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Organic gardening - Polk County Extension Office
Organic gardening in the home landscape Gardening for your health and the health of the environment Using organic gardening principles to maintain your landscape What is organic gardening? Organic gardening combining some basic gardening procedures with an ethical philosophy of environmental preservation • No synthetic chemicals • Improve the soil • Prevent and solve pest problems with naturally occurring materials Why should you garden organically? • Reduce pollution/stormwater runoff • Preserve the environment • Conserve natural resources • Protect and preserve wildlife • Enhance soil health • Create a healthy environment Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Principles 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Right Plant, Right Place Water Efficiently Fertilize Appropriately Use Mulch Attract Wildlife Control Yard Pests Responsibly Recycle Reduce Stormwater Runoff Protect the Waterfront Building soil health Building soil health “Organic farming systems rely on the management of soil organic matter to enhance the chemical, biological, and physical properties of the soil, soil, in order to optimize crop production.” -Watson et al., 2002. Addition of organic matter • Improve soil with organic nutrients Manure (bird and animal) Compost Cover crops Green manure (plants) Building soil health Benefits of organic matter: • Improved soil aeration • Supports living soil organisms • Increases waterwater-holding capacity • Buffers soil from chemical imbalances • Helps dissolve mineral nutrients • May protect against certain soil pests • Moderates soil temperature Building soil health Manure • Bird manure • Animal manure • Blood meal • Fish emulsion Composition - Fresh Manure with Normal Quantity of Water. Kind of Manure % Water %N %P %K Cow 86 .55 .15 .50 Duck 61 1.10 1.45 .50 Goose 67 1.10 .55 .50 Hen 73 1.10 .90 .50 Hog 87 .55 .30 .45 Horse 80 .65 .25 .50 Sheep 68 1.00 .75 .40 Steer or feed yard 75 .60 .35 .55 Turkey 74 1.30 .70 .50 Building soil health Manure Raw Manure - • • • If manure does not touch edible portion, apply 90 days in advance of harvest If manure does touch, touch, apply 120 days ahead Can be used as sole fertilizer Composted Manure – • • Broadcast three weeks prior to planting Better than raw manure at building humus Building soil health Compost 1. Build your own compost pile • • • • • Moisture Aeration/Oxygen Pile Temperature Particle Size Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio 2. Purchase compost • Animal • Poultry • Mushroom Apply compost the same as you would apply manure Building soil health Cover Crops Benefits: Protect soil from water and wind erosion Add organic matter to soil Suppress weeds and attract beneficial insects Disadvantages: Depletion of soil moisture Temporary decrease in availability of plant nutrients Increased weed occurrence Attraction of arthropod or rodent pests Increased labor and other costs May require special equipment Building soil health Cover Crops • Legumes – fix nitrogen • Clover • Vetch • Beans • Mustard • Alfalfa Managing Pests Managing Pests Apply ecological principles • Predict pests • Understand life cycles • Plan ahead Use cultural practices to prevent pests Use biological controls “Rescue” treatments are limited Managing Pests Prevention • Crop rotation • Soil and plant nutrient management • Sanitation CULTURAL PREVENTION Tillage Cover crops Rotation Variety selection Plastic mulch (no PVC) Heat Fabrics SANITATION Tillage Solarization with plastic mulch (no PVC) Keep equipment clean Development of habitat for natural enemies of pests Managing Pests Safe solutions Insecticidal soap Soaps best for soft bodied insects Good for light to moderate problems Horticultural and Plant Oils Dormant oils for dormant woody plants Summer oils for actively growing plants Neem Use on chewing and sucking insects Can also be used as a fungicide Pyrethrum Toxic to cats and aquatic organisms Fast acting, broad spectrum, short lived, sun degrades Managing Pests Safe solutions Baking soda Can be used as a fungicide Coffee Caffeine is effective in killing slugs and other insects Diatomaceous earth Petrified sea life, can control some insects Pheromone lures (baits) A safe way to bait insects Microbials (Bt and spinosad) A soil bacterium that manufactures a protein toxic to lepidopteron pests Must get right type for the insect pest Kaolin Clay Control of leafhoppers, Japanese beetles, thrips, and leaf rollers Managing Pests Biological control • • • • • • Ladybugs Control aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and mites Preying mantids Control a variety of insects Lacewings (green and brown) Control aphids Stink bugs Caterpillars and other insects Robber flies Variety of insects Assassin bugs Caterpillars Managing Pests Biological control • • • • • • Syrphid flies Aphids Spiders Variety of insects Big--eyed bugs Big Chinch bugs, caterpillars, softsoft-bodied insects Parasitic wasps Scale insects, whiteflies, aphids, leafminers, caterpillars Dragonflies and Damselflies Mosquitoes Earwigs Chinch bugs, mole crickets, sod webworms Disease Management Largely preventative • Use resistant varieties • Provide a stress stress--free environment • Hot water seed treatment (122 F for 25 min) or 10:1 solution of bleach and water Mineral and biological agents available • Copper sulfate ((Bordeaux Bordeaux®) for Xanthamonas • Baking soda ((Milstop Milstop®) broad spectrum fungicide • Coniothyrium fungus (Contans (Contans®) to control Sclerotinia Weed Management • Plastic Solarization (heat) • Tillage • Predation Poultry – “Chicken tractor” Birds Microorganisms Insects • Use the right tool for the job • Regular shallow tillage best Soil inversion exposes new seeds to surface • Mulch Hay Plastic • Propane flame weeder Irrigation • • • Micro-irrigation most efficient MicroGood soil will increase waterwater-holding capacity and less irrigation will be needed Mulch in the garden will reduce waterwater-loss leaves grass clippings pine straw sawdust Organic Edible Gardens Organic Edible Gardens Organic Edible Gardens Building a vegetable garden Organic Edible Gardens Organic Edible Gardens Follow University planting guidelines Solarize soil prior to planting to kill nematodes Warm season vegetables Cool season vegetables Beans (bush, pole, lima) Cantaloupe Cucumbers Sweet Corn Eggplant Okra Southern Peas Peppers Sweet Potatoes Pumpkins Tomatoes Watermelon Some squash varieties Beets Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Lettuce Greens (Collard, Mustard) Turnips Carrots Strawberries Spinach Radish Potatoes Peas Some squash varieties Organic Lawn and Landscape Management Fertilization • Always use slowslow-release fertilizer Weed Management • Maintain healthy turf to minimize weeds Proper fertility, mowing, and irrigation practices Corn gluten has been shown to suppress some weeds Disease Control • Use diseasedisease-resistant plant varieties Purchasing Products Before purchasing a product labeled natural or organic… Look for independent (university) test results Are the test results consistent? Does the product work in our environment? Are there any application problems? Does the product control pests that are found in Central Florida? Is the product cost effective? For more information… Organic Materials Review Institute http://www.omri.org/ National Organic Program http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm Florida Certified Growers and Consumers, Inc. http://www.foginfo.org/ USDA http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education http://www.sare.org/index.htm University of Florida Organic Gardening http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Organic_Gardening How to go Organic: Florida http://www.howtogoorganic.com/index.php?page=florida For more information… UF/IFAS Polk County Extension Service 1702 Highway 17 South Bartow, Florida Monday--Friday 8:00 amMonday am-5:00 pm (863) 519519-8677 Websites: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu http://polkfyn.ifas.ufl.edu http://polkhort.ifas.ufl.edu
