The Coaldale Community Garden
Society
Under the operational
policies, use of Pesticides, Insecticides, Herbicides, Synthetic fertilizers,
Animal
Poisons and Non-organic materials are prohibited
ORGANIC GARDENING TIPS
SOIL AMENDING: To improve soil
quality and reach optimum pH (6.5-7.0) for vegetable growing consider
incorporating the following into your soil profile:
- Blood meal:
- Bone Meal: is rich in phosphorus which feeds blossoms
and acidifies soil
- Coffee
Grounds: Acidify soil and add nitrogen
to compost. Applied near the base of
some plants repels insects.
- Compost: works both as a nutrient and mulch
- Coniferous mulches
(needles and chips): Fantastic around
for acid loving plants – especially strawberry. neutralizes alkaline soil.
- Deciduous
mulches: Oak leaves provide the greatest
benefit for acid loving plants – chop with a lawn mower first before
applying. Oak wood is very high in
calcium (extremely hard wood).
- Dolomite: rich in magnesium neutralizes soil pH
- Fish meal:
- Ground rinds of
oranges, lemons or limes will help lower pH
- Peat Moss: has little or no horticultural value. It absorbs water therefore depriving your veg
from getting what it needs. Consider
compost or mulches as a better option.
- Wood Ash: MUST BE UNTREATED. Work in a small amount at a time. Provides a wealth of nutrients. Can deter cutworms.
- Manures – decayed
Horse manure is best for our heavy clay soils. Composted sheep and cow manure offers some
benefit. Best amended in spring
- Plant nitrogen
fixing plants – beans or peas are great examples
- Green Manures or cover crops: Barley, Buckwheat, winter Rye, Soybeans,
oats, millet, soybeans, clover (yellow sweet, red and white) or hairy vetch, planted
in the fall, cut back early in the spring before seed heads are produced and
turned in to the soil to add nitrogen, nutrients and humus to soil before
planting. Kale can be left in the garden
over winter turned under in the spring.
INSECT CONTROL : It should be
noted that homemade ‘insecticides’ are not recognized by Health Canada and
therefore no scientific evidence either for or against use can be concluded as safe
or ‘organic’ and as such the Society WILL NOT publish recipes).
Encourage
natural predators such as ladybugs, green lacewing and predatory wasps. Handpick or squish pests. If you intend to apply organic commercial
products, please contact the Board with the product information so other
gardeners can be notified. They must be
applied as described on the product label.
Once you introduce any type of pesticide (organic or otherwise), the plants become dependent on your
intervention. Avoid if at all
possible. Note: modern dish detergents no longer contain the
‘ingredient’ to be effective as an insecticide.
Failure to rinse leaves after applying can result in sun scald/leaf
scorch – it clogs/blocks leaf function.
Bird
Baths: Attract birds with something as
simple as a shallow dish with fresh water.
They will gladly eat your insects.
Use toilet
paper rolls (2 inches deep) should help to prevent cutworms from crawling up
stems of tomatoes
Coffee Grounds:
Applied near the base of some
plants can repel certain insects.
Slugs: Easiest to find in early morning or late
evening. Most active prior to a
rain. Slugs are a bird delicacy – DO NOT
APPLY ANY chemical controls or you can harm the local birds population. Try crushed egg shells – they won’t cross to
prickly surface.
Personal
Insect repellents – please apply at home before coming to the garden.
DISEASE CONTROL: Diseases are easily spread by
slopping gardening methods. To keep the
ENTIRE garden disease free please address disease issues immediately. Pick and remove any infected plant parts
(leaves, stems, etc.). Do not place
infected materials in the composter – bag it and place in a trash bin. Keep your tools clean and avoid sharing tools
where transfer of disease is possible. Wash using water and antibacterial products
such as Lysol or spray nine. Bleach (1:9
parts water) will cause rusting – so be sure to dry tools following cleaning. There are COMMERCIAL SOLD ORGANIC fungicides.
COMPANION PLANTS:
Artemesia : repels cabbage worms, moths and
flea beetles, slugs
Basil: repels insects and diseases around
tomatoes
Chives/garlic: repels aphids around sunflower and
tomatoes, repels boring insects, repels mildew.
attracts
pollinators. Deadhead to prevent
excessive self- seeding. Improves soil
health
Celery: repels
cabbage moths and white butterflies
Dill: repels
cabbage moths and attracts aphids away from other plants
Marigolds: repels bean beetles, aphids,
boring insects
Nasturtiums: attracts
aphids, repel beetles – great near squash, broccoli, potato, radish, cabbage
Parsley: repels
carrot flies. Enhances tomato growth
Queen’s Anne Lace: repels aphids
Radish: repel
cucumber beetles
Sage: repels
cabbage moth and loopers
It is our hope to plant a perennial pollinating garden on the slopes by
the fruit trees in the coming seasons.
ALLELOPATHIC PLANTING: Avoid planting:
- dill to close to carrots
- beans with onion or garlic
- beans near potatoes will repel beetles
- beets with pole beans
- potatoes with pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sunflower, tomato or raspberry
- strawberry with ‘cabbage family’
- corn with tomatoes
WEED CONTROL: Just as a reminder – you are responsible
for managing the weeds in the pathways surrounding your plots.
Don’t allow
weeds to take root – routinely hoe and leave seed free foliage to compost in
place.
Bindweed –cut
down but don’t dig. It can re-grow from
a root hair left behind. Without leaves
it will eventually starve the roots.
Squash leaves
shade the soil and minimize weed growth
Apply several
layers of newsprint topped with bark mulch for difficult areas.
Avoid use of
plastics as they trap gases in the soil and can make it toxic.
RODENT AND RABBIT CONTROL: Please report any problems to
the Board and we will try to find solutions if it becomes a problem. Rabbits don’t like onion – plant throughout
your plot, amongst your carrots and lettuce.
SLOW DRIP WATERING SYSTEMS (Ideal for tomatoes) since they prefer a constant supply of tepid
water. Recycle your 4 litre milk
cartons. Place next to your tomato plants,
poke a small hole in the bottom. Fill
the jug with the hose and let it slowly continually irrigate the roots.
