by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 27, No. 3

Making a few changes in your autumn garden cleanup routine benefits the soil and ultimately the health of your plants. Keeping fallen leaves and trimmings in the garden adds essential organic matter to the soil. This in turn provides food for worms and a host of other beneficial soil-dwelling creatures that break down the material, improving soil structure and delivering valuable nutrients to plants.

Instead of sending valuable organic matter to our local landfills, please recycle it into nutrient-rich compost, used for mulch, or place it in piles to provide a winter habitat for wildlife.

At summer’s end, insects take refuge in garden debris and in dry stems for over-winter protection, otherwise their blood freezes. Insects are a necessary component to plant pollination; beneficial insects help keep pests under control. Insects also serve as an essential food source for many birds and other animals. It is a natural cycle that makes a healthy ecosystem.

Removing spent flowers during the growing season will help plants to bloom longer, but once fall arrives and plants are near the end of their flowering cycle, they can be left to mature, to produce seeds, which serve as an important food source for seed-eating birds. By leaving some garden trimmings in planting beds, you are creating a natural habitat for ladybeetles, pollinating bees, praying mantis and other beneficial insects.

One of the most labor-saving, cost efficient and environmentally friendly things you can do is to leave your grass clippings on the lawn. Since grass clippings are mostly water, they decompose rapidly, so there is no thatch buildup. “Grass-cycling” also adds organic matter, stimulates the activity of earthworms (which act as a nature’s soil aerators) and turn a natural source of nitrogen back into the soil.

Unless your garden is very large, consider raking your leaves rather than using a blower or vacuum. Raking does not produce the noise or the pollution of machinery and is a healthy form of exercise.

While doing your fall cleanup, please remember that less is more of benefit to our environment, our resources and our day-to-day lives, as well as the ecosystem of our gardens.

Let us be friends with our earth, with gentleness, respect, love
and hope for a beautiful tomorrow.

by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 27, No. 2

This is an excellent time to step back and take a look at how your organic garden did grow this season. Did your plants look as healthy as you expected them to be? Take photographs of your plants each year. This winter, when you are planning next year’s garden, reach for the photos and you will be quite surprised on how much you accomplished.

Most trees, lawns and spring-blooming shrubs grow better if you plant them in the fall in well-prepared organic soil. Top growth is less active, ground water more plentiful and tiny roots become strong, storing energy for the spring show of flowers and foliage.

Now is an excellent time to plant fall-flowering perennials: graceful Japanese anemones, sweet autumn clematis, along with other cool weather plants such as asters, kale and pansies. Fragrant witch hazel will bloom even when snow is on the ground. Do not forget to plant your bulbs into the ground. They will announce spring’s arrival.

Autumn is the perfect time to prepare your organic spring vegetable garden. Clean your vegetable beds, turn the soil adding plenty of compost. Scatter spinach seeds that will mature and flourish in cool weather. These hardy greens grow throughout the fall, lie dormant under the snow and then start growing again in spring. Plant some Egyptian onions, they are perennial and you can harvest the green tips all winter.

Herbs are among fall’s most rewarding plants. Cut them back and freeze or dry the clippings for winter enjoyment. Place organic leaf mulch around your perennial herbs, to protect form frost damage.

Before moving your potted plants indoors, wash them well with an all-purpose natural spray that will eliminate most pests: mix two teaspoons of liquid dishwashing detergent with one cup of vegetable oil. Shake vigorously to emulsify then add one quart of water. Be certain to spray the undersides of leaves, too. Mealybugs and scales grow a tough coat of arms, so use a cotton swab and dab each bug mass with rubbing alcohol. Then once a month scrub leaves gently with soapy water to remove dust particles from the breathing holes.

It is time to relax from our summer labors while we are anxiously awaiting the end of winter and the first sign of spring to start our organic gardens — all over again.

You must heal any wounds you give the Earth
and you must feed her to replace what you take from her.
Only if you repay your debts will she continue to provide.

For environmentally friendly information call: 732-757-5790

by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 27, No. 1

More than 70 million Americans will garden this year, spending billions of dollars to keep lawns green, and flowers and vegetables free from pests and diseases. Last year, stores sold more than $2 billion worth of pesticides. But as concerns about tainted groundwater and contaminated food increase, gardeners are seeking more healthful alternatives to toxic chemicals.

We have to learn to understand the delicate relationship we have with nature and to participate without disturbing this important balance. Attract beneficial insects and birds to your garden by planting flowers, supplying water, providing shelter and food. Over 95% of insects in your garden are either beneficial or do no harm.

By practicing organic gardening, we keep our plants healthy and pest resistant. Water is one of the most effective weapons against pests. Here are some eco-friendly insect sprays and tips:

• Basic insect spray: Mix 2 tablespoons dish washing liquid (not detergent) and 1 gallon water. Add sulfur to kill mites and insects (see packaged directions for amount.) Add 1-2 tablespoons baking soda to this basic recipe and you will kill fungi and insects.
• Lemon spray: not only repels white flies and soft-bodied insects, it will also destroy fleas on your pet. Boil peels of 3 lemons in 1 quart water, cool, remove peels and place solution in spray bottle.
• Hot pepper spray: repels insects and alienates black-spot on roses. Mix 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 quart water and 1/2 teaspoon dishwashing liquid.
• Garlic spray: Mix 1 quart water, 2 teaspoons garlic juice, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon liquid soap.
• Tomato leaf spray: Mix 2 cups tomato leaves, 1 quart water. Bring to boil, cool, strain and add 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid.
• Basic oil spray: Mix 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid.
• Fungus-killing spray: Mix 2 tablespoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1 gallon water, or mix 1 tablespoon garlic juice and 1 quart water.
• Vinegar spray combats fungal disease and black-spot on roses. Mix 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 1 gallon water.
• Banana peel repellent: place banana peels around roses, or other plants plagued by aphids. As a bonus, the potassium in the peels stimulates large blooms.
• Peppermint: repels ants and peppermint tea is a good all-purpose insect spray.
• Lemongrass: repels wasps. Place some lemon grass in a vase on your picnic table and wasps will stay away.
• Plants that repel insects: borage, dill, onion, fennel, sage, thyme, parsley, garlic.

By gardening in an organic, chemical-free way, you give back
to our environment that has given us so much.

For environmentally friendly information call: 732-922-2935

by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 26, No. 5

Green cleaning means using products that do not pollute our indoor air with toxic chemicals, release irritating fumes which affect our health. Green cleaning means keeping toxic chemicals out of our streams and groundwater. Green cleaning products should come in recyclable packaging, or be made with recycled materials. For example: Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soaps use only certified organic plant oils and the refillable bottles are made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. Seventh Generation and Shaklee companies provide complete ingredient lists on their products.

When you are shopping for cleaning products, look out for the general term “fragrance,” a catch-word for synthetic perfumes that use toxic asthma-provoking phthalates as a dispersing agent. Tests by the Center for Disease Control have shown that phthalates collect in the body causing common allergies. Check that labels specify plant essential oils rather than fragrance.

SOME NON-TOXIC CLEANING RECIPES: Clean your sink with baking soda. Salt mixed with flour is a good scrubber for pots and pans. To clean your over or roasting pans, mix one part baking soda and one part borax with water. To make a thick paste add a little vinegar, coat the surface and let stand overnight, then rinse. White vinegar, full strength, cleans mold, bathroom tiles, grout stains, glass and mirrors. Diluted it is a good wood floor cleaner.

EXPLAINING GREEN CLAIMS ON PRODUCT LABELS:
Biodegradable: this unregulated term is meaningful only if it specifies the amount of time it takes for the product to decompose, as most substances will eventually biodegrade over time given the right condition, such as sunlight.
Nontoxic: there is no official definition or third-party verification for this claim.
Organic: household cleaning products are not regulated by the Organic Foods Production Act, but some ingredients, such as plant oils, can be labeled certified organic.

CLEANING PRODUCT INGREDIENTS TO AVOID
Ammonia: extremely irritating to respiratory passages when inhaled; can harm skin on contact.
Chlorine Bleach: an all-purpose whitening agent, can irritate the lungs and eyes, and in waterways can become toxic organochlorines.
Phosphates: soften water for detergents, but contribute to algae blooms in our waterways, which can kill off fish populations.
Sodium Hydroxide: found in drain, metal and oven cleaners, is extremely irritating to eyes, nose and throat, and can burn those tissues on contact.
Sodium Laurel Sulfate: a common sudsing agent, can penetrate the skin and cause contact dermatitis.
Antibacterial cleansers: containing triclosan, may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs.

Your home is part of the environment; keep it pollution free.
Cleaning products are a personal choice, but for our health and the
health of our Earth, let our choice be truly green cleaning.

Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. – Chief Seattle

For environmentally friendly information call: 732-922-2935

by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 26, No. 3

While we are enjoying the abundance of this beautiful season, let us pause sometimes and think of ways to enhance the quality of our Earth. Please consider the use of the following non-air-polluting cleaners and disinfectants, when cleaning your home.

Commercial furniture polish contains poisonous solvents that release into the air. To avoid this, make your own: blend 1/2 cup of lemon juice with 2/3 cup of olive oil. Bonus: this mixture leaves no wax build-up! Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap (available in health food stores) not only cleans your kitchen and bathroom, leaving a beautiful scent, it also removes pesticide residue and wax from fruit and vegetables.

Grapefruit Seed Extract is a very potent germ killer, effective against virus, fungi and bacteria strains. Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic, antimicrobial and antibacterial. Bon Ami cleanser contains no toxic chemicals. Baking soda deodorizes and cleans. Blend 1cup white vinegar with 1 cup water to clean your windows and mirrors. Club soda cleans and polishes stainless steel, sinks and kitchen appliances. To clean flatware, soak in club soda a few minutes, then rinse and dry.

Drain cleaner: pour 1/2 cup baking soda into drain, add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover. After 15 minutes, flush with hot water. Mildew and mold cleaner: mix 1 tablespoon Borax with 1 cup water. Chlorine is our most dangerous toxin. To whiten your laundry, add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide. Borax is a natural stain remover. 1 cup of white vinegar added to your rinse cycle will not only soften your washables, but also remove any traces of soap.

Pet and other stains on your carpet are easily removed with undiluted vinegar, then “blotted” with cold water. Silver tarnish remover: mix white toothpaste with a few drops of olive oil. Rub until clean and rinse in hot water. Brass and copper cleaner: 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon flour and enough vinegar to make a paste.

Air fresheners only “cover” offensive odors, while releasing toxic chemicals into the air. To freshen the air naturally: blend 1 cup of water with a few drops of lavender or citrus oil. Place in spray bottle or atomizer. Soak a cotton ball with your favorite scented natural oil and add to your vacuum cleaner bag. The entire house will smell wonderful. The scent will last at least one week with daily vacuuming.

After a day of mindful housecleaning, add some lavender oil to your potpourris. Lavender oil is soothing, cleansing and relaxing.

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.

Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. – Chief Seattle

For environmentally friendly information call: 732-922-2935