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10 tips for companion planting for natural pest control and organic sustainability – Increase vegetable yields and improve flavour
Sunday, May 13, 2012 by: JB Bardot
Companion planting for pest control and to encourage plants to grow with more vigor has fascinated men for centuries; however, few backyard gardeners know how to use these natural methods for organic sustainability and how to improve your garden. Plants that work together to help one another grow; plants that repel insects for organic pest management; and plants that repel other plants for natural herbicide control are of great value to both small backyard gardeners and commercial growers.
Certain protective botanicals don’t always act instantaneously, and must be planted several years or seasons in advance to be of utmost cumulative effect. For example, companion planting pest control using marigolds to prevent nematode growth should be done at least one season ahead before expecting to see great results.
It’s important to remember that both secretions and odors from various plants are valuable traits for organic pest control and companion planting where repelling or attracting certain aspects and effects is attempted.
Ten easy companion planting tips for to use now
Companion planting for chemical free pesticides and organic sustainability is a huge subject that can take years to master; however, there are a few easy things you can do in your own garden right now to make use of this intriguing method of gardening.
1. Protect carrots by planting them with leeks to repel both carrot and onion flies. They won’t even lay their eggs and your yield will increase tremendously.
2. Growing radishes or kohlrabi? Plant them with lettuce to repel earth...
Food Revolution Day is coming….are you ready? May 19th stand up for REAL food!
What is Food Revolution Day?
Food Revolution Day on 19 May is a chance for people who love food to come together to share information, talents and resources; to pass on their knowledge and highlight the world’s food issues. All around the globe, people will work together to make a difference. Food Revolution Day is about connecting with your community through events at schools, restaurants, local businesses, dinner parties and farmers’ markets. We want to inspire change in people’s food habits and to promote the mission for better food and education for everyone.
Why Have a Day of Action?
Worldwide, obesity has more than doubled since 1980. For the first time in history, being overweight is killing more people than being underweight, and at least 2.8 million adults around the world die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. This has to change, and it’s down to us. We need to get back to basics and start thinking about where our food comes from. We need to become a conscious community and understand the food choices we make on a daily basis. We can do this by improving food education.
Encouraging people to cook from scratch at home is at the heart of this. We all have family and friends who could make better food choices. On Food Revolution Day we can work together to empower people with the skills to improve their diet. Making simple changes to our food choices will improve our quality of life and our children’s. Forty-two million...
Seasonal Allergies 101
Seasonal allergies are the result of the body’s over reaction to environmental stimulants, such as pollen, airborne fungi, grass, or even certain foods. In addition to these triggers, there is a plethora of chemicals existing in the environment we must face daily that can be incredibly irritating to our immune system. When confronted with an allergen, the body’s response is to produce histamine or other inflammatory chemicals which are responsible for symptoms like a runny nose, watery eyes, or sneezing.
Over the counter antihistamines block the action of histamine, however they do not prevent the production of the chemical, so while they can be a helpful band aid solution, they do nothing to address the underlying cause of the reaction. Additionally, antihistamines tend to cause drowsiness, dizziness, and even depression. Because seasonal allergies are the result of the immune system’s reaction to environmental stimulants, immunity must be increased in order to reduce the effects of the allergies.
There are a number of natural supplements that can help strengthen the immune system and, over time, reduce, or even eliminate, seasonal allergies.
Quercetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid found in foods such as apples, berries, grapes, red onions, and capers. Quercetin may help to reduce seasonal allergy symptoms by preventing the body from releasing histamine.
Carotenoids are a family of plant pigments, the most common being beta-carotene. A lack of carotenoids in the diet may lead to inflammation in the airways, so during spring and fall it can be helpful to increase daily intake of carotenoids.
Omega 3 fatty...
The Best Spring Fruits and Vegetables:
With the onset of spring comes a bevy of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, including a few that may be a little different than the standard carrot or apple. Try some of these exciting fruits and vegetables to bring spring into your home and onto your table.
Artichokes may be strange looking and difficult to eat, not to mention difficult to harvest (these vegetables come from thistle plants), however all the effort is worth it! These green orbs have a delicious nutty flavor that is best brought about by steaming. Set the artichokes in salted water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until you can easily pull a leaf away from the base. Let cool and serve with melted Earth Balance spread or a homemade aioli.
Asparagus is an excellent spring vegetable that can grow up to six feet tall if left unattended! Not only is asparagus an excellent detoxifier, it is also considered an aphrodisiac
Beets are available all year round, however the first spring beets tend to be much tastier and more tender than those harvested later in the year. Try thinly slicing the beets and roasting them to bring out their sweetness.
Lettuces are at their best in the spring when their flavors are the most pronounced. Look for a wide variety of lettuces, like butter lettuce, mache, and arugula to spice up your favorite salad.
A favorite of most, peas are a wonderful spring vegetable that can be used in many dishes. Not only can the peas be put into a minted pea...
The Seedy Side of Seeds: Monsanto’s Attempted Control of Agricultural Markets
“If there were one word to explain what Monsanto is about, it would have to be farmers.” This is an excerpt from the “Who We Are” portion of Monsanto’s website, a page that assures readers that Monsanto is working with farmers to produce more food and to improve lives. Not mentioned on the website is the ninety plus lawsuits that have been filed against famers and the fifteen million dollars that Monsanto has been awarded from their legal settlements against small output farmers and community businesses.
Monsanto is an American agricultural and pharmaceutical giant that produces herbicides, prescription pharmaceutical drugs and genetically engineered seeds. The corporation has offices, manufacturing plants and research facilities located in over one hundred countries across the globe. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of genetically modified seeds, accounting for ninety one percent of the total area of GMO crops planted worldwide. Monsanto was created in 1901 by Missouri pharmacist John Francis Queeny and since then has been involved in the production of PCBs, DDT, dioxins, and the chemical weapon “Agent Orange.” In the eighties and nineties Monsanto spent close to one billion dollars developing its biotech business, which is responsible for creating GMO soybeans and corn that would be able to resist the effects of the herbicide Roundup, a product that had previously been patented by Monsanto.
Upwards of ninety percent of all corn, soybeans and cotton are grown from genetically modified seeds. Seventy percent of food produced in the United States contains at least one genetically...
Sustainable Seafood:
Choosing sustainable seafood options is an effective way to support responsible stewardship of natural marine wildlife and resources. Sustainable seafood is defined as seafood that is either fished or farmed by a method that can maintain or increase production over the long term, without jeopardizing the health or function of life in the world’s oceans. The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey California has developed a Seafood Watch program, which helps consumers and businesses make sustainable seafood and shellfish choices. Close to 85% of the world’s fisheries are fished to capacity, meaning that fish stocks are fished close to depletion. Consumers have the ability to make a change through education and choice.
According to the Seafood Watch program, seafood from sustainable capture fisheries:
- have less vulnerability to fishing pressure and because of that have a low probability of being overfished.
- have stock structure and abundance sufficient to maintain long term fishing
- are captured using techniques that minimize the chances of unwanted catch and/or unmarketable species
- are captured in ways that maintain natural relationships amount ecosystem species and do not result in irreversible ecosystem state changes
- have a management regime that implements and enforces all local, national, and international laws
Seafood from sustainable aquaculture:
- does not pose a substantial threat or risk to wild fish stocks through the escape of farmed fish
- does not pose a substantial risk to wild fish stocks through the amplification, transmission, or introduction of disease or parasites
- uses methods to reduce the discharge of organic waste and other contaminants so as not to change the composition of...
Go Green for Spring Cleaning
With spring in full force, its time to throw open the windows and let in the fresh air! Spring is also the time that many people get the urge to undertake a whole house cleaning to get rid of winter dust and dirt and make way for warmer weather. It’s no longer necessary to use a toxic soup of chlorine, bleach, and other harmful chemicals to ensure a clean household environment. There are plenty of “green” cleaners on the market that will leave your house sparkling clean and safe for your family. From floors, to walls, to windows, to doors, there are a variety of eco friendly cleaners that will do double duty on dirt and residue, but will be perfectly safe for children and pets.
The Ecover line of cleaning products features an all purpose cleaner, dishwasher and laundry detergents, a limescale remover, a non-chlorine bleach, a toilet cleaner, and a consumer favorite, a cream scrub. Not only are these cleaners plant and mineral based, they are produced in state of the art facilities that are clean running and consume extremely low energy. The Ecover plant was built to make the most of natural light, and the roof is covered in a plant called Sedum that is a great insulator. Ecover is committed to sustainability at every stage of the product lifecycle, including raw materials and the speed and extent to which each product biodegrades.
Bio Vert cleaning products are produced by a family business in Laval, Quebec. The company is...
