AccessFayetteville provides numerous ways to stay informed about your local government.
Organic Gardening Techniques
Organic Fertilizers and Compost
City Compost is a primary component of the soil in the Community Gardens in the Parks plots, the need for additional compost is not necessary. To provide a baseline for soil fertility, a general soil sample is submitted for testing to determine soil acidity and fertility. If a gardener would like to further enhance the soil in his/her plot, it is strongly recommended that you have the soil in your plot analyzed before any additions are made. Many options for organic soil amendments are available to purchase locally. Examples of these amendments include liquids such as Fish Emulsion and Sea-gro, and powders such as blood and bone meals.
Please avoid the use of chemical fertilizers such as blue liquids and granulated forms of quick release fertilizers.
The City of Fayeteville supports organic gardening methods for environmental and health reasons. Only organic and biological means of disease and pest control are permitted in City operated community gardens. Listed below are alternatives to chemical pest control that are permitted.
The following insecticides are approved for use in Community Gardens in the Parks garden plots. Please contact your garden leader if you would like assistance with selecting and using a biological insecticide.
Even organic and biological pesticides can cause plant damage and be harmful if they are not correctly applied. For this reason it is essential that all label instructions are read and followed. Additionally, using these products correctly ensures a more sustainable garden environment.
Horticultural and Dormant Spray Oils
Non-toxic, kills insects by smothering. Dormant oils are labeled for many vegetables and other garden crops. Controls scale, mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, leaf miners and more.
Neem Oil is a botanically derived pesticide that helps control fungi, insects and mites and can be used on ornamental flowering plants, trees, shrubs, foliage, vegetables, herbs, fruits and nuts. The oil is not harmful to beneficial insects such as ladybugs and honeybees and is safe around mammals, birds and humans.
Controls aphids, earwigs, grasshoppers, harlequin bugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, plant bugs, psyllids, sawfly larvae, soft scales, spider mites, squash bugs, blossom thrips and whiteflies.
Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)
Bt is a living bacteria, when the worm or catapillar ingests Bt, it stops eating.
Kuristaki strain (common names include: Biobit, Dipel, Thuricide, etc.): Cabbage worm, tomato hornworm
San diego/tenebrionis strains (common names include:Trident, M-One, M-Trak, Foil, Novodor, etc.): Colorado potato beetle.