HELPFUL RESOURCES
Our Contribution
To Your Organic Lifestyle
Biochar 101
Biochar is charcoal that is made from renewable carbon-based resources (i.e. biomass) like crops, wood, yard waste, and manure. This biomass is burned at high temperatures in an anerobic environment to create the charcoal. Biochar has proven to be an extremely...
Symphylans and Crustacean Meal (Crab Meal)
Just how does this product work against Garden Symphylans? ~Customer October 18, 2016. "Animal-based amendments include chitin-containing crab shells and shrimp shells that apparently stimulate populations of soil-dwelling fungi that feed on chitin. Because chitin is...
Straw Mulch in Fall
Mulching for Winter with Straw – one bale will be great for 100 to 200 square feet plot. Last year we put two bales on our 200 s.f. plot but have stretched one bale over this area. We usually move the bale into an open spot in the planting bed and cut it open. Then loosen the sheaves and tuck it around over-wintering crops. I’m guessing this ends up being around 3-6 inches deep (loose and fluffed up).
Roses – amending soil with oyster shell.
Recently received an email from a customer that was inquiring about amending the soil for her roses with oyster shell. Here is my reply (looking for other thoughts here): "Yes, Oyster Shell Flour (or crushed oyster shell) adds calcium and helps raise soil pH. ...
Biochar Q&A
Question: How many square feet of bed space will a one cubic foot bag of biochar cover? Answer: 10 to 20 square feet would be about right.
Lady Bugs – Tips for a Successful Release of these Beneficial Insects
Keep the lady bugs refrigerated until dusk (they are less likely to fly away). Mix the packet of beneficial insect food with 1 pint water (even better if water is non-chlorinated...you can let tap water stand for a while and the chlorine...
Walt’s top 10 Gifts for Gardeners (all under $20!)
Get your favorite gardener something they will really use this year. Walt’s Rainy Pacific North West Blend Organic Fertilizer: Give their garden a boost with this 7-4-9 all-purpose organic fertilizer. Great for veggies and ornamentals a like. If your gardener is a...
Walt’s top 5 Natural Nitrogen Soil Conditioners for the Garden
(In no particular Order) Fish Meal: We’ve all heard the story of Squanto teaching the Pilgrims how to grow maize with Fish. Fish meal keeps with that tradition. A great slow release fertilizer best added early in the season. Fish Meal will help your young plants get...
Cation Exchange Capacity: What is it and why is it important?
This is a complicated subject, and we don’t claim to be experts, but here is a quick and dirty explanation. A soil's ability to react with positively charged molecules is called it's cation exchange capacity (CEC). The higher the CEC, the higher the negative charge of...
Ag Lime, Dolomite, Gypsum, Oyster Shell…What Kind of Calcium Do You Need?
There is a lot more that could be written on this topic, but here are the quick and dirty differences between calcium sources for your soil. Agricultural Lime: Calcium carbonate – CaC03 Pure calcium carbonate is used to help prevent the spread of various diseases,...