Tag Archives: organic

12 of the Best Cover Crops for Your Garden

by GuadaluMJXP Posted on September 4, 2017

Also known as green manure, cover crops are plants grown for the purpose of adding organic matter to your soil.

Organic matter from broken down plant material is vital for soil health. Not only does it contain essential nutrients for the growth of new plants, organic matter also stores carbon in the soil. This is important for maintaining the earth?s atmosphere and mitigating climate change.

Cover crops are typically planted in the fall or early spring when your garden beds are empty. You can also plant them in open areas during your growing season.

They can either be pulled up or tilled under when finished, or left in place to die over winter. It?s best to wait 3 to 5 weeks after tilling for the cover crop to decompose before planting any food or ornamental plants.

Almost any plant could be used as a cover crop, although the plants given below stand out because they?re fast, easy to grow and have proven benefits for your soil. You can get seeds at most garden centers or online retailers.

1. Alfalfa

Scientific name: Medicago sativa

Benefits: Alfalfa?s long tap roots are good for breaking up hard soils, which improves soil aeration and drainage. The long roots can also bring up trace minerals from deep in the soil. Alfalfa is a legume that fixes nitrogen in the soil.

Hardiness: Perennial in USDA zones 3 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring

Maintenance: Can be tilled under in summer or fall. Good to shear the plants periodically to prevent flowering and seeding.

2. Barley

Scientific name: Hordeum vulgare

Benefits: Barley has a short growing season, so it is ideal for northern gardens. It produces more biomass in a shorter time than other cereal grasses used for cover crops. Barley is also drought resistant.

Hardiness: Annual, but can live over winter in USDA zones 8 and higher. Barley will die over winter in lower zones.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring in lower zones, or fall for zones 8 or higher.

Maintenance: Barley does not reseed very well, so you can let it grow throughout your regular season, and let it die over winter in lower zones or till in spring for higher zones.

3. Berseem Clover

Scientific name: Trifolium alexandrinum

Benefits: Berseem clover builds the most nitrogen in your soil compared to all other legume crops. It also creates the most biomass of all the clovers.

Hardiness: Annual, but can live over winter in USDA zones 8 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring or early summer in lower zones, or fall for zones 8 or higher.

Maintenance: If you cut or mow the plants prior to seed set, they can grow back at least 2 to 3 times over your growing season to provide more organic matter.

4. Common Buckwheat

Scientific name: Fagopyrum esculentum

Benefits: Buckwheat can germinate within days of planting if planted in warmer weather. It can tolerate drought and poor soils. It will start to bloom after about 5 weeks and is excellent for supporting bees and other pollinators.

Hardiness: There are a few different varieties of buckwheat. Some are perennial, but common buckwheat is an annual. This is ideal because it dies over winter.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring or early summer

Maintenance: Mow or cut down buckwheat within two weeks of the first flowering if you want to avoid setting seed.

5. Crimson Clover

Scientific name: Trifolium incarnatum

Benefits: The fastest growing annual nitrogen fixer, which makes it great for fall seeding. Grows well in many conditions, including shade.

Hardiness: Annual, but can live over winter in USDA zones 8 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Due to its rapid growth, you can seed in spring, summer or fall.

Maintenance: Cutting or mowing when crimson clover starts to set flower buds will kill the plants. If you want it to flower and reseed, it will naturally die back after flowering.

6. Fall Mustards

Scientific names: Sinapsis alba (aka. Brassica hirta), Brassica juncea, or Brassica nigra

Benefits: All plants in the cabbage family have been shown to release biotoxic compounds that act against bacteria, fungi, insects, nematodes and weeds. These compounds are especially high in mustard crops.

Hardiness: Annuals, but may live over winter in USDA zones 8 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring or summer

Maintenance: The biotoxic compounds of mustards are only released when individual plant cells are ruptured. In order to maximize this, it?s best to till the plants under to break them up and incorporate them into the soil during your growing season.

7. Fall or Winter Rye

Scientific name: Secale cereale

Benefits: Rye is the hardiest cereal crop, so it makes an excellent winter cover crop in most climates. Rye quickly establishes a dense root system, which effectively suppresses weeds and breaks up hard soils.

Hardiness: Annual, but will live over winter in USDA zone 3 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring or fall

Maintenance: Beneficial to cut the plants periodically to prevent flowering and seeding.

8. Field Peas

Scientific name: Pisum sativum subsp. arvense

Benefits: Field peas grow rapidly in cool, moist weather. Their succulent stems break down easily for a quick source of available nitrogen.

Hardiness: Annual, but will live over winter in USDA zone 6 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Early spring

Maintenance: Field peas tend to stop growing in hot weather, so they?re best grown in spring and tilled under in early summer.


Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

9. Hairy Vetch

Scientific name: Vicia villosa

Benefits: Hairy vetch is the hardiest legume cover crop, so it overwinters well and provides plenty of soil nitrogen for spring.

Hardiness: Annual, but will live over winter in USDA zone 4 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Fall

Maintenance: Hairy vetch grows slowly at first, but will continue establishing roots over winter. In spring, it grows long, vine-like branches up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) long. This provides great biomass as long as you have a tiller strong enough to break them up. Otherwise, cut hairy vetch early to prevent its extensive growth.

10. Marigolds

Scientific name: Tagetes species

Benefits: Marigolds can control a variety of pests, including nematodes, fungi, bacteria, weeds and insects. Research has shown marigolds are most effective when planted in large quantities as a cover crop.

Hardiness: Annual, will die as soon as temperatures reach freezing.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring

Maintenance: Can be tilled under in summer or fall.

Related: Do Marigolds Really Repel Garden Pests?

11. Oats

Scientific name: Avena sativa

Benefits: Oats grow well in cool weather, so they can be planted in the fall. They also can improve the productivity of legumes when planted in a mixture.

Hardiness: Annual, but can live over winter in USDA zones 7 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Summer or fall alone, or spring as part of a mixture with legumes.

Maintenance: When planted in spring, oats can be tilled under with your legume crop. If planting in summer or fall alone, try to seed them 40 to 60 days before your first frost. This will give them enough time to mature, but they will be winter killed before they set seed.

12. White Clover

Scientific name: Trifolium repens

Benefits: White clover can make a good living mulch in areas such as footpaths, between shrubs and trees, or on slopes. It only grows 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) high and does well with regular mowing or foot traffic.

Hardiness: Perennial in USDA zones 3 and higher.

Best time to sow seeds: Spring or summer

Maintenance: Can be tilled under in summer or fall, or left as a long-term, nitrogen-fixing groundcover.

Related
How to Share Extra Bounty from Your Garden with the Community
9 Mistakes to Avoid When Planting a New Vegetable Garden
Which Type of Mulch Is Best for Your Garden?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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12 of the Best Cover Crops for Your Garden

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University Recycling 101: How College Students Go Green

by LouanneHein51 Posted on August 16, 2017

earth911

Excerpt from – 

University Recycling 101: How College Students Go Green

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Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day – Diane Ackerman

by Myrna Posted on August 9, 2017

READ GREEN WITH E-BOOKS

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Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day – Diane Ackerman

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Edible Landscaping: A Delicious Way to Garden

by FilomenRosa Posted on August 8, 2017

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Edible Landscaping: A Delicious Way to Garden

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USDA to employees: Don’t mention climate change.

by Dorcas8538 Posted on August 7, 2017

Apparently, U.S. Department of Agriculture staff are now supposed to say “weather extremes” instead.

In emails obtained by the Guardian from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a unit of the USDA, a department director told employees to make the following phrasing replacements in their work: “reduce greenhouse gases” with “build soil organic matter, increase nutrient efficiency”; “sequester carbon” with “build soil organic matter”; and “climate change adaptation” with “resilience to weather extremes/intense weather events.”

Basically, any reference to climate change or CO2 is a no-no.

Employees were understandably confused, and some were against the change — including one employee who expressed a desire to maintain scientific integrity. But the USDA insisted that it’s not intending to obscure data and studies, and that similar procedures had been executed under other administrations.

Surprise, surprise — these new procedures began days after Trump’s inauguration. The first email obtained by the Guardian, sent by NRCS Deputy Chief for Programs Jimmy Bramblett on Jan. 24, advised of the new administration’s “shift in perspective” with regard to climate change.

That perspective appears to be: Don’t mention it.

Credit:  

USDA to employees: Don’t mention climate change.

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9 Mistakes to Avoid When Planting a New Vegetable Garden

by LienSellwood Posted on August 7, 2017

Growing your own vegetables is an excellent way to have an abundance of fresh, organic produce right outside your door. But it can take some effort to reach that point.

Whether you?re just starting your growing season, or troubleshooting an existing garden, avoiding the following mistakes will help get your garden on the right path to a successful harvest.

Mistake #1: Improper watering.

Water is important for your vegetable plants to flourish and develop your crop. But too much or too little water can be fatal.

A general rule is to give your veggies 1 inch of water per week. You can measure how much they?re getting by putting a rain gauge or a bucket in your veggie patch.

Although, this rule doesn?t take into account your local soil and climatic conditions. Check these guidelines to figure out how much water your plants actually need.

Mistake #2: Putting plants in the wrong place.

The amount of sun or shade on your veggie plants can make a big difference in their health.

But if you have limited space, it can be tempting to try and fit plants in wherever you can, regardless of how much sun they?re getting. Plants like lettuce and cabbages will be fine in those shady corners of your garden. Whereas, plants like tomatoes and squash will suffer.

Read the seed packages or labels of your vegetable seedlings to find out how much sun they need. And if you don?t have a good place for a certain variety, move on and find one that will thrive in the space you have.

Mistake #3: Choosing the wrong plants for your climate zone.

Most seed packages or plant labels will tell you what are called the days to maturity, or how long it takes to grow from a seedling to a mature vegetable crop.

This is an important number because many lower hardiness zones have a limited number of frost-free days for vegetables to grow. Longer-season vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or tomatoes, might not have enough time to mature before frost hits.

The United States Department of Agriculture has an excellent interactive tool to find out your local hardiness zone. Then you can look up the typical number of frost-free days for your hardiness zone.

Mistake #4: Waiting too long to weed.

It can be easy to put off mundane tasks like weeding, but this is one of the most important things you can do to support your veggies. Weeds left to get too big compete with your vegetable plants for water, nutrients and sunshine.

It?s best to pull out or lightly till weed seedlings as soon as you see them. You can either add them to your compost pile or leave them on the soil surface as a mulch.

Mistake #5: Ignoring your soil.

Vegetables get their nutrients directly from the soil. Adding organic matter is the best way to create healthy, fertile soil. It also improves the texture of soil and makes it easier to work with.

Mix some organic matter into your soil before you plant anything. You can buy commercially prepared bags of compost to mix in, or make your own compost.

You can also add organic mulches on top of your soil, such as grass clippings, shredded leaves or a living groundcover. These will provide ongoing nutrients as they break down over time.

Related: Which Type of Mulch is Best for Your Garden?

Mistake #6: Not rotating crops.

Certain vegetable diseases live in the soil, such as mosaic viruses. These viruses often specialize in one type of vegetable, such as cucumbers or beans. One of the best ways to rid your soil of a mosaic virus is to rotate your crops. If the virus doesn?t have a host plant for a few years, it will often die out.

Also, every vegetable needs different types of nutrients. Growing one vegetable in the same spot every year will deplete the area of the same nutrients. Whereas, rotating your crops will give all your veggies an opportunity to get the nutrients they need.

Karen?s Garden Tips has a good overview of how to rotate your vegetable crops.

Mistake #7: Spacing plants improperly.

Mature vegetable plants should gently touch each other and leave no soil visible. This helps retain moisture in the soil while giving the vegetables enough space to develop.

Vegetables planted too close together may have poor yields and an increased risk of pests and diseases because of reduced air circulation. On the other hand, wide spacing between plants can leave too much exposed soil, which increases evaporation and watering needs as well as potential sun scald.

To avoid these issues, refer to your seed packages or plant labels for their recommended spacing.

Mistake #8: Planting at the wrong time.

Deciding when to plant your seedlings or seeds can be challenging.

When you plant seedlings outside in the spring, you need to wait until the frost risk has passed, but not so long that your seedlings start to outgrow their pots. And if you grow your own seedlings from seed, you often need to start them months before your last frost date.

Directly planting seeds in your garden is also finicky. If they go into the ground too early, they could get hit by frost when they sprout. But planting them too late may not leave enough time for the vegetables to mature before harvest.

This is another area where finding out the days to maturity is helpful.

Mistake #9: Planting the wrong amount.

Overproduction or underproduction of vegetables are problems even well-seasoned gardeners often face.

In the planting frenzy of spring, it?s easy to plant what seems like just a bit extra to make sure you have enough. Those few extra plants can produce way more than you expected, which only benefits your friends and neighbors as they receive your excess veggies.

Planting conservatively can also backfire if you lose the few plants you started to pests. To prevent this, keep in mind your final use for your vegetables. Are you planning on preserving them for winter, or simply using them fresh? This can help you decide exactly the right amount to grow.

And if you don?t like a certain vegetable, any amount is too much. Vegetables like zucchini are often recommended for new gardeners because they?re easy to grow. But if you don?t like zucchini, it?s alright to say no.

Related
Do You Have to Stake or Cage Tomatoes?
Do Marigolds Really Repel Garden Pests?
12 Ways to Get Rid of Aggressive Weeds Without Resorting to Roundup

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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9 Mistakes to Avoid When Planting a New Vegetable Garden

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A major glacier in Greenland might be breaking apart.

by LeslieWaterfield Posted on July 26, 2017

Excerpt from:

A major glacier in Greenland might be breaking apart.

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The U.K. is banning sales of diesel and gas cars by 2040.

by PhillipWetzel Posted on July 26, 2017

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The U.K. is banning sales of diesel and gas cars by 2040.

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How to Monitor and Control Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

by JesseBleakley Posted on May 25, 2017

The air that we breathe is, quite literally, our life source. But it could also, quite possibly, be killing us. Air quality is becoming a modern crisis, with the World Health Organization (WHO) classifying air pollution as the worlds largest health risk, linking one in eight total global deaths to air pollution exposure, both indoor and out.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside our homes is commonly five times more polluted than that of the outdoors, and in some cases, up to 10 times. So, what can you do to protect your health, and that of your family, from this silent killer lurking in your home? Detect and correct. Find out what is causing air pollution in your home and then take whatever steps you can to help correct or mitigate those causes. Here well look at how you can achieve this.

What Is Indoor Air Pollution?

Poor indoor air quality is caused by particle matter in the air, most commonly from dust and smoke (commonly released into the air from burning oil, gas, wood and coal in the home); carbon dioxide from those same sources; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by both natural and manmade materials (primary culprits are paints, stains, cleaning solutions and glues in furniture and carpets) and humidity, which can cause mold to grow in our homes and offices.

According to the WHO, pollutants found in indoor air that are known to be health hazards include:

benzene
carbon monoxide
formaldehyde
naphthalene
nitrogen dioxide
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
radon
trichloroethylene
tetrachloroethylene

How to Get Cleaner Air

Cleaning up the air we breathe prevents non-communicable diseases as well as reduces disease risks among women and vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly, says Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General.

One of the simplest ways to do this in your own home is to regularly change the filters in your heating and air conditioning system. Check them at least once a month for build-up, and replace them at least every three months. Invest in high-efficiency air filters with a MERV rating of 8 or higher. (This is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value that assesses the overall effectiveness of air filters. A higher rating equals finer filtration.)

The second simplest step to take is ventilate your home. Open doors, windows, turn on fans and get the air circulating, especially if you have recently introduced something into your home that may be off-gassing chemicalssuch as new carpet or flooring.

What to Get Rid Of

You can help keep your air cleaner by banishing or reducing some of the following from your home:

Dont allow anyone to smoke in or near your home.
Never idle a car in or near the garage.
Remove all chemicals and toxic materials from your garage, especially if its attached to the house.
Reduce carpeting, which traps unhealthy particles that are released again when vacuuming.
Replace chemical based cleaners and detergents with those with natural ingredients, and avoid using products with fragrance (such as air fresheners and carpet deodorizers), as these can contribute to the formation of formaldehyde and other nasty VOCs.

What to Invest In

Use alternatives to traditional items that give off VOCs and invest in some tools and tests to keep your homes air healthier:

Install a carbon monoxide detector to alert you when levels of this deadly gas, produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, rise rapidly.
Buy no- or low-VOC paints/stains when redecorating or doing projects in the home.
Have a radon test done on your home. A colorless, odorless gas, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
Fix leaks in your roof and/or basement, to avoid creating conditions that can grow mold.
Combat humidity to further reduce the risk of mold with a dehumidifier. Keeping levels below 50 percent also helps keep dust mites, another indoor air pollutant, at bay.

Go High Tech

One of the challenges in combating indoor air quality is knowing exactly what the problem is. As weve seen, indoor air quality is affected by myriad different elements. If you or your family are suffering from specific ailments or are at higher risk from contaminated air, consider purchasing an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitor. The good news is these devices, which used to cost thousands of dollars, are now a lot more affordable thanks to advances in wireless and sensor technology.

An IAQ monitor can measure VOCs, humidity, particulate matter and carbon dioxide, and alert you when levels rise so you can take action. They will also help you understand what pollutants are present in your home and at what levels, so you can work on eradicating them over the long term. Many new IAQ monitors are Wi-Fi connected and use data from the internet combined with learning software to monitor your air quality and help you understand what is specifically causing your air pollution.

A few examples of consumer IAQs on the market today include Foobot and AWAIR (both around $200). They can track VOCs, particulate matter and CO2, as well as temperature and humidity. They also work with some smart thermostats, such as Nest and Ecobee, triggering them to activate the fan if levels rise too high and give you actionable insights into your air quality.

If you are specifically concerned about humidity and temperature, less-expensive devices such as the Leeo Smart Alert ($50) and First Alert Onelink Environment Monitor ($70) can track both. The Leeo can also listen for the sound of smoke and CO alarms and alert you on your smart phone. The Onelink is also a CO monitor, making it a good option for a baby or childs room.

The important thing to remember about indoor air quality is that everything you bring into your home is contributing to it in some waygood or bad. Its crucial to be proactive: Check products for VOCs before you purchase, add houseplants to help filter the air naturally, and be sure to ventilate properly when cooking or burning any fossil fuels.

As an earth-conscious mom and tech guru, Jennifer Tuohywrites for The Home Depot about how you can use technology to become more sustainable. She provide tips on how to save money and energy, from switching to LED bulbs to using an Wi-Fi-enabled monitor to alert you when you need to change your air filters.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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How to Monitor and Control Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

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Alaska Natives are fighting Trump’s call to “drill, baby, drill.”

by HelaineMcGowen4 Posted on May 3, 2017

In 2012, Katherine Miller was frustrated that Americans weren’t really talking about issues of sustainable food and nutrition. She realized that chefs were in a position to restart those discussions. Restaurants, after all, are home to intimate and weighty discussions, all of it centered around food.

Miller decided to use her experience coaching community advocates to show chefs how to start conversations and discuss important issues with patrons and politicians alike. She founded the Chef Action Network to connect chefs with politicians and local organizations and, along with food education and advocacy group James Beard Foundation, organized a series of policy boot camps for chefs to sharpen their conversation skills.

After training ’em up, Miller puts chefs — prominent local business owners in their own right — in touch with representatives who will listen to their voices on issues like antibiotic overuse and catch limits. She also helps chefs get involved at the local level. In January, JBF partnered with NRDC and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry on the Food Saver Challenge, an initiative that aims to help Music City reduce waste.

Miller is hopeful that chefs can dish out common ground. “In a time when Americans have stopped talking to each other, chefs and restaurateurs are setting the table for all of us to have difficult conversations.”

Meet all the fixers on this year’s Grist 50.

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Alaska Natives are fighting Trump’s call to “drill, baby, drill.”

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