Compost, Fertilizers & Pesticides, Oh My!

Oh my indeed!

Okay so it's been a little while since my last blog post. But don't you worry my loyal follower... I haven’t forgotten about you. I've been doing a ton of research. I mean, what's a girl to do during August in Houston, but sit inside and do research? 

I must admit, all of the information out there is a bit overwhelming. But, essentially what I have learned is that the 3 most important things needed to help your plants thrive beyond what dirt, water and sun can provide are compost, fertilizer and pesticides. The compost and fertilizer are going to aid in growing and the pesticide will kill whatever wants to harm your plants. 

Now, don't get me wrong, there are a ton of other things that you can do to help your plants grow, but in my novice opinion these seem to be of most importance. And of course if you have no pesky plant killing bugs and beautiful loamy soil, perhaps you don't need any of this at all. Unfortunately, that is not the case around here. 

So, the question is how do you go about these 3 things organically and for as cheap as possible....well you know me (maybe), I must DIY. Or DIM??? whatevs! So, I looked to my handy dandy frugal gardening book and the internet and I came up with a few answers: vermicomposting, liquid fertilizer from grass clippings, tomato leaf spray, ladybugs and beer. 

Vermicomposting 

a la Wikipedia:
“Vermicompost is the product or process of composting using various worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. Vermicast, also called worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by an earthworm. These castings have been shown to contain reduced levels of contaminants and a higher saturation of nutrients than do organic materials before vermicomposting.

Containing water-soluble nutrients, vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. This process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting."

Basically you feed a bunch of worms your organic waste and they poo and that poo is magical dirt.

This is just one of many options for composting, it is just the one I chose to use.  As I have stated previously, I am impatient, and this is to me the fastest and easiest form of composting, shortening the process from potentially as long as 2-3 years down to just 2-3 months.  So, I set out to make a vermicomposting bin. Here is a link to the tutorial I used to make it.

Here she is! I will be posting more in the near future about my vermicompost adventure.

Liquid Fertilizer

Okay, this is pretty simple. You cut your grass, put it in a large container and add water and let it sit. Now, if you are trying to be chemical free in your garden and you have your lawn treated with any chemicals then you can't use your grass.

So, in my frugal gardening book, the author suggests that you use an old 5 gallon painters bucket, fill it 2/3rds the way full with your grass clippings and then fill it to the top with water. Let it sit for 3 days at room temperature stirring once daily (warning: this can start to smell strong on the 3rd day). Strain out the grass clippings (which you can keep for compost or mulch) and dilute with equal parts water. And there you have it... liquid fertilizer DIY style.

Pesticides

Tomato leaf spray and ladybugs are for control of aphids, which are little green bugs that you will find on the underside of your plant's leaves.  They suck the sap out of the plant, thus damaging it.  An easy option, before you try the following two, is to simply give the underside of your leaves a good spray of water and this will dislodge the aphids. 

Tomato Leaf Spray

I have not yet had the opportunity to try this one.  Here is a link to the instructions.  You just steep tomato leaves in water, strain and put the liquid in a spray bottle and aim.

I didn't want to tear the leaves off of my tomato plants before, but now that they are starting to die, I think I will make myself a batch.  Of course for this be a no-cost DIY you would need your very own tomato plants. 

Another option that can be found on the aforementioned website is garlic oil spray.  However, that concoction is a non-selective insecticide and will kill your beneficial bugs as well, including ladybugs, which are a natural predator for aphids.... so....

Ladybugs

Yup!  Ladybugs can help your garden by eating those pesky aphids and they are oh so cute and fun to play with!  What's that you say?... you don't have any ladybugs in your garden?... well here is your answer.  Okay, so it's not a no-cost DIY, but I would have to say that less than $10 for 1500 lady bugs can't be a bad price. And I've seen this listing go as low as $7.
 
Beer

Beer is one of a few pesticide options for slugs and snails.  (Slugs and snails damage your plants by grating away the surface of the plant tissue).  You can leave a small bowl with beer in it or leave a small amount in the bottom of the beer bottle and lay it on its side.  The snails and slugs are attracted to the scent of the beer and when they go to investigate they drown in the beer.

Furthermore...

Another organic option, that is not DIY, but still something I may consider using is diatomaceous earth or DE.  More specifically, food grade DE.

Again, a la Wikipedia:
"Diatomaceous earth also known as D.E., diatomite, or kieselgur/kieselguhr, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from less than 3 micrometres to more than 1 millimeter, but typically 10 to 200 micrometres. Depending on the granularity, this powder can have an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light as a result of its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of oven-dried diatomaceous earth is 80 to 90% silica, with 2 to 4% alumina (attributed mostly to clay minerals) and 0.5 to 2% iron oxide.

Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is used as a filtration aid, mild abrasive in products including toothpaste, mechanical insecticide, absorbent for liquids, matting agent for coatings, reinforcing filler in plastics and rubber, anti-block in plastic films, porous support for chemical catalysts, cat litter, activator in blood clotting studies, a stabilizing component of dynamite, and a thermal insulator."

DE is dust like and has microscopic razor sharp edges.  Those edges lacerate the exoskeleton of insects which causes them to dehydrate and die. Also if they ingest it, it will shred their insides. 

DE, which can be found here, is said to be 'completely' safe for humans and pets (although, I have seen a couple warnings about inhaling it... do your research if you are planning on using it).  In fact, you have most likely eaten a bit of it already.  DE is not just limited to garden use.  It also makes for a better organic option to using harsh chemicals to keep bugs out of the house.  You can sprinkle DE around the foundation of your house, in your carpet, on window sills, in the kitchen or near openings that might be potential entrances for bugs.  DE can be great for flea control as well.

This, also, is a non-selective pesticide and can potentially kill your beneficial garden bugs. 

To find more products to help your plants grow, visit the Soil Amendments department of my store.