Posted on

What is Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and How Can You Use It In The Garden as a Pest/Insect Repellent?

 

Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft sedimentary rock that is crumbled into a fine white powder. Wondering how you can use DE in your garden? Well, as a natural method of pest control!

DE works at killing insects because the microscopic particles are very sharp and as an insect crawls over it, it gets cut. DE also can stick to the insect causing it to dry out.

Diatomaceous Earth is completely NON-TOXIC! Because it harms insects physically, and not chemically, it is very safe for you and your garden. Just remember to wear a mask, to avoid breathing in the dust particles.

It is very effective against slugs, beetles, worms, fleas, mites, spiders and MORE! Have you tried DE in your garden?

Learn more about ORGANIC PEST CONTROL: https://www.seedsnow.com/blogs/news/natural-pest-control

Posted on

Grow A Garden All Year Long! Join the Seed Club TODAY!

Welcome to the Club! UOG is a fully customized monthly garden club that is curated JUST FOR YOU, and full of unique garden seeds & supplies. #urbanorganicgardener

 

🐝 SHIPS ON THE 5TH OF EVERY MONTH
🍅 STARTS AT $9.99/MONTH
🌶 FREE TO CANCEL AT ANY TIME
🥦 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
🍉 PURE RAW UN-TREATED HEIRLOOM NON-GMO SEEDS

LEARN MORE or SIGN-UP: www.urbanorganicgardener.club

📢[SAVE $5 ON YOUR FIRST MONTH BY USING CODE “UOG5” DURING SIGN-UP]

**SIGN-UP DEADLINE is JULY 4th at 11:59pm PST. Shipments will go out on the 5th.**

Posted on

Biodegradable Coffee Cups Embedded With Seeds Grow Into Trees When Thrown Away

Here’s an amazing idea that really proves to you that anything is possible with the right approach. A small team based in California, USA that goes by the name of Reduce. Reuse. Grow. has devised an ingenious new type of coffee cup with seeds inside the walls. You can plant the cup when you are done and the seeds grow.

Some thought has clearly gone into this project: One thing that is clever about this cup is that the seeds included in the cups will be local to the region in which the cups are sold, so that the plants grown are appropriate for the local ecosystem.

With ingenuity like this it really might be possible to turn around some of our greatest waste problems. Styrofoam (another common material for hot beverage containers) is something of an ecological nightmare, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces which blow away on the breeze, ending up possibly eaten by animals or causing widespread pollution. I also recently found out that the part of California that I am in does not have general facilities for styrofoam recycling.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE CUPS http://off-grid.info
Posted on

EPA blocks a dozen products containing pesticides thought harmful to bees

The Environmental Protection Agency is pulling from the market a dozen products containing pesticides known to be toxic to a linchpin of the U.S. food system — the honeybee.

The agency announced Monday it has canceled the registrations of 12 pest-killing products with compounds belonging to a class of chemicals known as neonicotinoids, as part of a legal settlement.

For years, beekeepers and wildlife conversationalists alike have voiced concern that the widespread use of neonics, as the chemicals are commonly called, is imperiling wild and domesticated bees crucial to pollinating commercial fruit, nut and vegetable crops.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE https://www.washingtonpost.com

Posted on

Los Angeles County Halts Use of Roundup Until Safety Risks Can Be Determined

Shortly after a California court linked glyphosate, the herbicide in the popular weed killer Roundup, to a plaintiff’s cancer, Los Angeles County officials ordered a moratorium on that same weed killer, citing a need for further research on the herbicide’s safety risks.

“I am asking county departments to stop the use of this herbicide until public health and environmental professionals can determine if it’s safe for further use in L.A. County and explore alternative methods for vegetation management,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger stated.

More than 50 other U.S. cities and counties have already banned the use of glyphosate from schoolyards and playgrounds.

READ THE FULL STORY AT https://newyork.legalexaminer.com

Posted on

Grow a Fall/Winter Garden! Join the Monthly Seed Club, TODAY!

Fall UOG Seed Club GIF
ORDER BEFORE 11:59 PM PST November 4th to receive a shipment THIS MONTH! https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com/

Grow food ALL-YEAR-ROUND with us! Now is the perfect time to start stockpiling seeds for your fall, winter and even early spring gardens!All of our seed club members will be receiving varieties that are perfect for growing during the cooler months. Let us hand-select 5 varieties of heirloom, GMO-free seeds to ship to you EVERY MONTH!

TO LEARN MORE or SIGN UP just visit: https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com/

 

Posted on

Enter to WIN a FREE 1 Month Subscription to UOG’S Monthly Seed & Garden Club!


Posted on

CropSwap – A New App That Lets You Trade Fruits and Vegetables, Locally!

cropswap
“In this episode, you will get a tour of the front yard and back yard of this residential tract home lot. You will discover what is growing and John will share his tips and tricks along the way. You will learn how you can improve how you are growing in raised beds to grow more food in less space.

You will also discover the secret to composting in a 3 bin pallet pile system and learn about the one perrenial vegetable you must grow that can grow more food than a whole 4’x4′ bed of kale!

Finally, John will interview gardener Daniel McCollister creator of the CropSwap app, which is a new product on kickstarter that helps gardeners “trade homegrown, perfectly ripe heirloom fruits and vegetables in our own neighborhood. Let’s take control of our food system!”

“Our biggest challenge is a behavioral challenge: people are used to shopping in grocery stores. We need to teach people HOW to grow food and show them why creating a localized food system is better on every level.”

f0e484c936776d42c585d44ddea185d8_original
Main timeline of the app. Users can scroll and look at available produce in their neighborhood, click on each item and see a detailed profile about it.


21db15845893ffa813dd59e244bc1b6d_originalTo make a deal, users make offer from their garden and say what they want back. Other user can either approve or make a counter offer until both sides agree.

c9838dabc8d28c20684564e4753dea1f_original

CropSwap confirmed neighbors coming. Scroll through pictures of vegetables your neighbors will be bringing.

Support the Crop Swap app at:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1838993996/cropswap-trade-fruits-and-vegetables-hyper-locally

Follow Daniel McCollister on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gardengraffiti/

Learn about Free Gardening Classes in Los Angeles at:
https://www.meetup.com/GardenGraffiti/

Check out Dan on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/gardengraffiti/

Posted on

Get Your “Cool-Season” Vegetable Garden Off To a Great Start – Join the NEW UOG, Monthly Seed & Garden Club TODAY!

uog-gif
Last Chance! Must join before November 4th if you’d like to receive a shipment this Month. Shipments go out November 5th. Get seeds & garden supplies delivered to you at just the right time of the year.

🌱Fully customized based on your grow zone – garden specs – sunlight – and more. Get your fall and winter garden off to a great start with a hand-selected, customized selection of seeds for your area and garden type.

🌿Join now: https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com/

🌱This is the easiest way to grow an organic garden all-year-round with totally raw un-treated GMO-FREE seeds. We will guide you and your family on your way to living a healthier and more self-sufficient lifestyle. Join UOG today and let’s grow something together.

Posted on

Join the new Urban Organic Gardener’s Monthly Seed Club

JULY UOG

Don’t wait, join the new Urban Organic Gardener’s Monthly Seed Club now! Must join before July 4th at 11:59pm PST to receive the next shipment.

Sign up now at: https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com

For $10/month our garden experts will build a custom curated collection of seeds & garden supplies designed around you – your grow zone – garden space – and your preferences.

Includes everything you need to grow 5 new edible plant varieties every month – varieties can include herbs, vegetables, flowers, sprouts, micro-greens, bulbs, and more!

Join the rest of the UOG community and get growing now! We promise to make this a great experience for you and your family.

Posted on

Join the Urban Organic Gardener Monthly Seed Club

UOG

Join the club that delivers you garden seeds at just the right time of the year to plant them – hand selected based on your garden specs.  Every month you’ll receive a collection of heritage garden seeds and everything you’ll need to get growing. Buy a subscription for yourself or give one as a gift!

Sign up here: https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com/

How are the seeds selected?

Seeds are specially selected based on your zip code and the answers you provide to the questions being asked.  All your answers will help us figure out which seeds will grow best for you.

Are all your seeds organic or non-gmo?

All the seeds we send you will always and forever be 100% NON-Genetically Modified.  In fact, all the seeds you receive by joining the club will be 100% Pure, Raw & Un-Treated Heirloom/Non-Hybridized varieties. These are the only seeds that you can safely save after each harvest and preserve for many generations to follow.

How does pricing work?

It’s simple: $10/month + s/h

Ready to start receiving monthly shipments of seeds, customized for your exact grow zone? START HERE!

Posted on

NEW! Join the Urban Organic Gardener’s Monthly Seed Club

UOG-Mar15-2

Become an Urban Organic Gardener!

Here at UOG we believe that growing your own organic food can be one of the most rewarding things you can do for your mind, body, and soul. Become a member of the UOG Monthly Seed Club and receive a handpicked collection of seeds and garden supplies – specifically curated based on your growing conditions and location.

Whether you’re growing in a tower garden, containers, raised beds, or directly in the ground in your backyard we’ve got seeds for you.

Just start by answering a few basic questions about your gardening experience and where you will be planting your seeds.

GET STARTED >

  • Pure 100% Non-GMO Heirloom Garden Seeds
  • Receive a unique assortment of seed varieties each month – culinary herbs, fruits, edible flowers, vegetables, etc
  • Includes seed starting supplies, instructions, and so much more


UOG Seed Club BG

Posted on

How to Select the Best Grow Light for Indoor Growing

Not all light is the same by Michelle Moore

Plants respond differently to different colors of light. Light on either end of the spectrum, blue light or red light, have the greatest impact on photosynthesis.

Kind of Lights

Blue light, referred to as cool light, encourages compact bushy growth.

Red light, on the opposite end of the spectrum, triggers a hormone response which creates blooms.

Orange and reddish light typically produce substantial heat, however, some lights are able to produce full spectrum light without the heat.

Grow lights come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges.

As a general rule, inexpensive lights to purchase tend to be the most expensive to operate and the least effective. While price is not necessarily an indicator of performance, many of the efficient grow lights require ballasts as well as specialized fixtures.

new

Image of vegetable being grown indoors under artificial light is via fortikur.com.

Check out SeedsNow.com if you’re looking to grow organic vegetable and herbs from seed. They have a huge selection of seeds that grow well using indoor hydroponic systems!

Click here to read more about what GMOs are. It’s really easy for you to grow all kinds of vegetables, herbs, and sprouts inside.  All year long!  Invest in a grow light and you’ll be happy.
Your turn!  Are you growing anything indoors?  Which grow lights have you found to be most effective?

Posted on

Mycorrhizal Fungi: The Secret to Healthier Plants

You’ve seen me mention Thrive, a sponsor, before and asked me about their line of products.

Thrive is a liquid mycorrhizal fungi for your garden.

The analogy that I like to use is that it’s a probiotic for your plants.

It helps to set them up with a healthy root system, so they can better absorb nutrients.

Before I get into more detail about mycorasdfajfla (because I know that’s how you are pronouncing it), let’s learn how to say it.

Here is the phonetic pronunciation: mahy-kuh-rahy-zuhl

Much better. Let’s move on.

What is Mycorrhizal Fungi?

I asked Heather, the Marketing and Customer Service Specialist over at Thrive, a few questions and here’s what she said about mycorrhizal fungi.

What is mycorrhizal fungi?

Mycorrhizal fungi is an all-natural, beneficial fungus in the soil. It provides the necessary nutrient channels to a plant and it’s roots.

What’s the benefit of using mycorrhizal fungi in your garden?

Elongates, strengthens root systems and makes them more drought resistant. Because THRIVE uses a liquid Mych you can use it throughout the lifetime of the plant, versus most dry versions that you can only apply when you plant or re-plant vegetation. (ie –you can use THRIVE on 15 yr old houseplants, on ANY vegetation at any point indoors/out).

Mych needs to reach the root system, so if it is in a liquid formula as it is in THRIVE products, you can apply it at any time versus only at planting/repotting.

How do you use it? Does it replace fertilizer?

THRIVE is an all-natural, no harsh chemical product. So you cannot over-treat with THRIVE (but of course you can over-water your vegetation!)

THRIVE is not a fertilizer, but a root stimulator and soil conditioner, helping your plants overall health. It is safe to use with a fertilizer or plant food that you currently use.

Is it safe to use? Are there harsh chemicals and pesticides in it?

THRIVE contains no harsh chemicals and is an all-natural blend of beneficial bacteria and Mycorrhizal Fungi. When used as directed, it is safe to use around children and pets immediately after application.

Is THRIVE certified organic?

We are in the latter stages of becoming OMRI approved (Organic Material Resource Institute).

How often should THRIVE be applied to plants?

Because it is not a harsh based chemical formula, the more you use and the more often, the faster results you will notice! We recommend weekly to start, and then bi-weekly after your vegetation has taken off.

When is the best time to use it?

During the growth season. But it can be used all year around and will only help your plants and vegetation.

Can it be used on seedlings?

Yes – it is great on seedlings – check out our weekly drawing for a free kit with ElDorado Heirloom Seeds.

THRIVE will make all vegetation grow, even weeds, so caution to where you apply it!

Want to learn more about mycorrhizal fungi? Then check out this article from Thrive about how mycorrhizal fungi works.

Don’t forget it’s: mahy-kuh-rahy-zuhl

Thrive samples and free shipping

Thrive is offering free shipping on all orders and also offering free samples, go their site and take advantage of the offer.

Then head over to their Facebook page, tell them that I sent you and thank them for the samples!

Posted on

What is The Power of OMRI®

This post was written by SaferBrand.

Not all ‘Organic’ Products are created the same…

With the rise of organic gardening, comes the rise of products claiming to be the ‘best’ organic gardening solution.

The retail landscape in organic gardening is daunting…

…there are countless products all claiming to be organic or natural and solve the problem you are experiencing in your organic garden.

It seems that every chemical company has a set of organic products they are trying to convince you to buy.

How are you to know what products are truly organic and able to cure your problem without leaving potentially harmful residuals?

Seems every chemical company has a set of organic products they are convincing you to buy. — Tweet This

This where OMRI® comes in…

OMRI® is the Organic Materials Review Institute and products that bear the OMRI® Listed seal have gone through a battery of tests.

OMRI® tests the raw materials used in product production, the production process and facility and the end result, among other tests to validate if the product meets their strict standards, needed to wear the OMRI® Listed seal.

Why do most products on the shelves at your local garden center not have an OMRI® Listed seal?

That is because those products can not obtain the prestigious seal. If you want a truly organic product, you need to look for the OMRI® Listed seal before purchasing.

Just as you would look for the USDA Organic seal prior to purchasing organic produce, the same applies to your organic chemicals, but with the OMRI® Listed seal, being your governing seal of approval.

Safer® Brand and OMRI® Listed products

Safer® Brand boasts more OMRI® Listed products then any other company.

By far!!

Safer® Brand possesses over 50 SKUs that possess the OMRI® Listed seal where the next closest competitor possesses 6 SKUs.

Not only does Safer® Brand have more OMRI® Listed products then any other company, Safer® Brand was the first company to patent Insecticidal soap.

A staple in organic gardening. Safer® Brand continues to innovate in organic gardening by being the first company to patent a true 3-in-1 product, as well as the first and only company to patent an organic insecticidal soap, organic pyrethrin, and neem oil combination (EndALL™).

The next time you are looking to eliminate unwanted pests in your organic garden…rely on OMRI® and rely on Safer® Brand to eliminate the pests, without leaving potentially harmful residuals.

Your Turn

Share this post with your friends and family that are looking to rid their garden of pests without using toxic chemicals.

Posted on

Mixing Up a Living Microbial Treatment For Your Garden

I’ve mentioned before that when you are gardening in containers that you’ll need to amend your soil and keep your plants well fed. As the water drains out of the containers, so do the nutrients that it needs.

One other thing that your garden will benefit from is a living microbial treatment. The treatment that I am using is from one of my sponsors Thrive and their Vegetable Thrive. This is my first time using the product.

The microbial treatment will help to “restore the biological activity and improves the rooting of your plants in the soil.” The best analogy for it would be a probiotic for your plant.

You will need the following:

  • Container large enough to hold a gallon of water
  • Gallon of water
  • Capful of your microbial treatment (in my case Thrive)

To mix up the treatment:

  • Pour the water and Thrive into the container
  • Mix it up and use immediately

This is different from the manure tea, that needed to steep and sit for a few days before use. You can also apply it in the same manner to your containers/garden by pouring on top of the soil or into your reservoir container. I did a little of each. Will keep you updated on the results.

If you want to try Thrive in your garden, they are giving away free samples.

What living microbial treatments have you used or heard of before?

Posted on

Is Miracle-Gro Organic? Who Cares?

People often ask me if Miracle-Gro is organic. My response is usually, “Who cares?”

The majority of Miracle-Gro’s product line is filled with chemicals and synthetics. They do have some product that is organic and certified by OMRI.

Scott’s, the parent company of Miracle-Gro, is in bed with Monsanto and are the exclusive agent of Round-Up.

For me, I don’t care how organic one small part of their product line is because ultimately it is going to a company that I cannot support. I’d rather source my fertilizer and other gardening needs from elsewhere than to get organics from a company that I don’t believe in.

This is what it all comes down to. It’s not just about being organic. It’s about what your money is supporting.

I don’t care how organic their product is. As consumers, we vote with our dollars. When you give your dollar to a company like Scott’s you are supporting what they are doing. Even if you buy their organic product, it’s still going to the same company.

Once I learned this, I refused to purchase any more Scott’s and Miracle-Gro products. I also do not recommend them to anyone.

What’s your thoughts on buying Miracle-Gro even if it’s just their organic products?

Posted on

Grow Great Tomatoes Without Using Chemicals

 

It’s frustrating to say the least when you spend hours tending to your tomato garden and the tomatoes still aren’t as big and vibrant as they could be. The soil quality will determine your success with each plant, and the more organic material you mix into your soil (versus synthetics) the better the plant will grow!

Chemicals Aren’t the Solution

Most people do not want chemicals anywhere near their garden, family, dinner table, pets or the soil. They do not want exposure to dangerous toxins and once they contaminate the soil they can take years to get rid of. Avoid synthetic fertilizers (use organic or worm castings instead), toxic pesticides, products with high nitrogen content or nitrogen only.

Tips for Planting Tomatoes

  • When you plant tomatoes, select a location that has full sun all day long. If sun can hit the entire plant, it will grow better and fruit will appear sooner.
  • Spacing is also important. We suggest 3 feet by 3 feet, and no closer.
  • Proper air circulation will reduce pest and disease problems.
  • Stimulating and maintaining healthy, biological soil is also a key component. Soil that drains well is preferred, and adding organic microbes such as beneficial bacteria and Mycorrhizal fungi will extend the root systems and increase water and nutrient retention.

Your Options

Some gardeners use organic compost or mulches to accelerate plant growth and help deter insect infestation and disease. Organic Compost and mulches contain the same microbes, but in a dry formula it takes a lot longer for them to get to the roots and they cannot attach to plant surfaces.

Read some of the comments below to see what tips and tricks others are using to grow tomatoes organically.

Join the discussion … What have you used and are other options for growing great tomatoes without the chemicals?

Posted on

Garden Product Reviews: Should I Do Them?

When I wrote about having sponsors, some people mentioned that they wanted me to review the products. This is something that I wanted to get more feedback from you on.

To give you my thoughts, a straight review isn’t something that I’m really that interested in. For the most part they are pretty boring. I will definitely be using the products of my sponsors more, but don’t want to dedicate an entire post to a specific product (sans contests).

Before Botanical Interests even became a sponsor, I wrote a post about them. The reason I wrote this is because lots of people kept asking me where to get non-GMO seeds from and the seed companies that I contacted wouldn’t respond. In the comments of that post other people recommended other seed companies as well.

Thrive is another one of my sponsors that recently signed on. I have yet to use their product, but suggest it when people ask me for alternatives to liquid Miracle-Gro. I am going to be using Thrive in my garden, once I get the twig issue resolved.

I am sure not to say that I’ve used it with great results. That would be lying.

What I’ll be doing is if I am doing something and using a product, I will mention it within the post. If you have a question about that product, then feel free to ask via email, comments, Facebook, Twitter, carrier pigeon…whatever.

When using sponsor’s products, I’ve been very clear and upfront that I am not going to blindly say that the product is the shit and works great. If I have used the product and don’t like it, I will certainly say so as well.

The most important thing is that I don’t want to lose the focus of this site, which is to inspire and empower people to start growing their own food and give some gardening tips along the way.

I’m always down for the dialog and discussion, whether it’s by email, in the comments of this site, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube if you have any questions on products. That is, unless, you really want me to do product reviews.

What’s your thoughts?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9ca_F3mxBU