You know how organic gardeners are forever saying, It’s all about the soil — well, they’re right. In organic gardening we feed our plants mostly through nutrient-rich soil, instead of with quick-fix, synthetic fertilizers. People who’ve been gardening in one area for a long time can tell a lot about soil quality by the color and tilth, but our …
You probably know that healthy soil is important to grow healthy plants. If you’ve ever bought fertilizer or tested your soil, you’re familiar with the primary “N-P-K”, and maybe you even know about secondary nutrients and micronutrients. But there’s another side to soil chemistry that can be a little trickier to understand: pH. The Chemistry of …
It’s a war in there. Or the cycle of life. And death. And decomposition. There’s a fascinating ecosystem that turns your mound of oak leaves and banana peels into soft, sweet-smelling humus to nourish your plants. Ready to start a compost pile? Whether you have a compost pile on the ground or an enclosed compost bin, …
High quality compost comes from a carefully tended compost pile with the right mixture of brown and green matter, water, and oxygen. When all is working optimally in a pile it will reach high temperatures of 120-150°F. The high heat will kill most pathogens and weed seeds, but the beneficial mycorrizhae will survive. There is …
The small fry of the animal world can inflict big damage on your garden. The gophers drill down, and birds can go anywhere, anytime. Scare the Birds with Your Garden Decor You might be able to scare some visiting humans too. Birds will be frightened by our inflatable predators — we can have a snake (with a …
Fertilizing the soil is similar in many ways to feeding ourselves. All life needs carbohydrates, minerals, and other nutrients in a healthy balance for optimal health. And just like eating too much fast food and not enough vegetables can lead to a variety of health problems in our own bodies, over fertilizing or feeding an …
Some neighbors are easier to deal with than others. Do your neighbors hop the fence and pick your fruits and vegetables? If your neighbors have four feet and fur coats, they might. Deer, for instance. What’s a gardener to do? Robert Frost’s poem says, “Good fences make good neighbors”. That’s a start. Barriers Deer Fencing Deer …
In Vertical Farming Academy we are covering the following cources; Hydroponic and Aquaponic Crops Growing & Selling Microgreens Aquaponic DWC: Design & Economics Choosing Your Production Method Understanding ZipGrow Intro to Business Planning Market Research for Farmers HVAC Design for Indoor Growers Humidity Management: Tools & Tech for Indoor Growers Energy Efficient Heating & Cooling …
A labor-saving device that fertilizes plants automatically. It sounds like a gardener’s dream come true, doesn’t it? Say hello to fertilizer injectors and mixers — they will do your fertilizing for you. What’s fertigation? Fertilizer + Irrigation = Fertigation. Whether you water by hand, use a sprinkler system, or a drip irrigation system, you can give fertilized water …
