1. No category

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
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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 -
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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 –
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Broadcast three weeks prior to planting
Better than raw manure at building humus
Building soil health
Compost
1. Build your own compost pile
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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
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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
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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
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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