By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

As I was searching the Internet I found a response on a website that dealt with agriculture that sadden me.

A boy from Africa had a question on fertilizer.

He was doing a project in school and reached out to the global community for the answer or at least for some direction or hop.

Throughout his response he mentioned how the government was pushing for the farmers in Africa to use more and more synthetic fertilizer to compensate for reduced yields. He reached out to the global community with a simple question that still rings in my ear.

This question was simple and brief. “How long does it take for our soil to recover when soil fertility is gone?”

Soil fertility much like the Gulf after this disaster is hard to bring back to its original state. We as a society have lived through the Exxon spill, the dust bowl, and the black blizzard but as human history goes we have not learned a thing. But you as a gardener can start today by growing your own fertilizer.

Starting Comfrey

Comfrey’s name comes from the term Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

If you’ve ever stopped to look at the fertilizer product shelf at the garden center, you may have wondered what the numbers on the front mean.

Never fear - it isn’t as complex as it seems.

First, the main number you want to look for is usually plastered across the front. You’ll see a series of three numbers separated by dashes, like 5-10-10.

These three numbers stand for the amount of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium and are abbreviated as N-P-K. The numbers are the percentages of the elements that are contained in that bag.

For example, if there was a Read the rest of this entry »

By Cinday Naas

What did you feed your tomatoes today?

How about your corn? Did you remember to give your rhododendron a nice cup of tea?

There are things you eat and drink every day which are really good for using in your garden.

Here are some tips to feed your garden as well as perhaps reducing the amount of trash you throw away, too.

• Eggshells: These are good for enriching the soil near tomatoes. Crush them by hand, or whirl them in a blender with a little water, and pour over the soil under the tomato plants. The extra calcium will help to keep the soil rich for years to come.

• Coffee grounds and tea leaves - acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons and azaleas love to be treated to coffee or tea occasionally. I spread Read the rest of this entry »
  
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Urban Garden Casual reader, Joyce Dunn, asks the following question:

“My husband saw the upside down tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets and wants to plant two now!!

All I have (it’s too far to go to town) is organic Miracle Gro potting Mix, Espoma dolomite, and Espoma fertilizer 4-6-6.

How much of each would you say goes into a 5 gal. bucket?

We would like to get the ratio right so we don’t burn the tomatoes. BTW, I like your site and have bookmarked it - very interesting.”

Joyce, thanks for the kind words about Urban Garden Casual, we’re glad you are enjoying it!

I hope my answer will help. I would use Read the rest of this entry »

By Cindy Naas

Growing veggies in a container garden is a fun way to bring fresh produce to your table even if you live in the middle of a big city.

Thanks to Urban Garden Casual, you’ve got the secret recipe for mixing perfect container soil.

Here are some tips to make sure that your garden is everything you want it to be.

Size Matters

There are so many pretty pots to choose from when you go to your local nursery or home improvement store. But, are all pots created equal? Well, it depends. Read the rest of this entry »