Natural Gardening Tips
1. Dig hole
2. Add certified organic worm castings in the hole
3. Mix with your existing soil
4. Re-dig the hole
5. Place plant in the hole
6. Mix 1 tsp. of Root Rescue (mycorrhizal fungi) with water in a 7 liter watering can.
6- Pour some of the Root Rescue solution on the roots in the hole
7. Cover half way with soil
8. Use a mug/scoop and add a circle around the plant with the Gaia Green 4-4-4 Organic Fertilizer.
9. Cover with soil to the top.
10. Water in with more Root Rescue.
11. Fertilize with Gaia Green Fertilizer 4-4-4 and top dress your gardens yearly with worm castings or compost.
- Prevent your evergreens from drying out in the winter by thoroughly watering them before the ground freezes.
- Get a jump on weed control by applying all natural “weed & feed” granular corn gluten in the spring and fall to your lawn and perennial gardens. Corn gluten inhibits the germination of all new seeds, but it does not kill existing weeds. On sale at Plant Paradise Country Gardens.
- Toads are a gardener’s friend. They eat 10,000 garden pests in one season: slugs, sow bugs, cutworms, earwigs and gypsy moths. Invite them to stay in your garden by providing a shelter. It could be as simple as an old clay pot turned upside down with a 8cm wide x 4 cm H entrance – to something more elaborate as a decorative art piece. Tip: Stop using herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
- A safe and effective way to deal with unwanted ants in the garden or elsewhere is to combine a dry mixture of 50% icing sugar with 50% baking soda. Please note: (If you have pets, use caution, as this may not be an option)
- Nature’s natural prevention: Plant a garlic clove amongst your irises every October to help prevent an infestation of the iris borer. Remember to pick the garlic in July and replace it with a new clove.
- Adding mycorrhizal fungi with a product such as RootRescue when you plant will aid in your plant’s health and root development and create greater resistance to drought and disease. Read more about mycorrhizal fungi.
- Natural Pest Control: Attract beneficial insects with the right plant choices such as Alyssum, Daisy, Achillea, Feverfew, French marigold, Cosmos, Fennel, Artemisia, Helianthus, Queen Anne’s Lace…
- Enhance plant growth and prevent damp off – Mix 8 tbsp. 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water and spray at the base of plants or on germinating seeds.
- Stop deer from eating and even tasting your plants and trees by applying Plantskydd. It lasts for months and does not have to be reapplied after a rainfall. On sale at Plant Paradise Country Gardens.
- With wet conditions in spring it is wise to place a 4-5 foot long board down when stepping in your garden. This helps disperse the weight to prevent compaction of soil. Plants require oxygen to grow properly
- Do you have a rabbit problem? White clover is great for the environment and the lawn. It stays green all summer; it feeds the bees, provides nitrogen to the soil and…it also feeds the rabbits. Dinner is served. At dusk I see them foraging on the white clover instead of my vegetables or perennials.