John Richmond Landscaping, Inc. • Going Organic

Going Organic

Vegetable gardens are great family projects and can save you a significant amount of money on groceries.

Want to have an organic vegetable garden? John Richmond Landscaping, Inc. can install one for you. Vegetable gardens are great family projects and can save you a significant amount of money on groceries. It is a fun way to educate children on the values of recycling through composting and get them interested in plants and gardening. Growing a vegetable gardening is a skill they will remember and pass on to their children. It is a gift.

During installation we will amend your soil with an organic mushroom compost. Mushroom compost is totally organic, dark rich, moist mixture of wheat straw, peat moss, cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, corncobs, coca bean shells, gypsum, lime, chicken litter and or horse stable bedding. Sound hardy? This combination is used to grow mushrooms. It is totally sterilized and organic.

The coarse angular grade of the aggregates discourages voles from tunneling to roots and bulbs.

We will also add Perma-til to your garden to help with drainage, root development and most importantly to discourage voles. Stalite Perma-til rotary kiln fired slate is specified as the soil additive for correcting soil compaction and drainage problems. The aggregate characteristics allow plant roots and bulbs to develop in a more desirable environment of balanced porosity for moisture and aeration. The high surface area of the Stalite also enhances nutrient retention for roots. The coarse angular grade of the aggregates discourages voles from tunneling to roots and bulbs.

Remember, composting is organic and is a great way to recycle your waste. We can install a composting bin for your or they are available in many different stores. Stop by your local coffee shops for coffee grounds.

Organic insecticides such as Pyola, a canola oil based spray that reduces the need insecticides, can be used in your garden to keep bugs away.

If you do not want to have your lawn treated with chemicals then you need to be satisfied with an imperfect lawn. Weeds can be removed manually on a yearly basis by simply thatching before aeration and seeding. Fertilization can be reduced to twice a year to reduce the amount of nitrogen making its way into our watersheds. You can also choose to use an organic fertilizer such as chicken manure. These products, while organic, still contain nitrogen.

There are organic insecticides available such as Pyola, a canola oil based spray that reduces the need for other more dangerous insecticides. While not as effective as chemical insecticides, they do work and should be tried especially in vegetable gardens. Remember we are what we eat. Please contact us for further information. We also recommend www.gardensalive.com for natural products.

Add a few perennials in pots to your organic vegetable gardenfor a fun splash of color.

Mulching is a great way to organically hold down weeds. It is also beneficial to ornamentals as it breaks down and blends with the soil. Keep in mind that pine bark is the best source of nutrients for your gardens as it breaks down. Hardwood holds the weeds down more effectively, but takes longer to break down and is less acidic. If your preference is for a mulch that holds it color longer we can provide a hardwood mulch organically dyed with a vegetable dye.

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