Organic gardening anyone.

[rancher hicks]

I do 100% organic on corn, beans, cowpeas, squash, winter squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers. For fertilizer I use nitrogen affixing legume cover crops, chicken manure, occasional wood ash, and legume companion plantings. Been doing that for around 6 years with growing corn in the same spot each year.

About insect control here's my opinion. Most organic gardening instructions and guides aren't going to say the obvious. You're flat out gonna have to take losses due to insects. There really isn't any way to totally stop that. There are just methods to minimize the losses.

1. focus on breeds that naturally have insect resistance. Such as going with a c.mixta squash over a c.pepo since c.mixtas have squash vine borer resistance.
2. If possible utilize your chickens for insect control. In my case I plough the ground in April and let my poultry comb over it to pick out the Japanese beetle grubs.
3. Consider companion planting and/or trash crops. I highly recommend the 3 sisters method of gardening

If you type in "organic pest control" into youtube or a search engine you're likely to see Neem oil brought up a lot. Neem oil is extremely expensive and imo is cost prohibitive for large scale farming. If you only have a small garden or a few raised beds, it might be worth your time, but on acreage of any size it will drain your bank account.

I have read that the percentage of increase in crops using chemicals is negligible. Not really cost effective.

I know since I let the chickens in to "clean" the garden I have less snails and slug damage. I do have a mouse problem though, since they get under the winter covers on the bed.

I put some fake snakes bought at the dollar store around and that does help. I also leave any snake I see alone.

I did kill this weasel that had a mouse but ran into the garage when I scared it. I had to kill it since it will kill chickens and I had some in a room off the garage. It's a long story.

 

[rancher hicks]

I came here to ask.

Is there anyone who builds hedgerows?

They actually have a hedgerow society. This paragraph is from an issue of English gardening.

" High on the hill stood a lonely goatherd, "yodelaiiyodelaii". He was there because he had followed his herds around the place to ensure that they were not devoured by wolves. Soon he got bored of this and began to enclose the fields with hedges to keep his charges from straying. Over time he realized that there was a way of making these hedges completely stock proof; in this way the art of hedgelaying was born.
In simple terms, an overgrown hedge is laid on it's side and turned into a tightly woven barrier. This is so much more exciting than a barbed wire fence. It will flower, produce berries, and provide an invaluable habitat for all sorts of wildlife, rich with flowers, berries and wildlife.

There are different styles of hedge depending on where you are, it is hard work but very satisfying. If you want to give it try there are courses available. through the National Hedgelaying Society at www.hedgelaying.org.uk. "

I plan to build one using some wild roses that are a pain but might be useful. Plus raspberries, black berries and gooseberries. All have thorns that might deter a fox from trying to get through. The wild roses root very easily and have small white flowers that bloom only once but get quite thick.

My plan is to run a row of poultry wire and then plant up against it so the plants grow through it.

There are of course other plants with thorns that can be used too.

 

[rancher hicks]

What can I use that is organic for Sawflies on my Currant bushes? Only one seems to be affected. There is one Red that is affected then two Crandall blacks and then another Red that has bumps on the leaves and may be a little tightly fenced. It got a few berries but not as many at the one that is haveing it's leaves eaten.

Can you help?

 

[lazy gardener]

Do a bit of research on White Pine Blister Rust to see if it matches the description of the bumps on the leaves. This article might help you: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/sawfly-insect-control.htm

 

[Flock Leader]

What a great thread. We're going organic too. I started making compost this year and am using my chickens for pest control. We have heavy clay soil that would need A LOT of work to improve, so for now we're doing raised beds. Friends of ours have just minimized their sheep flock and they have plenty of old rotted straw and manure which we want to ask them if we can have for our garden (I can't imagine they'll say no). Our fruit trees do need lots of TLC and compost in order to overcome being pruned nearly to the ground by a neighbor's goats (which are now sold, luckily).