Eco Friendly Home Improvements

User Comments

1. 

   4/07/08

   FHI

   We added a couple of goats last year and their "discharge" leaves our grass nice and green without any dead spots. I looked into chickens but our local farm center only sells them 6 at a time ($2.00 ish each). Something about them needing friends?
   
   We are going to try a garden again this year, the goats ate it last year. Come to think of it, they ate every flower and some trees in our back yard.
   
   I like your rain barrel idea, I have thought of it in the past but I have yet to source a good size barrel (500-1500 gallon). Some of the plastic gas tanks that they are using in newer boats are being discarded due to the gas eating them, I'll hold off until I can get a couple for free.

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2. 

   4/07/08

   mygardenismyspace

   I stopped using insecticides years ago in the garden. Believe me, it took some nerve seeing aphids build up and not reaching for the spray. It took a couple of years to get the balance of predator to pest back into the garden but it worked and I never spray now. All I have to do each year is deal with the blackfly that hits my mock oranges and that I do with a hoe, just blasting them off!
   
   The other big move I think was attracing more birds into the garden (www.mygardenismyspace.com/Gardening-How-To/howtoattractbirdstoyourgarden.ht....
   
   It is a constant fight with slugs and snails but the situation is better than it was.

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3. 

   4/07/08

   justalister

   Here are some of the things we find helpful
   Feed Soil Biology: organic fertilzers & Rock Dust Minerals (Azomite)
   Compost tea/composting
   Insect repellant: Garlic Barrier (Brand name) or make your own (puree garlic, add to spray bottle with water
   Foliar Calcium- Genesis Brand
   
   Healthy soils = healthy plants= natural repellant for destructive insects

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4. 

   4/08/08

   GreenDivaMeg

   i'm a gardening freak. not that i'm all that good at it, but i love it. my perennial beds grow every year because i get obsesssed w/ planting from May - July, then i quit - usually i get tired of weeding by then too. i just did a post on my other blog on greenoptions.com, about starting some seedlings indoors. www.eatdrinkbetter.com. look for 'green diva's guide to delicious living'!

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   1. 

      4/08/08

      justalister

      Hee, hee...sounds like we went to the same gardening school...last year I really focused on making it through July into August and did very well, then we went on vacation for a week and when I returned I nearly cried...looked like no one tended the gardens all season..but I'll keep on plugging.
5. 

   4/08/08

   recycleholic

   Compost Tea... that's a good one to add to the list. I'm not sure how to make it but i'm sure it's on the internet somewhere.
   
   Every Fall I accumulate a pile of leaves about 5 feet high and 10 feet wide. Come spring time it's about 2 feet high, broken down and ready to go. Can't beat it.

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   1. 

      4/08/08

      justalister

      Here is some resource info on brewing compost tea
      www.seedsforchangewellness.com/ElementalGardenRetreat5.html
      
      Or you can just buy the large ready made tea bags that you drop into your tea brewer...tea brewers can be as simple as a 5 gallon tub to very complex gadgets...depends on how much you want to get into it...regardless the results are aways good
      
      Also forot to mention another thing we do if not planting seeds into the soil we add corn gluten as a pre-emerage