healthy soil should contain only beneficial species of bacteria, fungi, nematodes and protozoa that never cause disease or become pests. These species perform vital “functions” in the root zone that can bring real profits to growers IF soil conditions are managed in ways that allow the microbes to live and work.

Think about the dollar potential involved with each of the following six functions and then be aware that these functions are entirely biological and only occur through a soil foodweb that is built up, intact and working!

A balanced Soil Food Web will:

1.Suppress disease-causing and pest organisms
2.Retain nitrogen and other nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, etc.
3.Make nutrients available for plant growth at the times plants require at the rates plants require.
4.Decompose plant residues rapidly.
5.Produce hormones that help plants grow.
6.Produce good soil structure, improving water infiltration, oxygen diffusion, and water-holding capacity.
7.Consume pollutants in the soil.
Products and cultural practices that stimulate a “bloom” of bacteria or fungi reproductive growth can be used as tools to achieve nutrient retention. When this function is working in your soil, half of the process that leads to lower rates of N and P with no reduction in crop yield is present. You are retaining N, P, S, Ca, K, Fe, etc, in your soil, and they will NOT end up in surfGreat Big Plants-Soil Imunity Booster or groundwater any longer. Recent studies at SFI have shown that fungi are the most important retainers of calcium in the soil. Lose your fungi, and you lose the ability to retain Ca in the soil.

More information on this will be coming soon so stay tuned to this page!
20 Apr 2007 The Organic Gardener

Jugalbandi wrote an excellent post about soil and organic matter on their blog. They talk about the importance of soil organisms, taking care of organic matter and more. They also recently received a bottle of Great Big Plants and wrote some of their thoughts on it as well. Take a look at their blog to get into the nitty gritty on dirt.
23 Apr 2007 The Organic Gardener

Marc at Garden Desk is undergoing a fun experiment using Great Big Plants. During the course of the summer he will be using the product on a garden side-by-side another without it. It will be exciting to see his results as the season progresses. Follow along with him on his blog for more details as they unfold. Good luck, Marc! 30 Apr 2007 The Organic Gardener

Maturity cannot be described by a single property. Some laboratories assign a maturity index to compost based upon germination rate, root tissue growth, and other factors. The California Compost Quality Council (CCQC) developed a numerical Maturity Index that uses standard laboratory tests to rate compost maturity. To qualify as “mature” or “very mature,” a compost must have a C:N ratio of less than or equal to 25 and pass two additional tests performed concurrently from each group:

Group A tests, which indirectly measure the degree of organic matter decomposition, include carbon dioxide release or respiration; oxygen demand; and Dewar self-heating test.
Group B tests, which measure chemical characteristics of the product (some of which can be toxic to plants) include ammonium nitrate ratio; ammonia concentration; volatile organic acids concentration; and plant bioassays.
www.CCQC.org publications describe how to apply the index and interpret test results to determine whether a compost is very mature, mature, or immature, and provide general guidelines on best uses of composts based on the Maturity Index rating.
08 May 2007 The Organic Gardener

Recently, my dad and I bought two pine trees for my mom on Mother’s day. I know, it’s a bit much, but she’s worth it. They are small now, but will grow to great heights after many years of care. What are some important things to keep in mind when planting pine trees?

0.Dig a hole to fit your tree in leaving 1/4th of the root ball showing.
0.Cut the ties around the sack to open it up some.
0.Fill the hole with good soil…don’t reuse the same exact soil, although you can mix some of that soil with it. Keep in mind to still leave 1/4 of the root ball showing!
0.Lay good mulch down on top of the soil, making sure to spread it all around the tree.
I hope this helps some of you who are planning on planting some pine trees. Another note: make sure the tree is straight! We though one of our pines was straight, only to find it leaning like it needed a boost of V8 to straighten up (I hope I’m not the only one who remembers those ads). We then had to straighten it up later. Until next time. Happy gardening!
23 May 2007 The Organic Gardener

You asked for it, and now you have it! Great Big Plants is now available in 1 Gallon bottles. THis is great news for people who want more of this formula in a single bottle. Visit the online shop at shop.greatbigplants.com for even more of the energy drink your plants love.

06 Jun 2007 The Organic Gardener

It is certainly getting warm now, and some areas may be experiencing droughts. What can we do to keep our lawns healthy during this time?

First off, mow your grass higher. Leave about 3 inches on average for your grass. This will ensure healthy growth. The leaves will enjoy more sun, thicker growth, and shade the soil better.

Make sure to water regularly as well. Fertilize your lawn as you normally would, too. Don’t worry, it isn’t going to hurt anything as some may lead you to believe.

Remember not to bug out too much. Your lawn may look like it is dying when you see it turning yellow and dry, but it is still alive. It just needs some good, tender loving care.
18 Jun 2007 The Organic Gardener

I helped my parents transplant large ornamental grass over the weekend. It was easier to do than we thought but there was one big mistake we made.

We were wearing short sleeves. The particular grass they have is large and has paper thin blades. Needless to say, our arms were scratched up quite a bit and we looked like we were attacked by wild animals. It didn’t hurt, mind you, but it did succeed in making our arms itchy and uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

What did we learn from this? If we ever decide to move that plant, or anything like that, wear long sleeves!
25 Jun 2007 The Organic Gardener