Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About Cougar print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1976-1977 | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1977)
Organic gardening gains popularity By Barbara Dikty Staff Writer ■pie who are interested in growing ■les that are nutritious, flavorful and ilitritious than supermarket varieties Htry organic gardening. ■arie gardening isn't a new idea, it's found ever since man stuck his first irto the soil. Only since the turn of ntury has man started using chemicals lops. I people are turning back to organic ids after seeing what the addition of lais does to their land and to their I Organic gardening is cooperating elping nature, and when you help, | of oppose, the yields from your can be enormous. running a lawnmower back and forth over them. A compost pile is another good way to add nutrients and organic matter to your soil, and it's also a way to recycle garbage. To make a compost pile, first make some sort of enclosure so the material doesn't slop all over the ground. Window screening nailed to some boards works well. First, pile on a layer of leaves, grass clippings, weeds, table scraps, and any other organic materials, then add a layer of man ure, (bloodmeal may be substituted for manure but less is needed) then leaves again, then wood ash. Repeat, ending up with a layer of leaves on the top of the pile. During the layering, continuously add water to the pile being sure not to add too much. poperate with nature for large yields {first thing to do when starting a I is to find out what kind of soil it I it sandy? Then it will drain well, I too well. Is it claylike or heavily Red? Then it will retain too much ■In either case, plenty of organic ■worked into the soil will help cor- I problem. {t,find out your soil's pH. You can |by using a soil test kit. Buy one at {rdening store. It's important to know I because if the soil is too acid or me it can stunt a plant's growth. Also, ■ plants prefer a soil that is more lor alkaline than may be normal in ■den. ■lake soil more alkaline, 'add wood nit. Ito ten lbs. per hundred square feet Irrect most imbalances. ■make soil less alkaline, work in as ween matter as you can find. Adding heal, fish meal, cottonseed meal or pill not only make it more acidic III serve as a long term fertilizer, build up soil, whether it be too sandy, Mted or claylike, add organic matter, lass clippings, pine needles, and shred- | leaves work well, if a shredder is not able leaves can be shredded by spread lick layer over the driveway and then Let the pile sit and compost for about a month. If the inside of the pile feels hot to the touch, the pile is composting. The or ganic matter is actually cooking itself. The temperature inside a compost pile gets up to 160 degrees F. When the pile cools down, the compost is ready for use. It's when the plants come up that the real problems begin. Bugs arrive at a gallop to demolish seedlings, and they will, un less they are stopped. There are three main ways to protect plants; safe insecticides, companion planting, and biological con trols. The safe insecticides are rotenone and pyrethrum. Be sure to use them only when absolutely necessary, as overspraying can damage plants. Companion planting is a favorite method. It involves using plants which repel various insects by their smells or confusing them by their colors. Marigolds and nasturtiums will ward off aphids and root nemotodes. Spearmint and peppermint will repel flea beatles, cabbage butterflies and others. Plant horseradish to repel potato bugs and other flying insects. Plant onion and garlic as a general deterent. The third way to control insects is to use biological controls. Using bugs to con trol bugs. Praying mantises are good in sects to have, they're an all around predator. They eat Japanese beetles, white grubs, earworms and others. Ladybugs eat scale insects, mites, aphids, egg cases and small insects. Tiny trichogramma wasps attack caterpillars and lepidoptera. Lacewing in eat aphids, eggs, and soft bodied insects. And finally, keep a gardening notebook. Record any problems, solutions and results. A good gardener learns from his mistakes, and there are plenty of those! But there's always enough rewards to make gardening worthwhile the next year, and the next year and the —. To improve chances of seeds germinating and growing into edible vegetables here are six short steps to follow: Stretch string between stakes set at ends of row to keep rows straight. Make a furrow with hoe handle, adjust ing depth to seed which will be planted. Sow seed thinly by shaking seed from a cut corner of package or by dropping from fingers. Fine seeds can be mixed with sand to reduce wastage. Use a corner of the hoe to draw soil over seed; do not allow clods or stones to cover seed. To hasten germination, firm soil above seed. On heavy soils water rows before planting to facilitate germination and to make crusting less severe. To provide room for growth, thin young plants. Also thin root crops such as beets and carrots early before tap roots become fleshy. | Gladstone Florists j Clark’s Lawn & Garden Equip. St. Patrick's Day Flowers March 17 I I Sales & Service Toro & Snapper Lawn Mowers McCulloch & Jonsereds Chain Saws Service on All Makes of Lawn Mowers-Chain Saws-Tillers 656-0720 fy-March 10,1977 I Bankamericard 140 W. Arlington Mastercharge i Page 9
