Make Your Plants Happy by Using Chicken Manure For Fertilizer

Because I grew up in Central Florida's favorable climate, I learned how to take advantage of excellent growing conditions during the entire year. I remember how my grandparents, both avid gardeners, used to keep a large container on the kitchen counter. The purpose of the container was to collect food scraps which would ultimately be added to their compost pile. After the container was full my grandpa would work the food scraps into his pile of compost, where it would eventually transform into a rich, organic soil that was much appreciated by their plants. Many years passed before I learned about using chicken manure as fertilizer.

Growing up with composting had given me a head start on successful gardening once I went out on my own. However, inheriting my grandparents' love of gardening made me want to learn even more about organic fertilizers. Unfortunately, I killed a lot of plants while I was learning because I didn't yet understand how to properly fertilize the soil.

It was about then that I finally learned about chicken manure. A friend told me that chicken manure is a great organic fertilizer. I figured it couldn't hurt to try it because my gardening hadn't been very successful. I had to read up on how to use it because the only fertilizer my grandparents had ever used was the compost they made from mixing food scraps with dirt.

My research taught me that "chicken poop" actually has more nutrients than any other type of manure. This makes it "hot manure," which means it works best if you compost it before putting it into your soil. If you just sprinkle chicken manure around, the richness of its nutrients can easily burn your plants.

Thanks to my grandparents I already knew how to compost, although I had to learn how to do it with chicken manure. It took me a few weeks to find out just how much chicken manure I needed to add into other organic material. Burned plants were a dead giveaway that I was adding too much at first.

I learned that I needed to mix the chicken manure into other organic materials. If you mix it into things like eggshells, fruit and vegetable scraps, leaves and coffee grounds, and then turn the mixture regularly, over time it will transform into some incredibly rich dirt. If you add it into your soil as you're planting, your plants will truly love it.

You can collect your own chicken manure (if you raise chickens, it's a useful way to get rid of it!) or you can buy it from area farmers. Just make sure you let it dry before you use it.

You might even consider raising a few chickens if you don't already. Not only will you be able to take advantage of this great fertilizer, but chickens are great at controlling outdoor pests. They also make interesting pets because of their individual personalities.

Now that I use chicken manure as fertilizer, my indoor and outdoor plants are happy. Use it wisely and you'll be a successful gardener. Your plants will produce superior flowers and vegetables when you use this superb organic fertilizer.

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Are Fruit Flies Buzzing Around Your Kitchen And How Do You Control These Pests?

Fruit flies don't care if the air is cold. All these little gnats look for is some organic stuff that's turning bad so they can lay their eggs in it. As a pest control technician I once opened the refrigerator door in a hospital break room, and found a thriving colony of fruit flies inside.

That really surprised me at the time because I always thought fruit flies were more a warm weather pest. I didn't expect to find them inside a cold refrigerator. I sure learned something new that day.

The discovery started with my seeing fruit flies flying around the area where the refrigerator sat. Most of the time when I found these gnats I also found a trashcan sitting close.

This happens often in hospital break rooms when the trashcans go un-emptied for days sometimes, and food starts rotting in them. That gives fruit flies a perfect breeding ground. They lay their eggs in the rotting food, and hatch out a whole bunch of babies.

Doesn't take long before a big cloud of fruit flies surround you every time you toss something new into the trashcan. But this time the trashcan was on the other side of the room, so I searched around the fridge looking for the material that the gnats were using for hatching out their eggs. I even moved that refrigerator away from the wall to search behind, and underneath, with no luck.

Finally I opened the door and there they were, laying their eggs under the crisper drawer at the bottom. I pulled the drawer out, and found a spill of some liquid or other that somebody didn't clean up.

Fortunately the spill was only a few days old. I knew that because it still attracted only fruit flies. When organic material passes from the rotting stage to the putrefying stage it draws in the phorid flies. (By the way, that word "phorid" rhymes with horrid. How does that sound to you?)

Cleaning the spill away got rid of the problem.

I admit that you won't see many fruit flies after the weather turns cold. Fact is you most likely won't see any in your home during winter unless somebody drops a bit of food, and it bounces under (or behind) something and goes unnoticed.

Once that food starts rotting the gnats find it. When their eggs start hatching out you'll have them flying around your head. A cloud of fruit flies buzzing around you is your first hint that something rotten lies nearby.

The most effective pest control technique for treating a fruit fly problem is housekeeping. Once you clean the rotting stuff up the gnats start leaving, or dying off.

When that cloud of gnats gets huge you'll want to apply a spray treatment to help get them under control.

Once you perform proper pest control techniques fruit flies usually disappear in three to four days.

Joseph Jackson is an experienced pest control technician and author of FLY RIDDANCE, a how to guide for performing do-it-yourself pest control for controlling flies and gnats.

Find other pest control ebooks by Joe at http://www.bugsmiceratsnomore.com.

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Fruit Baskets - Popular Assortments for the Holiday Season

Fruit baskets are a great holiday gift, and the options are numerous. Here are 8 of the most popular choices for this Christmas season.

1. Assorted Fruit. As the most traditional type, these collections contain a variety of common fruits including apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes.

2. Holiday. These styles are beautifully decorated in Christmas colors and contain beautiful arrangements. They look nice as table centerpieces for the winter season.

3. Dried Fruit Assortments. Apricots, cranberries, and raisins are commonly included. These arrangements are often packaged in "on the go" containers as trail mixes rather than individually in baskets.

4. Fruit and Nut Baskets. Whether it is fresh or dried fruit, an assortment paired with different types of nuts makes a great combination.

5. Chocolate Covered Fruit Collections. For a gourmet treat, this is a very popular option. Cherries and apricots are two of the most common types.

6. Organic Fruit Baskets. For the health conscious person on your Christmas list, this makes a great gift.

7. Exotic Fruit Arrangements. For that person on your list who enjoys new or different things, this may be a good gift idea. It contains lesser known fresh fruits such as papayas, star fruit, kiwis, mangoes, and pineapples.

8. Citrus Baskets. Oranges, tangerines, clementines, and grapefruit make a delicious, juicy, and refreshing collection.

The internet makes it very easy to find whatever type of fruit basket gift you are looking for. There are many online stores that offer free shipping and will deliver directly to the recipient of the gift at your request.

Find the very best fruit baskets for sale online at unbelievable prices. Choose from popular dried fruit, fruit and nut, holiday, chocolate covered, organic, exotic, and fresh fruit collections. Just simply click on the link today at: http://www.deliciousfruitbaskets.com.

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Obesogens in Our Food Packaging and Food Preparation

Obesogens. What are they? "Obesogens" is a fairly new term used by scientists to describe a class of chemicals that actually take control of your endocrine system, in turn lead to obesity, heart disease, and possibly some types of cancer. These toxins are called "endocrine disrupting chemicals" or EDC's. Since they have been found to be a cause of obesity today, scientists have referred to them as "obesogens."

So, obesogens disrupt our endocrine systems, what does that mean for me? Well, your endocrine system is vitally important to your body's daily functions. From growth and development, to reproduction, sleep, hunger, stress management, metabolism, and how your body uses the foods you eat; these things are all controlled with the glands and cells of your endocrine system. So, when the EDC's (obesogens) infiltrate and disrupt the endocrine system, you can face a variety of different obstacles, all of which can be avoided by making some different food and life choices.

The first way to help reduce the number of EDC's you consume each day is to buy organic fruit and vegetables. Some produce have higher amounts of obesogens than others, however, it is safest to choose the organic foods since they were grown and fertilized without toxic chemicals.

Next, obesogens are not just in your foods, but they can also be in the packaging of the foods, as well as the containers you store your leftovers in. To help lower your risk of EDC's from plastics, remember that you should NEVER heat your plastics in the microwave or clean then in the dishwasher. The extreme heat can change the chemical make-up of the plastics, leeching dangerous chemicals into your food that touches them.

You should also look for meats that are either not packaged with plastic wrap, as the chemicals can stick to the fat in the meat, again introducing obesogens into your diet. If you cannot find any that are not covered in plastic, try to opt for leaner meats, like grass-fed or from animals raised in a pasture as they are often lower in fat content than their traditional alternatives. Since the chemicals from the plastic are adhering to the fat, lower fat choices will have fever toxins.

If you choose canned goods, try the organic varieties as often times there may be chemicals embedded in the cans themselves and the food inside them has just soaked it up for months, or even years, on the shelf.

Even fish is a culprit, well some of them anyway. The safest choices for eating are generally smaller fish, such as Atlantic herring, mackerel, Alaskan salmon, anchovies, scallops, Pacific Halibut or Cod, Canned light tuna, and mahi-mahi. Also, to further remove the contaminants from the fatty parts of the fish, opt for broiling, grilling, or boiling instead of frying.

Finally, one of the main causes of EDC contamination in your home is in the water. To help reduce the risks to your family, it is important that your tap water be filtered before use, so pollutants and pesticides can be removed before consumption.

Just a few little changes can make a big difference in the health of yourself and your family. The hidden chemicals, including obesogens, are easy to reduce. Filter your water, make some different food choices, and don't heat your plastics. Not hard to do, but it will make a huge difference in yourexposure to dangerous chemicals in your home. Also, remember that getting regular wellness checks for cancer and heart disease are extremely important to a healthy lifestyle as well. Learn how you can get paid to get these annual tests with supplemental health plans like cancer insurance or critical illness coverage.

More about organic fruit gifts at http://www.fruitcompanygifts.com

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Backyard Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a combination of Hydroponics - growing vegetables in water, and Aquaculture - fish farming. It might seem strange to bring 2 different types of farming together but aquaponics get the best of both worlds.

One of the most important aspects of fish farming is taking care of the water that the fish live in. The fish produce waste which must be removed from the tank so that they can remain healthy. Fortunately, fish waste makes an ideal plant food.

In a backyard aquaponics setup the waste water from the fish tanks in pumped into growbeds. These are containers for the plants which allow the roots to reach the nutrient rich water and thrive.

After some natural microbes have done their job of breaking down the fish waste the plants remove the nutrients from the water and the cleaned water can than then be pumped back into the fish tank.

Cycling water like this means that very little is wasted and aquaponics systems require only 10% of the water used in normal old fashioned farming. The only water loss is due to some evaporation.

Since the only inputs to the system are fish food, a little water and sunlight you can easily create an entirely organic backyard aquaponics farm.

You don't need to have acres of space for an aquaponics system, you can put fish tanks at ground level and then put growbeds on top.

The entire garden could be contained within a greenhouse allowing you to extend your growing season so that you can harvest fresh food all year round.

Backyard aquaponics tends to grow vegetables to maturity faster than conventional gardening with the added bonus of producing a crop of edible fish as well.

It's an ideal system for growing leafy salads and tomatoes, strawberries and even flowers can be grown.

You can learn more about the benefits of aquaponics and how to avoid the mistakes beginners make.

In order to learn more about how to build and maintain your very own aquaponics garden go to http://aquaponicskit.com and learn to produce fresh healthy sustainable food for your family every day.

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How to Make Organic Compost Fertilizer and Mulch

Making compost is a process of cultivating living micro-organisms. These micro-organisms must have 4 ingredients to flourish and produce a nutrient rich fertilizer or mulch. These 4 are oxygen or air, water, nitrogen, and carbon. Nitrogen rich materials are the "green" or moist materials such as fresh grass clipping, leaves, and most other alive landscape substances. Carbon rich materials are the "brown" or dry materials such as dry twigs, leaves, hay, and straw etc.  Just keep a note that the greens will be alive and moist and the browns are all things dry. Water will used to wet down each layer of the pile and air or oxygen is added when the pile is turned providing air pockets by not allowing the pile to compress and compact.  Many materials are bio-degradable but for organic fertilizer, it must not have any chemicals.

There is not a set method of building an organic compost pile.  Piles are built in layers to ensure the proper proportion of nitrogen to carbon, and water and air.  Then the layers are thoroughly mixed or "turned". Begin by selecting the area for your compost pile. If possible, a location with as much sunshine will be best. Next, lay a bed a few inches or so thick of dry straw. Begin mixing in one part greens organic matter with two parts brown organic matter. Spread vegetable, fruit and food scraps near the center. Continue adding your mixture of organic matter as the weeks go by. Fresh materials may be added but should be buried inside the pile to speed composting. It is better to add fresh materials to a new pile. You determine the size you want. (Many of the materials can even be stored in trash bags to be used later or for making winter compost.) You will know your compost pile is working if you feel there is heat. Turn the compost pile from every 3 days to every 6 weeks with a pitchfork or shovel. This turning provides the oxygen necessary for decomposition. Turning the pile will maintain the temperature, allowing all the material to benefit from the heat. If you have odors, organic composting lets you know your pile is too damp or is lacking oxygen, and that more frequent turning is necessary. Frequent turning will result in a faster composting. Add a little water if pile is too dry or does not feel warm to hot, especially in dry weather. You can cover the pile with some black plastic or tarps to reduce watering as the water from the "greens" will be released from heating up.

This is active organic composting and should be ready to use in six weeks to eight weeks. The compost will be ready to use when the pile will no longer generate heat. Compost is ready to use when it has an earthy smell and a dark crumbly appearance. (Passive organic fertilizer is allowing the compost pile to decay on its own without tending, turning, etc, and may take up to 8 months to 2 years. Many factors involved here.) Even in active organic composting, one method may be faster than another. But a variety of techniques will work well too.

For more information and free organic composting reports, visit us at http://organicfoodgardens.blogspot.com/

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7 Reasons Why Fruits and Vegetables Can Make You Sick, and What You Can Do About It

If you've ever plucked a ripe tomato off the vine and savored its warm tangy juice on your tongue, you know that taste is just one of the reasons there's nothing like eating your own home-grown fruits and vegetables.

But there are other reasons for growing your own -- that are perhaps far more compelling.

The way store-bought fruits and vegetables are grown, processed and stored not only decreases vitamin content -- the methods are dangerous to your health! Here are the seven things you should know about the food you find in the produce section of your grocery store:

1. PESTICIDES - Pesticides are used to kill bugs that destroy fruits or vegetables. The bugs are gone but the chemicals are not. When we eat the fruits or vegetables, we are ingesting chemicals that were used to kill living organisms. When these chemicals reach our colon, they make the colon toxic and slowly poison our body.

Sign up for your free Pesticides in Produce guide from the Environmental Working Group. This is is a not-for-profit environmental research organization that is dedicated to improving public health and protecting the environment by reducing pollution in air, water and food. The Pesticides in Produce Guide lists 45 non-organic fruits and vegetables and their pesticide ranking based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004.

2. HERBICIDES - Herbicides are used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant hormones. Studies have linked excessive use of herbicides to breast cancer, prostate cancer and other types of cancer.

3. PRESERVATIVES - Preservatives are used by the food industry to improve the appearance and shelf-life of food, by slowing natural decay that is caused by enzymes and bacteria. Sulfites are added to foods to act as enhancers or preservatives, and allergies to them may cause breathing difficulty, sneezing, swelling of the throat, and hives. Sulfites are also known to destroy vitamin B1 (thiamin), a vitamin essential for metabolism of carbohydrates, clear thinking, the conduction of nerve impulses, and the natural control of diabetes.

4. GENETIC MODIFICATION - Genetically modified (GM) foods have had their DNA changed through genetic engineering. The most common modified foods are derived from plants: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil. The products below have been genetically modified in the U.S. since July, 2007:
(Number in parentheses represents the estimated percent that is genetically modified.)

o Soy (89%)
o Cotton (83%)
o Canola (75%)
o Corn (61%)
o Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%)

Dr. Arpad Pusztai, the world's top genetically modified organisms (GMO) safety researcher at the Rowett Institute in Scotland was working in 1999 on a UK government grant to design long-term testing protocols for the European GM food safety assessment process. When Dr. Pusztai fed supposedly harmless GMOs to rats, they developed pre-cancerous cell growth, smaller brains, livers and testicles, partially atrophied livers, and showed signs of damaged immune systems. The results clearly indicated that the cause of the problem was due to the side effects arising from the process of genetic engineering itself.
Refer to Genetically Engineered Organisms, a public issues education project, for information on common food ingredients derived from corn and soybeans. You can also obtain information from the Institute for Responsible Technology regarding food additives derived from GM sources, or food and non-food items that contain GM ingredients.

5. FOOD ADDITIVES - Additives are used to increase shelf life, improve appearance, enhance flavor, and lower cost. The FDA has approved over a thousand different additives. According to Dr. William Rice, a licensed Nutritional Consultant, many common additives have been linked to cancer, allergies, migraine headaches, liver and kidney damage, birth defects, and brain damage. To make things worse, many additives do not appear on food labels. According to Dr. Rice, food manufacturers are not required to list all ingredients on labels.
The sheer abundance of food additives (over 1500) makes it difficult to avoid them, but it is possible to limit your exposure to them by reading labels. Typically an additive is hard to pronounce, has numbers in it, or does not sound like it occurs naturally in the food.

6. IRRADIATION - Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation, which destroys microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Irradiation damages many foods and often ruins their flavor, odor, and texture. The process also destroys vitamins and other nutrients.
Scientists have observed serious health problems in lab animals fed irradiated foods - including premature death, cancer, tumors, stillbirths, mutations, organ damage, immune system failure and stunted growth. In some foods, irradiation forms chemicals known or suspected of causing cancer and birth defects.

7. FOOD TRANSPORT AND STORAGE - After fruits and vegetables leave the field, they might be transported 1,000 miles or more to market. The older your produce, the fewer essential nutrients it has. Nutrient loss varies, but your store-bought fruits and vegetables can lose as much as 50% of their phytonutrients in three to five days. And when you buy food that has been transported long distance, you are contributing to far more fuel usage (the actual fuel used by truck or railcar, and also energy consumed by long term refrigeration or freezing). All of this negatively impacts our environment.

You can start contributing to your health, and that of your family and our planet, by growing even just a few vegetables or fresh herbs. It's easier than you think, and you can even do it in containers on your patio, apartment balcony, or kitchen counter.

Organic Eden can help! Check out our site today for lots of great ideas and tips. I have co-founded a website that is dedicated to those who wish to live a more natural and organic life. Together with my sister Kathy, we have created Organic Eden. Our site has lots and lots of information about planting and growing your own organic garden, and about creating a more natural and eco-friendly home. We've done the research for you, and our website provides links to many natural and safe products for your garden, home and family. We are both Grandmas who want to help create a safer and healthier world to pass on to our precious grandchildren.

We'd love to have you visit us at http://www.organic-eden.com today.

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Levive Juice - The 5 Most Powerful Fruits! Your Anti Aging Health Drink

"The amount of antioxidants that you maintain in your body is directly proportional to how long you will live" quoted by Dr. Richard Cuttler, Former Director of the National Institute of Aging, Washington, D.C. USA . We are very sure that you would have, no you must have heard the buzz about this super anti-aging juice also known to some people as the Power of 5 Antioxidant Drink. This juice concentrates the power of the world's top five antioxidant producing fruits in one product: Mangosteen, Noni, Acai Berry, Goji and Pomegranate. The combination of their juices leverages their synergic action in your body to the fullest, slowing your body's cells' aging process while preventing the occurance of terrible degenerative diseases.

This super anti-aging juice is an inviting, enticing and great tasting fruity juice blend that is ideal for the whole family! This power juice comes equipped with a number of healing properties and energizing benefits. Almost everyone who has ever tried the this product, whether they be distributors, importers, healthcare professionals and customers, everyone has classified it as the most powerful and best tasting juice ever! According to the latest information by health care experts and herbalists, this juice is the perfect solution for the common weight gaining issues, anti aging to fertility and sleep disorder problems. Actually, there are 25 reasons to take this amazing fruit juice every day! And they are:

1) Decrease the levels of harmful free radicals, the cause of aging.

2) Keep your skin and hair healthy.

3) Fight fungi, virus and bacteria.

4) Increase your energy level.

5) Feel and look younger.

6) Prevent cancer.

7) Maintain a healthy blood pressure.

8) Control your blood's sugar level.

9) Lose weight.

10) Sleep better.

11) Improve your vision.

12) Enhance your sex drive.

13) Improve your digestion.

14) Prevent gastritis, reflux and ulcers.

15) Maintain a normal cholesterol level.

16) Improve your memory.

17) Prevent diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

18) Control inflammation and arthritis.

19) Prevent tumors.

20) Protect your kids' health.

21) Keep your joints flexible and healthy.

22) Prevent respiratory conditions such as tuberculosis, bronchitis, emphysema and asthma.

23) Improve your fertility.

24) Keep your liver healthy.

25) Maintain an overall state of good balance health.

But where does this so called power juice come from? Glad you asked, it comes from the 5 most powerful berries on earth:

1) Pomegranate - (Egypt & Asia). One of the oldest fruits known to man. Rich in vitamins A, B & C, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, sodium and fiber.

2) Goji - (Himalayas - Tibet, Mongolia). Considered miraculous since ancient times. Rich in polysaccharides; with 18 amino acids, vitamins A, B, C & E, 21 minerals, proteins, fiber and Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils.

3) Acai Berry - (Amazon Brazil). Legendary fruit from the Amazon that contains 10 to 33 times more antioxidants than grapes used for red wine.

4) Noni - (Polynesian Islands, India). Used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years to cure different conditions. Contains polysaccharide-based nutrients, organic acids, vitamins and minerals.

5) Mangosteen - (Thailand). An Asian native that has caused a commotion with its splendid flavor. Known as the "Queen of Fruits", possesses high levels of xanthones.

This berries are a gift of nature that has been consumed for its overall health and fitness benefits. These berries are not a new product to mankind, however it is a new concept blending the most powerful 5 berries together yeilding super antioxidants and a delicious irresistible fruity flavor! These berries are loaded with vitamins, proteins, minerals and recent studies and experiments have shown that this super anti-aging Juice contains an extraordinary high content of antioxidants, more than any other single berry and berry drink that we consume today.

The key organic ingredients in this juice is equipped with many health benefits and also contains various powerful antioxidants. This juice product also works as a mood booster. It lowers cholesterol levels in our blood. The organic fruit juice aids in neurological disorders. If you are worried because you have gained a lot of weight, then this amazing berry juice is a perfect option for you.

The dynamics of the berry juice is known to help in fighting various diseases and because this super anti-aging juice is a completely organic herbal product, naturally there are no side effects arising out of it. This means that the berry juice is not only safe but also healthy for the entire family...even pregnant women. Recommended consumption amount is 2 ounces in the morning and 2 ounces 1-3 times a day, preferably before or with meals. However, this is a general rule of thumb and not an exhaustive prescription. :-)

To summarize, consuming nourishing supplements which contain antioxidants is the principal way to combat the harmful effects of contamination in the body. Eating a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants can have a positive impact on your future health. "There is NO short term solution for long term health."

Learn more about nutritional anti-aging health products like the awesome fruity tasting Levive Juice and how it can benefit your overall health and well being! It's great taste and rich Nutritional Antioxidant Products is loved by many!

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Homemade Organic Fertilizer - Tips on How to Make It

Did you know that homemade organic fertilizer is healthier and cheaper? Here are a few tips and a recipe for making your own fertilizer and growing nutritious, delicious fruits and vegetables.

For optimal results, treat your garden with a homemade fertilizer and compost. The two together make for excellent results and have been repeatedly successful.

The most important ingredients are bone meal, kelp meal, seed meal and various kinds of lime. It's important when you're making the fertilizer to measure by volume, not by weight. Meaning, by using measuring cups or a yogurt cup instead of using pounds. It doesn't have to be exact measurements. The proportions can be off by approximately 10 percent and still produce great results.

Recipe:
4 parts seed meal
1/2 part ordinary agricultural lime
1/2 part gypsum
1/2 part dolomitic lime

For best results you can add:
1 part bone meal or 1 part kelp meal

Buying your ingredients in bulk, by mail order or online will often give you the most materials for your money. If you find a good source, then go ahead and stock up once or twice a year. Garden shops, like Gardens Alive! generally sell ingredients in smaller, manageable quantities.

You can evenly spread 4 to 6 quarts for every 50 feet in a row that is up to 12 to 18 inches before planting each crop. Work the fertilizer into the soil with a hoe or spade. For more demanding vegetables, such as tomatoes, sprinkle small quantities every few weeks around the plant after the original application.

If you want to buy in bulk and think you will have extra, then premix in a plastic garbage can or plastic tote so that you can safely store it for next time.

Happy Gardening!

And now I would like to offer you a Free copy of my Gardeners Journal so that you can easily document your gardening experience by tracking your journey. Click here to go to my blog at [http://www.mastergardenergirl.com] and click on "Subscribe to Master Gardener Girls' Gardening Blog by Email" and I will send you a copy of this file. While you are there, you will find other great tips and information on gardening.

Happy Gardening from Master Gardener Girl!

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Say No to Synthetic Fresh Fruit and Vegetables - 5 Reasons to Buy Organic Products

There is a new concept making its way around the fresh food industry. It's a combination of scientific processors and a plants own natural development to create what is becoming known as synthetic fresh food. Food today is lacking in many nutrients and its ripe shelf life is greatly reduced.

Fruit today, including fruit recognised as a vegetable - such as tomatoes are often picked well under developed and unripened and stored until they are needed often for months at a time. Ethylene gas is often used to ripen fruit when it is needed for sale in Supermarkets.

From the moment a seed is planted in the ground it is subject to dozens of synthetic additives to enhance growth and to kill pests and weeds. Chemical based fertilisers, Pesticides, Herbicides and Fungicides are pumped into cropping land to the point soil microbes, earthworms and other insects and animals are driven out of a soil preventing the natural cycle of organic matter breakdown which becomes the normal feed source for plants.

Depending on the laws in the country the food was grown the seed itself may well be a synthetic version of a natural plant with various DNA added or removed to enhance a specific growth trait.

The only way we can get real fruit and vegetables is to look for heirloom seed producers and grow as much of our own fruit and vegetables in our own garden as we can.

Seems rather ironic that Science is creating synthetic ways to feed an expanding world and in the process half of the food is thrown out in waste.

Organic Farming is a huge, ethical industry where the emphasis is placed on producing a healthy viable crop to deliver to a consumer market with less emphasis on the profit margin. That is not to say Organic Farmers do not look for and try to make a profit. All business needs to run above the bottom line, but with Organic Farming the profit is made as a result of focusing on providing a quality, ethical consumer focused product and not profit regardless of quality or ethical practices.

To ensure you are buying quality organically grown fruit and vegetables consider these important points:

Look for Certified Organic growers or processors.
Synthetic Fresh Fruit and Vegetables are grown to deliver specific taste and shape quality to a demanding consumer market. Smooth fruit with no odd shapes looks nice on the shelf but not if shape is at the detriment of organic nutrients and an overall long lasting quality product.
If possible buy direct from the grower.
Look for Organic Food swap and sharing groups in your area. If there is none consider starting one.
Avoid buying fruit and vegetables not grown in your local area. The further food has to travel the more likely it is to be treated synthetically to survive the trip or artificially ripened when it reaches its destination.

Eric J Smith describes himself as being "Passionate about Organics". He is committed to Educating people on the importance reducing the chemical load on our bodies and the Environment. Eric is Married and has 2 Children. Eric and his wife Narelle represent Miessence Certified Organic Skin Care, Cosmetics, Home & Nutritional Products. www.milifestyle.net.

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The Origins of Organic Foods

Today organic foods only account for about 2% of all food production. That is very low but experts believe that the future looks very good for it. More consumers are taking an interest in buying organic foods all the time. Grocery stores and farm markets are trying to keep up with the demand out there for such items as well. They want to supply consumers with what they are after so that they won't do their shopping someplace else.

You may be wondering where the idea of organic foods started and how it has grown over time. Organic foods were the brainstorm of small farmers that wanted to offer great tasting food without the chemical process. They used only natural ingredients to be able to do this. Initially they only grew enough food for them to feed their families. From there the idea was to sell extras at roadside farm markets. Today there are larger farmers out there offering organic foods that you can buy at most grocery stores as well.

The decision to stay away from chemicals occurred back in the 1970's. This was when many people were involved in the peace movements. Instead of working for other people they had large colonies where they would grow their own food and take care of the needs of those in them. These communities also wanted to keep the world clean and to avoid consuming products that weren't good for them. As those movements ended their ideas stayed strong.

It is believed that this process was in place in the late 1980's but didn't really take off until the 1990's. However, if you really think about it organic farming is simply getting back to the basics. That is how farming was done in the early days before the introduction of commercial farming and chemicals to help them get large yields without the headaches of weeds and pests.

The main significance though is that what someone can grow on their own and consider to be organic in nature may not pass the guidelines for them to be sold commercially as so. The USDA is responsible for setting the strict standards for organic foods. They have to be met again and again with regular inspections in order to continue that verification being offered. One of the very strict guidelines for organic food is what can be used for compost.

It isn't really known where in the world that idea of organic food processing really took place. It seems that the idea was going on in many countries all about the same time. What has changed though is the process for it. Even so, it is still one that requires plenty of people to take care of what needs to be done.

A great deal of money is made through the sales of organic foods though. This is part of why so many farmers are getting on board. They do want to offer people something better to eat and clean up the environment. They also know that consumers are looking strongly at organic foods. They want to make sure they offer it so that they don't lose money with their conventional methods of farming that are in place right now.

Regardless of the origins of organic foods, they have changed the way that we will have such items produced in the future. They are going to be better for people due to the lack of chemical residue. The fact that more people are trying to eat healthy means that this can help them to have a great lifestyle now and into the future.

Organic food becomes a good choice by more and more people. The Organic Grocer is an online organic food Sydney based retailer. They provide fresh organic fruit and vegetable. They delivery organic food penrith and organic food blue mountains.

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Tasty Organic Breakfast Bruschetta

Try this organic breakfast recipe to make a tasty meal using warm tomato and melted cheese to spice it up.

Tomatoes being a fruit provide you with a lot of vitamin C and vitamin A. The vitamin A comes from the Beta carotene, which is actually an antioxidant.

Tomatoes also contain another antioxidant, lycopene, which is primarily found in tomatoes. The organic varieties retain the highest concentrations.

Lycopene neutralizes harmful free radicals that can damage cells and instigate cancer. Lycopene is also the most abundant carotenoid found in human blood and tissue. Free radicals are highly reactive oxidation byproducts created by environmental factors such as pollution.

But who cares! Tomatoes just taste so darn good, especially in this organic breakfast recipe. And when they are smothered by mayo and cheese, it's a marriage made in heaven!

The ingredients Of Our Tasty Organic breakfast recipe:

2 thick slices organic or local sourdough bread (Italian ciabatta is also wonderful) About 2 tablespoons organic soy mayonnaise (enough to lavishly coat each slice of bread) 1 organic tomato Several slices light-colored organic or local cheese, or cheese alternative (raclette, swiss, mozzarella, provolone or gouda)

Turn on the broiler and grab a cookie sheet. Place slabs of bread on the cookie sheet. Slather mayo onto the slabs of bread. Slice the entire tomato into thin slices, and arrange them all on the bread. Cover the tomato slices with as many slices of cheese at it takes.

Place the concoction under the broiler and do not stray! You will need to check it frequently to prevent over-blackening of your organic breakfast.

Broil it to blistered, gurgling perfection. Remove the cookie sheet from under the broiler, pour a glass of organic tomato or vegetable juice, and transfer your slabs of creamy, tomatoey, cheesy perfection to a plate. Be careful beacuse they will be hot.

Serves one. Guard your food fiercely when others approach you for a bite.

We hope you like this organic breakfast recipe and are encouraged to try more organic food for its superior taste.

Virginia Louise runs a free organic food information site to spread the word about the benefits of eating organically.

Visit her site to pick up 6 more free tasty recipes to try.

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How to Make Your Own Organic Fungicide

Making your own organic fungicide is far easier than you might think and you've very likely got everything you need right at home. One of the reasons I like to make my own garden tonics is because I want to know just what I'm going to be eating later. Most organic treatments can be applied to plants right until the day of harvest without any harm to those eating the fruits or vegetables, even children. I know a lot of chemical products seem to be work faster and sometimes seems more effective than the organic variations, but if I can save myself a trip to the garden store while I keep my plants healthy AND have a little peace of mind, I'm going to go for it. Plus, organic fungicide  is just plain cheap to make!

When our tomatoes got late blight, this recipe saved a few of our plants when I thought there was absolutely no more hope. I also sprayed most of our other plants in the garden (especially watermelon, zucchini, eggplants and grapes)  that looked like they had powdery mildew or other fungus problems and they started looking better (and producing better) within a couple days. To get the best level of protection, you will need to reapply this solution about once a week and especially after it rains.  In fact, if you want to be certain that your plants will not get attacked with fungi, you should be spraying them routinely as soon as you put them in the ground BEFORE anything beings to attack them. If you are combating a very aggressive fungus problem (like blight) you should try to spray the plants daily. Spray plants in early morning or late day when the sun is least intense to prevent leaf burn. This homemade organic fungicide is also effective against anthrocnose, powdery mildew, early tomato blight, leaf blight and spots.

Organic fungicide
Ingredients

1 gallon water
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions
Pour ingredients into a large sprayer and shake well. Spray on affected plants (top and bottom of leaves). Continue to shake ingredients periodically to ensure it says well mixed.

Tiffany Muehlbauer has a 1000 square foot garden plus a small orchard to practice her organic gardening skills on. She has been working toward a more self-sufficient and natural lifestyle for the past 5 years. The addition of a daughter to her family about a year ago has greatly increased her desire to live more organically and to free her home and garden of chemicals. You can read more about this American's experiences living in an antique farmhouse in Germany on her blog http://www.NoOrdinaryHomestead.com Not only will you find more about organic gardening but you will also find information about home renovation, parenting, European travel and more.

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6 Foods That Help You Lose Weight and Get Rid of Belly Fat Fast

A key to your overall health is to eat the kind of foods that will help you lose weight. And changing your eating habits to include whole, natural foods that are rich in fiber and low in calories is the key to losing body fat.

Foods That Help You Lose Weight -
High Fiber Food.

A diet high in fiber helps you to feel fuller between meals - best of all high in nutrition, and low in calorie.

Fiber acts like a sponge in your bowel, and soaks up water around it and swells to a bulkier form which helps to slow down the emptying of the stomach.

That is where the feeling of fullness comes from.

Make the effort to eat 3 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables per day.

Lean Protein -

Great for the muscle tissues - and the amino acids found in protein are more difficult for the body to metabolize than either fat or carbohydrates.

In other words, the body requires more energy to burn protein than other nutrients.

The body also doesn't store protein as efficiently as it does carbohydrates or fat - and in turn requires more oxygen and increases the feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating.

Low Fat Foods -

Much better than the bad kinds of fat like the 'trans fat'

Our body needs fat to function, hence make the choice to cook low fat foods.

But on one condition, you can't eat more than you normally would. No matter how good the calories are, eating too many calories during the day will result is weight gain.

Good Carbohydrates -

We need carbohydrates in our diet.

Avoid the bad, refined carbohydrates like potato chips, white bread, donuts and others - as most of the good nutrition has been stripped away.

This is why refined carbohydrates are so damaging to weight loss plans

The next time you eat carbohydrate - think natural.

Your carbohydrates should come from foods such as, fresh organic fruit, vegetables, salads and healthy grains like; organic brown rice, buckwheat, oats and rye bread.

All of these foods are in their natural state as nature intended.

Drink Water -

Research shows that snacking in particular is often the result of mistaking thirst for hunger.

Drinking plenty of water during the day will control hunger - best yet, has no calories!

So forget the soda drinks and eliminate all kinds of liquid calories from your diet.

Have Snacks -

The next time you snack, do it on healthy foods.

Instead of turning to a bag of chips or cookies, reach for a piece of fruit instead. Nuts or seeds would be an even better choice with high protein, high fiber, and healthy fat. Snacking also increases your metabolic rate, burning 10 per cent more kilojoules.

Magic Diets don't exist.

Simply eating the foods will not help you lose weight -- but makes it easier to lose your body fat.

Want the best foods to lose belly fat? Visit Fat Loss 4 Idiots at http://www.fatlossforidiotsdietreview.org And Discover How to Get Rid of Belly Fat With Tasty-Trick Foods That Help You Lose Weight Fast!

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Fruit Cake Recipes - Make Some History!

With Christmas right around the corner, many people are turning their attention to the making of fruit cakes-that much maligned and often scorned delicacy that is associated with holidays and weddings. Fruit cake has been made for thousands of years, but it's only in the last 80 years or so that it's become a running Christmas joke; this is because the fruit cake that is mass produced and sold in stores is dry, hard and tasteless.

Fruit cake has been made since the days of ancient Rome in one form or another. It wasn't called "fruit cake" until the Middle Ages when people began to put preserved fruit, spices and honey for sweetness in the cakes. When the American colonies became a source of cheap and abundant sugar in the 16th century, people in the colonies and Europe discovered that fruit would keep for a long time when preserved with a large concentration of sugar in sugar-water syrup. An excess of preserved fruit was created which, in turn, made the preserved fruit cheaper and made the baking of fruit cakes more popular. Nuts weren't used much in fruit cakes until the 18th century when Europeans started putting nuts in the cakes at harvest to ensure good luck and a good harvest the next year.

There are so many different kinds of fruit cakes and ways to make them; the recipes for them would quickly fill a very thick book! Recipes for fruit cakes vary widely depending on the country they come from and the fruit that's available in that country. There are countless fruit cake recipes from the United States, because we grow so many different kinds of fruits and nuts. The most popular recipes here are light fruit cake and dark fruit cake; so named because of the color of the fruits and nuts used in them. There are also fruit cake recipes that have been handed down from mother to daughter over the generations and are an honored part of the Christmas traditions for their families.

A fruit cake that's made with care by hand and allowed to age tastes and looks splendid and is a testament to the baking skills of the person that made it.
Fruit cakes are at their best when they're made well in advance of the holidays. They need a period of time, usually a few weeks to a few months, to age properly. When a fruit cake is stored it picks up the flavor of the liquor or juice it's soaked in; this also makes the fruit cake much moister and helps to preserve it. And, as the flavors of the different fruits and nuts in the cake intermingle it contributes to the delicious signature taste that fruit cake has.

So, try your hand at baking a fruit cake this holiday season. You'll be making a little bit of history!

Janet Keene
http://www.cakerecipes-r-us.com

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How to Grow Organic Fruits Within Your Home

There is nothing like having fresh fruit that is free from chemicals. For the last few years organic fruits became so popular, you can now see them on many grocery shops' shelf. However, to purchase organic fruits and vegetables can be quite costly. So, how is it possible to maintain a healthy diet without paying a lot of money?

The answer to this question is to grow your own. However, limitation of space and lack of knowledge on gardening prevents people to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Thanks to advancement in agriculture, it is now possible to grow tasty and juicy fruits within your home, even if you don't have a garden.

Dwarf fruit trees grow in small containers, which don't really occupy a lot of space. Imagine a single small branch of a tree full of fruits such as apples, plums, pears, cherries, etc. The concept of the dwarf fruit trees is to be able to grow smaller version of many different trees in your house.

Although, it is also possible to grow fruits from their seeds, this method requires some work and also requires a lot of time. But, with the small fruit trees, all you need to do is plant them in small containers, place the container in a place within your house, where you get a lot of sunlight. After all you need to do is water these trees regularly. You will see the products of these trees within months. Imagine picking your own apple or pears or any other fruits from these trees that are grown within your house.

Learn how to grow your own trees at GrowFruitsAtHome.com.

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The Ongoing Battle With Leaf Curl - How to Save Your Stone Fruit

I'll admit it. I'm on my last gardening legs when it comes to stone fruit. For the past few years I've watched as my peaches and nectarines have battled, fruitlessly, against the dreaded peach leaf curl.

This year I'm determined to follow through on a rigorous anti-leaf curl campaign to see if I can actually produce sufficient fruit to make all this work worthwhile. But before I submit fully to chemicals, I'm going semi-organic and placing my faith in copper oxychloride this season.

So if you're in the northern hemisphere, then now, at the end of autumn, is the time to start your campaign.

Leaf Curl - An Overview.

Peach leaf curl is a fungus with spores that hibernate on your tree over winter, ready to burst forth and wreak havoc on your leaf and fruit buds early in spring. It causes excessive leaf fall, damages your fruit resulting in an early drop and, if severe, can lead to overall decline in the health of your tree. Leaf curl tends to be worse in humid areas, and once you spot the tell-tale signs early in the growing season, the best you can hope for is to limit its spread.

So the answer is to deal with the hibernating spores over winter, so they don't infect your emerging leaf buds.

And as with all gardening approaches there's the good, the so-so and the 'only if you have to' options.

The good:

An organic approach is always worth trying first. There are various organic options for leaf curl including spraying with neem oil, using a compost tea and watering in washing soda around the drip line. There is also a school of thought that you simply remove and burn infected leaves as soon as you see them. However this requires daily discipline and doesn't really fit with my hectic working mother lifestyle.

I'll have to be honest and say the organic approach hasn't worked for me (although I've only just heard about the washing soda option so I'm giving that a go). But I'm also moving on to something slightly more heavy duty...

The so-so:

This season I'm placing my faith in copper oxychloride. Readily available at garden centres, it is considered an organic option by some, but I'll place it in the so-so basket.

I plan to spray every 6 weeks throughout the dormant period in an attempt to kill off the spores. Then repeat spray at bud swelling and bud burst. It's important to gain full coverage when you spray, and to spray only on dry days.

Lime sulphur is also considered highly effective against leaf curl and is permitted for use by certified organic orchardists. Lime sulphur and copper oxychloride are not compatible however, so choose one or the other - not both!

Only if you have to:

There are a multitude of commercial fungicides available from your garden centre which will also help to address your leaf curl problem. These will include chlorothalonil, amongst others. If you choose this route it's best to speak with the staff at your local garden centre who will be able to help you choose the best product.

For now, however, I'm going to persevere before resorting to the chemicals. Wish me luck!

Fi McMurray, a gardening enthusiast and author, began gardening organically after the birth of her children. She has been involved with 2 award winning gardens at prestigious International Flower Shows in Auckland, New Zealand. Her latest book, "An Introduction to Organic Gardening", is available at www.fimcmurray.com

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Growing an Organic Garden the Easy Way

Growing an organic garden can be rewarding for those willing to put in the effort. If you use 100% organic products you won't have to wash off the chemicals and pesticides that could be potentially harmful before eating the fruit and vegetables.

The soil should be nutrient rich organic material like compost before attempting to plant any crops in it. It'll be easier to grow healthy and vigorous, pest resistant and disease resistant plants in nutrient rich soil, pesticides and chemicals are to be avoided at all costs.

If the soil has been drained of all its nutrients it may need to be tested at your garden center. However many times just adding your own organic compost may be fine. You can either buy it at your garden shop or make it on your own by yourself with kitchen scraps and garden cuttings.

You can go to your garden shop and purchase cow or horse manure or make some homemade compost yourself. Compost left to decompose naturally is considered gold by gardeners. You can use your kitchen scraps and trimmings from your garden to make your organic compost.

You can gather your vegetable and fruit waste, coffee grounds and egg shells, but never add meat waste or your pets droppings as this will make the pile smell and attract other animals. Use garden clippings, grass cuttings, dead leaves and branches, but no weeds or diseased plants.

Choose a spot for your compost pile near your garden for your compost pile and dump your food and garden savings into it, cow or horse manure will add to the nutrients and make a compost fertile. Keep your compost pile moist, occasionally turning it and in several months you should have nutrient rich black organic compost. Just remove any large undecomposed pieces of waste, and work the compost into the soil where you'll plant your crops.

Your plants not growing like you want them to be? Poor soil quality could be the problem. A lot of experienced gardeners do their own composting for beautiful garden plants. Compost bins can turn your household waste into "black gold" for your garden.

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10 Easiest Vegetables To Grow In Your Organic Garden

When you're just starting out as a newcomer to organic gardening, it's great to get some successes on the board as soon as possible. I've put this list together of my top 10 easiest veggies to grow to encourage you to give it a go. Once you discover how easy it is to grow your own delicious, healthy veggies, you'll be scratching your head wondering why you didn't try it sooner.

So start out with these, then when you've had success you can research other veggies, fruits and nuts that you want to try. Always bear in mind the climate zone you live in so that you are working with Mother Nature.

Radish

Radishes are probably the easiest vegetable to start out with. They thrive in all climates, all year round in temperate zones. The other great thing about them is that they mature really quickly, from seed to eating in as little as 4 or 5 weeks.

They rarely have any pest or disease problems because they grow so quickly.

If you've already enriched the soil with organic compost all you need do is keep the water up to them, especially in hot, dry weather - mulch in summer, but not in winter. If you've used plenty of seed you may need to thin them as they get bigger. Pick them as soon as they're a reasonable size or they become woody.

Silverbeet, Spinach or Swiss Chard

This group of vegetables are related and are also quite easy to grow. Spinach grows best in cooler climates, but silverbeet will grow all year round in temperate zones.

If you're growing them from seed, soak them overnight. Sow seeds about 30cm (12 inches) apart by placing them on the soil surface and poking with your finger to the depth of about 1cm (half inch). Cover with soil and water in well.

Keep them well watered in hot weather and apply organic fertilizer every month, giving them an occasional feed with an organic liquid fertilizer. Mulching with compost or pea-straw will help conserve water, control weeds and feed your soil.

When the leaves are big enough to use, pick from the outside making sure you leave at least 5 or 6 stalks in the centre for the plant to continue growing.

Capsicum (peppers) and Chillies

These plants are also related to each other and enjoy the same growing conditions. They are a warm climate vegetable and will not set fruit if the overnight temperatures are too low. You can grow both capsicum and chillies in pots.

You may need to stake capsicum for wind protection if you grow them vigorously, as they can reach up to 80cm (30inches).
Sow in seed boxes in spring. When your seedlings have reached 15cm (6inches), transplant them into beds prepared with compost at about 50cm (20inches) apart.

Fertilize with organic pellets every 4 or 5 weeks when they start to flower. Make sure you don't over do it, or you will end up with very healthy plants with lots of leaves, but very little fruit.

You can harvest capsicum at any time, but if you wait for the fruit to turn red (they all start out green) they have much higher amounts of vitamin C.
Leave chillies on the plant to mature, then they can be harvested and used fresh. If you want to dry some just leave them in a dark, dry, airy place for several weeks. They will store well in glass jars for many years. Remember never to touch your eyes after handling chillies as it is very painful. Wash your hands thoroughly.

Cherry Tomatoes

Tomatoes will grow in most soils and all but the coldest climates. And cherry tomatoes are the easiest to grow, so they suit new gardeners perfectly. They will even grow well as tub specimens. It's not essential to stake them, provided you don't mind them sprawling around the place a bit.

They are frost tender, so you can start them indoors if your area has late frosts. When your seedlings get to 15 - 20cm (6-8inches), transplant them into their permanent position, whether it be tub or ground. If you are going to stake them, get your stakes in first so you don't damage their young root system. Tomatoes (unlike most plants) actually benefit from being planted deeper than they were in the seedling box. You can even bury the bottom leaves. This actually benefits the plant as they grow roots right up to the soil surface, giving it more stability and accessibility to water and nutrients.
If growing them in the ground, give them at least 50cm (20inches) spacing.
Deep water you plants regularly and give a thick layer of mulch.

Providing you're planting your tomatoes in a compost-rich soil, you will only need to liquid fertilize when fruiting starts. Use a good organic liquid manure such as Seasol or Maxicrop and use as a foliar spray.

Pick your tomatoes as they ripen, to encourage more fruit.

Zucchini

You will find zucchini one of the easiest vegetables to grow, with amazing yields. They just keep giving! Zucchini are part of the cucumber / melon / pumpkin family and enjoy a warm growing season.

Sow 2 or 3 seeds directly into a mound of richly composted soil in late spring, or after frosts are over. You can train zucchini to grow up a trellis or fence, which can help prevent powdery mildew. When the seedlings are about 10cm (4inches) tall, gently pull out all but the strongest plant.

You'll need about 3 or 4 mounds (plants) to feed a family of 4 - 6. Give them plenty of water and add organic fertilizer every 4 weeks or so. When the zucchini reach between 15 and 20 cm (6-8inches) it's time to pick them. They can grow really quickly - literally overnight - so keep a vigilant eye on them otherwise you'll end up with inedible veggies. You also want to pick them as they're ready to keep the yields high.

Butternut Pumpkins

Pumpkins are known for being easy to grow. Belonging to the same family as zucchini, they grow in similar conditions. Again plant seeds in mounds and keep the strongest seedling. Have your mounds about a metre (yard) apart.

Mulch around the mound and keep the water up to them in really hot and dry weather. Feed every 3 weeks with well rotten manure or mature compost.

Here's where the difference comes in. You need to leave pumpkins on the vine to fully mature. Wait until the vines have died off before harvesting (somewhere between 14 & 20 weeks). Before any chance of frost, harvest by cutting the stems at least 5cm (2inches) from the pumpkin.

Store in a dry place until needed.

Leeks and Spring Onions

Spring onions and leeks are in the Allium family and grow in very similar conditions. You can grow in seed raising mix or seed directly where they are to grow. If you grow seeds in punnets you can transplant seedlings when they are about 20cm (8inches) tall into well prepared beds (they like a little lime if your soil is acidic), about 20cm apart.

Some people like to "blanch" the stems of leeks to keep them white, but I don't bother. All you really need to do for leeks and spring onions is give them plenty of water, mulch to keep the weeds down and the soil moist and apply organic fertilizer every few weeks.

Harvest when leeks are about 2cm (an inch) thick, and spring onions as they become big enough.

Bush or Dwarf Beans

There are many different varieties of beans to choose from. When you're starting out, go for the bush or dwarf varieties. Grow these beans in warm weather as beans don't like the cold (unless you're growing broad beans - different story).

Fertilize along the row where your beans are to grow. Don't let your bean seeds come into direct contact with your organic fertilizer. Sow your beans directly where they are to grow, into damp soil and avoid watering near them for the first few days. (Don't soak seeds before planting).

Space rows at 60cm (24inches) and push seeds about 2cm (an inch) into the soil, 10cm (4inches) apart. A row about 3 or 4 metres (yards) long should be enough for a family of 5.

To get a continuous supply of beans, start your next sowing when the first crop has grown their first true leaves. Feed with a liquid organic fertilizer when flowering starts. Remember to harvest your beans while they're young and tender. They taste better this way, but more importantly, they will give you much better yields.

If you want to save your own seeds, leave the healthiest pods on the bush until they have completely dried. Then pick and pod them, storing in a dry place until next season. Remember to label them.

Peas

Peas will yield heavily if you give them what they need. And they are so delicious! Most varieties love the same conditions. Plant in late summer through to late winter, providing your soil is still workable. Peas like a higher pH than most vegetables, so add some lime into the soil along with mature compost or organic fertilizer.

Provide support by giving them something to climb up. Plant seeds every 5cm (2inches) in a well-drained soil with a sunny position and provide support with small sticks or similar until they reach what you want to grow them on.

Keep down any weeds with good organic mulch. Feed with an organic liquid fertilizer every 3 or 4 weeks. Keep moist in dry weather. Pick regularly to increase yields. Save seed the same as you would beans.

Beetroot

I love growing beetroot. It's so easy to grow - but let me say this up front; it's quite different from the tinned supermarket kind.

Plant throughout spring and summer. Add lime to your soil a couple of weeks before planting if your soil is a bit acid. Take your seeds and soak them overnight. Sow directly in the soil, about 1cm (half inch) deep and 30cm (12inches) apart. Cover lightly with soil and water them in. If you want a continuous supply, plant your next crop every 2 - 3 weeks.

At about 4 or 5 weeks, give them a feed with organic liquid fertilizer. You pull your beets when they have grown to about 6 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) in diameter, roughly 8 to 10 weeks after planting. Don't leave them to grow huge as they just become tough and woody.

The young leaves are great in a salad. I love to roast or boil them. They make great juice when added to apple and carrot. I've also pickled them and turned them into soup - very unusual, but delicious.

So there you have it - the 10 easiest veggies to grow. If you're short on garden space you can try growing some of these in pots. You just need to remember to make sure you water when needed.

I wish you every success in getting started gardening organically. If you already garden, have a go at getting your kids (or grandkids) to try growing these veggies themselves. You'll be surprised at how much more eager they are to eat something they've grown themselves.

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener and am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.
It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives and the wellbeing of our personal and global environments.
Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now! Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Williams
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

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Processed Sugar, Do You Know How Much You Eat?

Sugar on the nutrition labels of products is measured in GRAMS. Do you know how many grams of sugar are in a teaspoon? There are 4.2 grams of sugar per teaspoon. Do you know how many teaspoons of sugar are in a cup? There are 47.9860695 teaspoons of sugar in a cup or approximately 200 GRAMS. And there are 453.6 GRAMS of SUGAR per POUND. To get a sense of how much process sugared is contained in our every day products, I went to a grocery store one afternoon with my spreadsheets I created. My spreadsheets track a product's brand name, the product type, serving size, calories per serving, sugar content, sugar position on the label, fat content, protein content, salt content, price per container. Some of the foods I looked at were children's cereals, yogurt, ice cream, ketchup, cookies, crackers, soda, spaghetti sauce and baby food. I selected a large grocery store and shopped as I collected my data so no one would question what I was doing. I didn't want to explain how I am hooked on this processed sugar theory I have believing processed sugar causes a great majority of our health issues. I looked at three different brands or more of similar products so I won't be accused of being biased.

I read an article that stated that we eat our weight in sugar every year plus 20 pounds and that back a few decades ago our sugar consumption was only 20 pounds per year. Could this be true? I started doing the math. I randomly selected 150 pounds. So 150 pounds times 453.6 grams divided by 365 days per year equal 186.41 grams of sugar per day. Is it feasible to eat this much sugar in a day? Here is what I found:

1. Children's cereal on average equals 12 grams of sugar with an approximate serving size of ¾ Cup, cereal brands and types, Post' Golden Crisp, Kellogg's Apple Jacks, General Mills' Lucky Charms.

2. Raisin Bran has 19 grams of sugar, 1 Cup serving.

3. Soda had 40 grams of sugar, 12 ounce can, soda brands, Pepsi, Coke, RC.

4. Kellogg's Pop-Tarts have 16 grams of sugar per one pastry.

5. Plain nonfat Yogurt has approximately 15 grams of sugar per one cup serving, yogurt brands and types were Mountain High Plain Fat Free, Horizon Original Organic/Nonfat and The Greek Gods Nonfat Plain

6. Strawberry yogurt has approximately 28 grams of sugar, brands and types were Danon Blended Strawberry, Yoplait Strawberry Original 99% Fat Free, VOSKOS Greek Style Strawberry, serving size ranged from 6 ounces to one cup.

7. Cookies have 10.67 grams of sugar; brands and type were Nabisco Chips Ahoa, Mother's Chocolate Chip and Pepperidge Farms Soft Baked Chocolate Chunk. Serving size ranged from 1 - 2 cookies.

8. Spaghetti sauces have approximately 7 grams of sugar per ½ cup serving. Brands and types were Prego Traditional, Ragu Traditional and Classico Tomato and Basil.

9. Crackers, 7 crackers have 0-4 grams of sugar for wheat thins, Nabisco Triscuit had 0 grams. Brands and types, Nabisco Triscuit, Nabisco Wheat Thins and Ralph's Wheat Crisps.

10. Heinz Ketchup has 4 grams of sugar per Tablespoon.

11. Vanilla Ice Cream has 19 grams of sugar per ½ cup serving. Brands and types were Breyer's Vanilla, Ben & Jerry's Vanilla and Haggen Daz's Vanilla Bean.

12. Chocolate Ice Cream has 20.67 grams of sugar. Breyer's had 16 grams, Ben & Jerry's had 27 grams and Haggan Daz had 19 grams, all chocolate.

13. Surprisingly baby food had natural sugars derived from the vegetables or fruit contained in the products. Each product seemed to be filled with other additives that I couldn't pronounce with the exception of one brand that really stood out for me. I looked at Gerber, Beech Nut and Earth's Best. Could Earth's Best really be best? It stood out as the front runner for me that was for sure. It contains only organic fruit, vegetables, meat or rice. It did not have other added ingredients and it was the only baby food Kosher certified.

14. Toothpaste contains Saccharin, artificial processed sugar. Brands looked at were Crest, Colgate and Aqua Fresh.

Now looking at all these various foods, I took a few products that seemed logical and ones that I could consume in a day and did some calculations. Remember 186 grams of sugar a day equals 150 pounds per year.

A Typical Sugar Day

SUGAR
Bowl of cereal 2 cups (who can eat just one cup) 24 grams
2 Cokes 78 grams
2 tsp of sugar in a cup of coffee X 2 cups 8 grams
3 cookies x 2 (again, once you start you have to have more) 22 grams
1 yogurt Yoplait Strawberry 99% Fat Free
(you thought it was healthy) 27 grams
1 Frosted Strawberry Pop Tart 21 grams

TOTAL SUGAR GRAMS IN ONE DAY 180 grams

TOTAL SUGAR GRAMS PER YEAR

180 grams X 365 days per year = 65,700 grams

Convert Grams to Ounces

65,700 X.035273962 = 2,317.50 ounces

Convert Ounces to Pounds

2,317.50 ÷ 16 ounces to a pound = 144.84 pounds per year

It is almost at the 150 pound mark and that is not adding any candy bars or ice cream. Is sugar causing our health issues? It certainly seems like there could be a direct correlation with the rise of diabetes and other diseases. One last item to mention from another article I read that was written by someone in the UK, I found the information shocking and horrifying, but maybe it is true. They stated that the chemical formula for sugar and cocaine are almost identical with the exception of one atom of Nitrogen. Is sugar a drug? If someone is a chemist, please let me know if this is true. THANK YOU.

Kathryn Alexander, Hero Cards, Inc. (http://www.herocardsinc.com)

CHEMICAL FORMULA

Sugar C12H22O11
Cocaine C17H21NO4

http://www.herocardsinc.com

In 2008, Hero Cards, Inc. was founded to provide tangible opportunities for recognizing and thanking individuals who make a difference in our world. The company offers a greeting card line of the highest quality that is both cost and ecologically conscious and provides a percentage of its profits to families and organizations that have faced adversity. Hero Cards are designed and manufactured in the USA of recycled materials. Hero Cards, Inc. is a member of the Greeting Card Association (GCA), the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and is certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

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African Grey Parrots' Food

When you invite an African Grey parrot to share your home, you are taking on a long-term responsibility to provide a good diet for that parrot for 50 years or more. Many owners fail to do this, even for a few months. Believing that bird seed is enough, they purchase a large bag of mixed seed, and feed their African Grey. Seeds are cheap, so bird food companies push them.

African Grey parrots' food must not be only seed, however. Such an incomplete, imbalanced diet is likely to cause illness. Seeds are high in fat and carbohydrates, and your African Grey will probably pick out its favorite seeds, making the diet even less balanced.

Most parrot experts agree that an African Grey parrots' food needs can only be met with a formula diet supplemented with a variety of other foods.

Organic Pellets

What is a formula diet for an African Grey? Organic pellets. I say "organic" pellets because many of the conventional pellets have unhealthy ingredients. Some have even been noted as containing potentially toxic ingredients.

African Grey parrots' food should never contain menadione. If the pellets you are considering for your African Grey list menadione as an ingredient, read on. The FDA requires a warning on every bag of food that contains it. That warning must read, "Person who handles needs to wear protective outfit, gloves, mask, and glasses."

Menadione may be added to give your African Grey additional vitamin K. A better option is to provide full spectrum light for your parrot. An African Grey will get vitamin K from the light, just as it would if living outdoors.

Organic pellets also let your African Grey avoid the high quantities of sugar in colored pellets. Most African Grey parrot owners care enough about the bird in which they've invested so much money, that they don't want to give it a diet that is high in sugar.

African Grey parrots' food that is based on organic pellets will be free of contaminants that might be found in other pellets. In the U.S., government regulations force companies making organic parrot food not to use pesticides or other contaminants.

In addition to a basic, formulated pellet food, African Greys need many of the same food you eat.

1. Fresh vegetables: Offer your African Grey a wide variety of vegetables, raw or cooked. Think bright, deep colors for the most nutrition. Most vegetables that offer high nutrition to you and your family will be good for your parrot as well. Cooked legumes such as beans and lentils are good. Sprouted seeds are also good. Your African Grey will love them. To avoid contaminants such as pesticides, you may want to use organic vegetables for African Grey parrots' food.

2. Fresh fruits: In the wild, African Greys eat fruit freely. The trick is to keep your parrot from filling up on its favorite food and neglecting pellets and vegetables. As with vegetables, choose bright, rich colors in fruit for the most nutrition. Also, purchase organic if possible.

3. Other supplemental foods: African Grey parrots enjoy cooked eggs and small amounts of yogurt now and then. African Greys are more prone than some parrots to calcium deficiency, so you may leave the egg shell on the hard boiled egg, if you wish. You should not need to give your parrot calcium supplements if you are using a good organic pellet food. You may give a few seeds as a treat, but go easy on them.

No, Thank You

African Grey parrots' food dishes should never contain avocado, chocolate, or rhubarb. They should not contain any human junk foods or processed meats either. It should go without saying, but your African Grey should never be given anything containing caffeine or alcohol.

Water, Please

Remember, when thinking of your African Grey's dietary needs, that it should have fresh, clean water in its cage at all times.

Helpful Tip

For healthy African Greys, be sure you clean the food and water dishes every day. If your parrot decides on an impromptu bath, wait until it is done, wash the water dish, and give it a fresh supply of water.

©2007, Anna Hart. An avid reader and researcher, Anna explores many parrot breeds and offers more information about African Grey Parrots and their care at http://www.parrots-of-the-world.com. If you are interested in learning about parrot food made at home, you won’t want to miss the information Anna shares on that subject.

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Organic Gardening - Is It the Right Hobby for You?

Unlike ordinary gardening, organic gardening does require certain skills. There are many other considerations that you must be aware of, if you are really serious about taking up this as a hobby. Firstly, you'd have to know the kinds of soil and plants you can grow organically. You'll also have to know how to care for those plants.

That being said, organic gardening would be easy, if you're the type of person who is passionate about gardening. Not everyone likes gardening in the true sense of the word. However, if you have green fingers, like to spend lots of time in your garden growing greens; then this hobby is something you should truly consider.

Although, organic gardening may be complicated for some beginners, it is special because it takes effort for to succeed. You just need to follow the steps correctly and you'll have your garden flourishing in no time at all.

What is organic gardening?

Unlike normal gardening where you use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, this method requires the use of using natural products. Products that is easily obtainable from nature. You will now be working in harmony with nature. Whatever you grow, be it vegetables or any form of green plant, you will derive everything you need from nature.

What does organic gardening involve?

Instead of using synthetic fertilizers, you will need to make your own organic fertilizers using a technique called composting. Composting requires the use of materials found in your garden such as dried leaves, twigs, animal manure, and fruit skins. There are many different recipes for compost. You will need to learn how to make different kinds of composts using different recipes. Is there such a thing, you may ask? Yes, and you are the one to make it. You can actually perform composting on the materials found on your garden. You can use fallen leaves and twigs, animal manure, but this will depend on the type, and many more.

How to deal with pests the organic way?

If you are faced with the problem of pests, you will avoid the use of all forms of pesticides if possible. However, removing pests by hand especially if they are just too many for you to deal with, can be a real hassle. Your first line of action would be to try to control the pests using animals that feed on these pests. If that does not work effectively, and the numbers are uncontrollable, you may have no other alternative but to use a pesticide to keep the pests under control. If possible, use only organic pesticide. You can buy organic pesticide from your local grocery store. Before you buy, make sure it states clearly on the label clearly that the pesticide is 100% organic.

This method requires a lot of painstaking care. In other words, organic gardening requires a lot of time and hard work. Many have given up because they were unable to cope with the hard work and time involved. One way to help you stay motivated to carry on is to remind yourself that you're working with nature. It would be a way for you to give back to nature what nature has given you.

For those of you who are thinking of taking up organic gardening as a hobby, you will need to give a serious thought about the time factor. If you are not in a position to devote quite a bit of your time, then sadly this hobby may not be right for you.

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Foliar Feeding For Your Organic Gardens

Foliar feeding is a technique of supplying plants the nutrients they need by applying a liquid fertilizer to the plants leaves. This technique is becoming a more popular method to the home gardener. It is an eco-friendly way to supply nutrition to the plants that you are growing in your organic gardens.

Using this technique on fruit producing crops like tomatoes can increase there yields and on crops like lettuce or spinach to speed up there maturity, along with increasing there storage life. It is a common practice that has been used for some time to help grass green more rapidly, and even being used by commercial farms to prevent plants from frost or drought damage. Foliar feeding can even be used as a pest control method for aphids and spider mites, or as a control measure for powdery mildew. There are many natural benefits that this technique can provide when applied properly.

Plant life can absorb eight to twenty times more nutrition and more efficiently through the surface of there leaves than they can through there root systems. As a result of this benefit, your crops can produce remarkable yields. The best times to apply foliar feeding techniques is during the plants critical growth stages like transplanting, blooming or just after they set fruit.

Organic gardening is all about soil, so before you decide to just use foliar feeding as the only source of nutrition for your plants, remember the basics of organic gardening, feed the soil and not your plants. A healthy organic soil structure is an ecosystem all in it's own. It is full of natural life that works hard to provide many benefits for plant life that can only be done naturally. It is the support system for plant life and retains the nutrients,and moisture that plants need to thrive.

Amending your gardens soil with organic matter is what builds a fertile soil, fertilizers don't. Having a good soil management plan in place that includes adding a balanced, composted organic matter to the soil is the best way to improve the fertility of your gardens soil. It is the fuel source needed to keep the complex community of life that exists in soil naturally.

A healthy organic garden soil is one that has an ecosystem that is full of life and rich in organic matter. This type of soil will aid in the prevention of nutrient loss, due to leaching, and retain excess nutrients so they are available for plant life when most needed.

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

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Organic Arable Farming

Organic arable farming reduces the environmental health issues created by intensive farming practices. Organic farming methods avoid the destruction of soil and reverse the negative impacts of intensive farming.  For example, you will improve environmental health, directly improve the health of your land, and improve your own health - if you eat the products you farm - by following these four arable farming practices:

Crop rotation
Planning for biodiversity on the lands farmed
Feeding the soil and ensuring soil nutrition
Planting pest and disease resistant crops

Farming organically includes growing varied types of crops, at varied times.  (You can use organic farming techniques on a smaller scale in your organic vegetable garden.)  Crops need to be selected for their natural resistance to pests, molds and other diseases. Soil needs to be fed animal and green manure (compost materials).  It needs to be well aerated (recognize the importance of worms and what worms eat). Crop planting needs to consider biodiversity maintenance and/or building. The goal is to develop a rich, varied environment that supports a variety of organisms and produces nutrients and minerals for healthy crop growth.

Organic farming is opposed to relying on chemicals for pesticides and/or fertilizer.  Organic farming relies on natural strategies, such as ladybugs - as opposed to pesticides - which eat aphids, scale, mites and more, to reduce pests (if releasing ladybugs in your farm or garden; use about 10 to 18 ladybugs per 100 square feet of planted crops). Be careful to buy natural, healthy ladybugs (some can be infected with parasites). Organic arable farming also relies on using mixed farming methods versus chemical fertilizers.

Commercial farming operations use herbicides, pesticides and plant growth hormones to grow their fruit and vegetables. Organic arable farming operations use crop and livestock production methods that are more than just choosing not to use certain pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, coloring, artificial additives, growth hormones and more. Natural weed management practices and natural pest control programs are tactics used on organic farms.

Organic arable farming promotes crop rotations and cover crops, and focuses on balanced 'host to predator' relationships. Cover crops, composted manure, and other plant matter, also known as green manure, and animal manure are recycled back to the soil and used to improve and maintain soil fertility.  Livestock on organic farms are fed 100% organically grown grains, forages and protein supplements.

The main reasons farmers grow organically are concerns about the effects of chemicals on health, the effects of conventional farming on soil quality and conservation, and the overall effects of chemicals and conventional farming on sustainable, environmental health. Organic farmers are concerned about the environment and the role they play in its health. These farmers view organic farming as part of the solution, rather than the problem, of modern agriculture.  Their goals are to:

Protect the environment
Minimize soil degradation
Minimize soil erosion
Minimize pollution
Increase and maintain soil fertility
Improve global biodiversity  
Reduce, reuse and recycle organic materials through composting, replanting, re-design and other environmentally-positive techniques
Maximize health of livestock, naturally, and minimize disease and issues related to unsound farming practices
Use renewable and sustainable resources in organic farming and try to market products locally to minimize environmental impacts.

The benefits of organic farming are not only in the healthier foods but also in the reduction of environmental health issues. In addition to these achieving these goals, the benefit to organic arable farming is to produce fruit, vegetables and meats that are much tastier and healthier.

Read more about the negative impacts of Intensive Farming on the environment.
Kris Bovay is the owner of Voice Marketing Inc, a business and marketing services company. In addition to her work in business, Kris is the publisher of an organic food site, Organic Food For Everyone.
Kris and her family are passionate about organic food: growing, buying, cooking and eating it. Kris has an organic vegetable garden in her backyard (which she shares with the raccoons and bears that live in the ravine behind her house), organic potatoes planted in her side yard (where a hedge should be), and a small greenhouse for an early - season start to seed planting. Copyright 2008-2009 Voice Marketing Inc.

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