Organic Garden Seed Suppliers

Many home gardeners are beginning to seek out untreated, open-pollinated and heritage seeds for gardening. While organically-grown crops have many benefits over those grown by industrial agriculture, there is no definitive proof that organic crops grown from conventional seed are superior to those grown from organic seed. Growers are required to use organic seeds to maintain their 'organic' certification in order to sell crops labeled as organic. Home gardeners may find conventional seed comparable to organic in producing good results.

By far the greatest benefit that comes from choosing open-pollinated crops over hybrids is that preserving genetic variety is key to overall species health. By using good quality seeds, planting local heritage and heirloom varieties, and learning to dry and store seeds, we are contributing to developing and preserving our future food bank.

Hybrid seeds, while offering preferred traits that enhance a plant's growth and fruiting, as well as hardiness, are produced by cross-pollinating plants of different varieties in order to improve the characteristics of the resulting offspring. The process of cross-pollinating destroys the ability to produce seed that will reproduce true to type. That is, second generation plants are likely to produce different results. This takes the time-honored art of seed saving out of the equation of preserving bio-diversity.

Below is a list of online providers of organic garden seed and seedlings, for the U.S. as well as Canada. Some companies offer both organic and conventional seed, but those companies offering conventional seed must have taken the Safe Seed Pledge to be included here. According to the Council for Responsible Genetics (CRG), the Safe Seed Pledge states that providers do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.

 

All of the companies below listed in BOLD have signed the Safe Seed Pledge. Grow responsibly!

Organic Seed Sources in the U.S.

Abundant Life Seeds

P.O. Box 772 930 Lawrence St.

Port Townsend, WA, 98368

360-385-5660

360-385-7455  Fax

“Located inside our seed catalog are all of your favorite Abundant Life varieties - vegetable, flower, and herb seeds along with a great selection of garlic, seed potatoes, and live plants. All of which are 100% certified organic. We also have a wide selection of garden supplies to help your garden grow. Along with our products, you will find a tremendous amount of growing information including seed saving techniques.”

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds  

Great source for heirlooms

Botanical Interests 

660 Compton Street

Broomfield, CO 80020

720-880-7293

Family-owned company offering both conventional and organic seed. Seeds are untreated and have guaranteed germination rates.

Well known for their attractive, information-rich seed packets, Botanical Interests offers a variety of organic flower, vegetable and herb seeds. The prices are reasonable, with most packets costing less than two dollars.

Bountiful Gardens   

18001 Shafer Ranch Road

Willets, CA, 95490

707-459-6410

707-459-1925 fax

Heirloom, untreated and open-pollinated varieties of vegetables, herbs, grains and compost crops.

Dirt Works  

1195 Dog Team Road

New Haven, Vermont 05472

877 213 3828

A small, family-owned business offering a selection of organic and heirloom, non-GMO vegetable seeds.

eGardenSeed  

Boulder, CO

707-SEEDS-10 (707-733-3710)

A large selection of Heirloom, Organic vegetable, herb, flower and fruit garden seeds. High quality garden seeds hand selected, packaged and shipped direct to you.

Fedco Co-op Garden Supplies  

PO Box 520

Waterville, ME 04903

207-873-7333

Offers certified organic seed and non-GE conventional seed. Specializing in cold-hardy crops.

Seeds for organic cover crops and soil amendments, certified seed potatoes and onion sets, seed garlic, hardy fruit and nut trees, berries.

Heirloom Organics Non-Hybrid Seeds  

Heirloom vegetable, fruit, legume, grain and herb seeds. Some organic heirlooms also available. Best bang for the buck: seed packs of assorted varieties and sizes.

High Altitude Gardens/Seeds Trust
www.seedsave.org, /  www.seedstrust.com

4150 Black Oak Drive

Hailey, ID, 83333

208-788-4363

208-788-3452 fax

Over 80 years experience growing gardens and seeds at high elevation. Seeds from around the world for the coldest climates and shortest seasons. Heirloom, organic, native and high altitude varieties.

High Mowing Organic Seeds  

76 Quarry Road

Wolcott, VT 05680

802-472-6174

802-472-3201

The catalog offers over 450 organic varieties of heirloom, open-pollinated and hybrid organic seeds. Also carries books and supplies. Free seed pack with every online order.

 

Johnny's Selected Seeds 

955 Benton Ave.

Winslow, ME, 04901

800-854-2580

800-738-6314 fax

“Since beginning in 1973 Johnny's has served organic growers, both professional and amateur. We continue to carefully strengthen our range of organic seeds, as well as fertilizers and pesticides permitted by the USDA's National Organic Program for use in organic production.”

Both non-GE conventional and organic seed, with an extensive organic collection including hard-to-find cultivars. Garden tools also available.

John Scheeper's Kitchen Garden Seeds 

Bantam, Connecticut

Vegetable, herb, edible and bouquet flower seeds. A delightful printed catalog with nice drawings, recipes and tips. Order online if you like, but be sure to request the print catalog.

Kitazawa Seed Company   

PO Box 13220

Oakland, CA  94661-3220

510-595-1188

510-595-1860 fax

They offer a tremendous selection of Asian Vegetable seeds and are the oldest seed company in America. Kitazawa has over 250 varieties of traditional and heirloom seeds native to Japan.

Local Harvest  

220 21st Ave

Santa Cruz, CA 95062

831-475-8150

831-401-2418 fax

An online service that helps you find local sources for sustainably grown food. They also sell a wide variety of vegetable seed and nursery stock. Read the product notes to see which are organic and/or untreated.

Main Street Seed and Supply  

401 Main Street

Bay City, MI 48706

866-229-3276 toll free

Main Street is a small company which specializes in offering small amounts of seed (with the home gardener in mind) for reasonable prices. Their choice of seeds is limited to the basic vegetable varieties.

Marianna's Heirloom Seeds

1955 CCC Road

Dickson TN, 37055

615 446 9191

615 441 6445 fax

Extraordinary heirloom and Italian seeds. Over 500 varieties, offering gifts too.

“All seeds come with a satisfaction guarantee. If for any reason you are not totally satisfied, you will receive a replacement or a refund. All seed packets contain 25 seeds minimum. Most will contain 25-40 seeds unless stated in it's description in the catalog. All seed is untreated. Our stand is firm in opposing genetic engineering. I grow using organic methods, but am not certified.”

Mountain Valley Growers  

38325 Pepperwood Road

Squaw Valley, CA, 93675

559-338-2775

Certified organically grown seed for basil, sunflower, annual herbs, gourmet greens.

The Natural Gardening Co.  

P.O. Box 760776

Petaluma, CA , 94975-0776

707-766-9303

707-766-9747 fax

Online catalog offers organically grown and open-pollinated vegetables and herbs. The organic items are clearly marked as such, and the prices are reasonable. Also sells gardening supplies.

Native Seeds/SEARCH 

526 N. 4th Ave

Tucson, AZ , 85705

520-622-5561

520-622-5591 fax

a non-profit organization that seeks to preserve the crop seeds that connect Native American cultures to their lands. Through seed conservation and community interaction Native Seeds/SEARCH works to protect crop biodiversity and to celebrate cultural diversity.” Online and print catalog, membership.

More than 2000 different seeds representing traditional native crops such as corn, bean, squash.

Nichols Garden Nursery  

1190 No. Pacific Hwy. NE

Albany, OR, 97321

541-928-9280

866-408-4851

800-422-3985

541-967-8406 fax

Family owned. Vegetable, herb, grass seeds. Bulk spices and teas, books, gardening supplies and more. Be sure to check out their Wedding Seeds if you or someone you know is having a wedding. Online and print catalogs.

Complete garden seeds catalog featuring new and unusual vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Emphasizing short season varieties, flavor and performance.

Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply  

PO Box 2209

Grass Valley, CA 95945

530-272-4769

888-784-1722

Extensive offering of organic garden seeds as well as non-GE conventional seeds, both in home gardening quantities and bulk quantities. Plus offers a good variety of bare root, root crop stock and mushroom kits. Gardening supplies also available. There is a good mix of edible and ornamental varieties here, as well as books and gardening supplies.

Plants of the Southwest 

Agua Fria Road

Route 6, Box 11A

Santa Fe, NM, 87501

800-788-7333

505-438-8800 fax

Specializes in drought-tolerant US native plants (wildflowers, grasses, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, and trees) and seeds.

Renee's Garden  

Boasts seed varieties from around the world and tested for the home gardener including unusual seed choices, time-tested heirlooms, international hybrids and open-pollinated varieties.

Seed Savers Exchange 

3026 North Winn Road

Decorah IA 52101

563-382-5990

563-382-6511 fax

Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization that is saving "heirloom" (handed-down) garden seeds from extinction.  SSE's 8,000 members grow and distribute heirloom varieties of vegetables, fruits and grains. SSE's main focus is on heirloom varieties that gardeners and farmers brought to North America when their families immigrated, and traditional varieties grown by Native Americans, Mennonites and Amish. Since SSE was founded in 1975, our members have distributed an estimated 750,000 samples of endangered seeds not available through catalogs and often on the verge of extinction.  SSE has always been the leader of the heirloom seed movement, and the diligent efforts of our members are making rare heirloom varieties available to gardeners everywhere.” Membership.

Seeds of Change  

P.O. Box 15700

Santa Fe, NM 87506

888-762-7333

A favorite among organic gardeners, Seeds of Change features a wide range of heirloom vegetable seeds and informative articles on organic gardening, tools and techniques.

Plus offers organic seedlings for a select variety of seed. Organic fruit trees available, as well as gardening supplies. 5% discount for online orders.

Seeds Trust  

Vegetable, wild flower, native grass and herb seeds. All are untreated and suitable for certified organic gardens and farms. Organic, heirloom and hybrids available.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange  

Certified organic and primarily heirloom seeds, offering only select hybrids where open-pollinated counterpart doesn't exist or by popular demand.

Territorial Seed Co.  

P.O. Box 158

Cottage Grove, OR 97424

541-942-9547

888-657-3131 fax

Organic research farm. Seeds and plants particularly adapted to the Pacific Northwest as well as other regions. Their print catalog contains a wealth of cultural information. Offers both organic and non-GE conventional seed, plus mushroom kits for select varieties. Garden tools and supplies also available.

Territorial offers a wide selection of organic vegetable seeds, especially greens, tomatoes and lettuces.

The Thyme Garden  

Alsea, Oregon

Family-owned. An amazing collection of  organic herb seeds, everlasting seeds, live herb and flower plants, hops, bare root perennials, dried herbs, essential oils, herb and spice blends and more. They also have tours and serve group luncheons. Online and print catalog.

Tomato Fest  

PO Box 628

Little River, CA 95456

More than 600 varieties of certified organic heirloom tomato seeds.

Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seeds  

Camphill Village

Copake NY 12516

888-516-7797

678-202-1351 fax

Turtle Tree offers a wide variety of 100% open-pollinated seeds for farm, grain and cover crops as well as vegetables, flowers and herbs.

 

Underwood Gardens 

Organic by practice. Specializes in rare and heirloom seed. Paying for an annual site membership gives users 10% discount and more.

Victory Heirloom Seed Co.   

P.O. Box 192

Molalla, OR, 97038

503-829-3126

A small, family owned company that works to preserve plant varieties by locating, growing, documenting and offering heirloom and rare open-pollinated seeds to home gardeners. Catalog offers a wide variety of rare heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds.

Wood Prairie Farm  

49 Kinney Road

Bridgewater, ME 04734

800-829-9765

800-631-8027

800-300-6494 fax

A beautiful selection of rainbow colored  organically grown potatoes and certified seed potatoes. Also Gourmet Organic Gifts including a monthly potato club, potato patch kit, samplers, cheeses, grains, nuts, beans, dried fruit and winter vegetables. Also tips on growing potatoes organically and cooking them.

Organic Seed Sources in CANADA

Dominion Seed House 

Box 2500

Georgetown ON L7G 5L6

A leader in gardening products by mail order: flowers, vegetables and herbs (available as seeds, plants, bulbs or cuttings), as well as accessories. Dominion is now a "certified organic enterprise".

Full Circle Seeds 

Box 807

Sooke BC V0S 1 N0.

250-642-3671

250-642-3671 fax

Open-pollinated, untreated and locally-grown vegetables, flowers, herbs, and more.

McKenzie Seeds  

30 - 9th Street

Brandon, MB R7A 6E1

Canada's largest seed packet supplier with over 1,000 varieties. Their catalog lists 27 varieties of organic seeds, representing the common popular garden vegetables and herbs.

Ontario Seed Company 

Box 7

Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z6

519 886-0557

519 886-0605 fax

Canada’s foremost supplier of native seeds for conservation and reclamation.

Richters Seeds  

357 Highway 47

Goodwood ON L0C 1A0

1.905.640.6641 fax

888-HERB-726

Over 700 varieties of herb seeds plants and gourmet vegetables. All seeds are untreated. Many varieties of open-pollinated and organic seeds are available, with a smaller selection of heirloom seeds.

Salt Spring Seeds  

Box 444 Ganges P.O.

Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2W1

250.537.5269

All seeds are untreated, open-pollinated and non-GMO. Salt Spring grows all its own grow seeds and sells only the most recently harvested.

Stokes Seeds  

Box 10

St. Catherines ON L2R 6R6

Stokes seeds are not organically grown, but they do sell some heirloom varieties and some untreated varieties. Their collection favors hybrid seeds, not open-pollinated, because the superior vigor of the hybrids suit the Canadian northeast growing environment. They do not carry GMO seeds.

Veseys Seeds for Shorter Seasons 

PO Box 9000

Charlottetown, PE, Canada, C1A 8K6

902-368-7333

800-686-0329 fax

Veseys offers a selection of certified organic seed produced under strict guidelines which govern the production of certified organic products. Canadian-based, but sells to the US market.

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Are We Doing First Time Gardeners a Disservice?

I would like to see everybody have their own garden. Every yard, every apartment balcony, every city rooftop, every city park needs to be overflowing with natures bounty tended by knowledgeable dedicated gardeners. But, not everyone wants to and not everyone who wants to has the confidence to get started. This is where those of us who write garden blogs or gardening websites need to be diligent about presenting as much accurate information as we can and not paint incomplete pictures that will likely lead to failure or less than desirable success.

In my travels through cyberspace I come across many sites giving ‘tips’ on “How to Start a Garden”. Most list the basic considerations involved in creating a successful garden, whether for flowers or for edibles: color coordination for a flower garden, sunlight requirements, annuals or perennials, and focal point.

There are a few other considerations that don’t usually get mentioned, such as: soil type, when to plant, when or how often to fertilize, what fertilize to use. And then there’s the question of going organic or chemical.

I don’t fault these sites for not mentioning these other considerations, they can get quite involved and the site most likely does not want to invest that much time in these issues. But an injustice is being done by presenting the act of growing nature as a one weekend affair of walking out of a nursery or big box store with plants in tow, digging a hole and expecting those plants to perform year after year. And it is especially callous to paint this image for the sake of selling potted plants. There is quite a bit of work involved in having a successful and productive garden. And one of the most basic and most important steps in attaining a healthy garden is knowing what type of soil you have to work with.

Soil type: The majority of homeowners are not blessed with ideal gardening soil. The easily workable soil you see on televised gardening programs does not occur naturally. This soil type is known as loam, and is the result of mixing composted material with the natural soil which, in most parts of America, is clay. You can grow almost anything in clay, typically clay holds abundant nutrients for almost any plant but getting clay to release those nutrients while providing reasonable drainage are the two major problems with working with clay. These problems are not insurmountable. With dedicated attention, and lots of compost, clay will provide you a beautiful and productive garden.

The third soil type is sand. This soil presents the exact opposite problems of clay: too much drainage and very little nutrients. These problems can also be overcome with compost.

Compost can be purchased or made in your own backyard with cheap, readily accessible ingredients.

You can attain perfect loamy soil in one year’s time if you are willing to remove a lot of your existing soil and replace it with a lot of composted material. Most of us don’t have the money to do this. And the natural soil-type will return if you don’t keep up with it on a yearly basis. Ideal soil takes years to create. In the meantime, while building your substandard soil, you can grow whatever you like by digging individual holes for each plant and filling the hole with store-bought loam. This is going to be a pricey proposition as well, but it will get you started.

The bottom line is that you cannot just plop plants in clay or sandy soil and expect them to survive.

The special attention you give them, year after year, is going to make all the difference between healthy productive plants and brown lifeless twigs.

One important lesson I have learned is to buy from nurseries and not big box stores. Some people can walk into a Home Depot, Lowe’s or Walmart and find a plant that will perform quite nicely in their yard. It is rare that you can find a knowledgeable garden-type person in these stores. Plant tags are getting better about passing on important information but it is usually pretty general if given at all. If you are knowledgeable enough to recognize stressed plants (and know to stay away from them) and if you are confident enough that you can bring them back from otherwise certain death then I wish you much happiness with your choice and ability. But let me interject this thought, nurseries are struggling because they don’t have a very high profit margin due to all of these aforementioned box stores cutting into their trade. So if you can see your way to patronize them for your gardening needs instead, they, and the rest of us, would be most appreciative. By the way, I am not in any way affiliated with any garden nursery. I do not sell plants. My interest is in having local nurseries available to find healthy plants and knowledgeable employees that cannot be found in big box stores.

If you are fortunate enough to move into a home with an established garden then count yourself lucky. Otherwise, expect to add compost and/or composted materials, ideally, each fall but spring works too.

You can find good information on the internet and the many wonderful garden blogs it has to offer, and if you keep in mind this one very basic thought that when you feed the soil you will provide your plants the very best possible chance they have of meeting your expectations whether they be vegetables or flowers.

If we don’t get first time gardens started properly with accurate and complete information then we are selling ourselves short. The larger the gardening community grows the better the chance we have of guaranteeing seed diversity, of maintaining healthy eating habits, of educating our children as to where food comes from and the part we all play in nature, and of providing habitat to wildlife that our spreading population is destroying.

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Attracting Beneficial Insects

Found a very useful list of plants that attract beneficial insects. It was put together by Steve Zien of Living Resources Company.

While we are preparing our shopping list for our spring garden I thought now would be a great time to choose some plants to attract beneficials. Since my garden is still relatively young, next spring will start its third year, I really haven’t been bothered by many pests. But, I am pretty sure that could change. I don’t use chemical pesticides so choosing the right plants and scattering them strategically around the garden will go a long way to preventing major problems.

As anyone who has gardened for a few years can tell you, aphids, and other pests, have a way of getting out of control very quickly. First a few aphids appear on the cole crops or roses, but the number is so small that you think “what harm can just a few very tiny insects do?” A week later the aphids have doubled in number and it seems as each day passes their population explodes and your plants are showing signs of stress. Now, you start to get concerned. Do you reach for the insecticidal soap spray you’ve been hearing about or do you rely on nature to send some ladybugs your way. Just as it seems you can’t wait any longer those beautifully black-spotted orange ladybugs arrive and you emit a sigh of relief.

If waiting for the chance arrival of ladybugs causes you to loose sleep or makes you bite your nails then maybe it’s time to think about a safer, less stressful, backup plan. Aphids can do quite a bit of damage in a very short time so why not prevent that by providing a habitat that ensures ladybugs are already in your garden to prevent the aphid population from getting so large?

If you are growing a variety of plants you may find that some beneficials are already present. Checking out the list in the link above I discovered that I already have some good homes for beneficials, like yarrow, basket of gold, sweet alyssum, marigolds, carrots, etc. The list is long so the biggest problem is, as usual, finding space for them.

To attract more beneficials consider viewing your garden as an insectary, a habitat where beneficial insect friends will feel at home. Provide them with food, water, and shelter and keep the soil covered with organic matter. You already avoid putting any harmful chemicals into their habitat so you are well on your way to providing what they need most, a safe environment for them to feast to their hearts content.

Further Reading:

Books:
"Pests of the Garden and Small Farm" by UC Davis Entomologist Mary Louise Flint
"The Natural Enemies Handbook" by UC Davis Entomologist Mary Louise Flint

Websites and blogs:
Grinning Planet
Plants for Attracting Beneficial Insects
Gardens Ablaze

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Lawn or Food?

Lawn grass is the largest irrigated U.S. crop. "Even conservatively," notes NASA researcher Cristina Milesi, "I estimate there are three times more acres of lawns in the U.S. than irrigated corn."

That equals approximately 128,000 kilometers. Keeping all of that grass green requires about 200 gallons of fresh, typically drinking-quality water per person per day.

With the rising costs of groceries, homeowners are turning more and more of their lawn into vegetable gardens. From around the country garden centers have reported increased sales in vegetable plants and seeds. Red Barn Garden Center in Dellwood North Carolina has been part of the gardening scene for 35 years, and owner/manager Karen Collins says there are at least 15-20% more people raising vegetable gardens this year. This harkens back to 20 years ago, during another fuel price increase.

First-time gardeners are citing several reasons for getting started, and experienced gardeners are using some of the same reasons for expanding their backyard plots. Some reasons given are:

To reduce food costs

To grow food they know is safe, as long as you choose organic fertilizers over chemicals

To get exercise and have a hobby, especially baby boomers who are retiring

To get a wider variety of food than available in stores, more flavorful than industrially raised food

Burpee seed sales have increased greatly in the past three years says George Ball Jr., president of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., a leading national provider of seeds based in Warminster, Bucks County.

In the United Kingdom, vegetable gardening is on the rise, thanks to an increasing distaste for factory foods and a desire to limit “food miles.” Citizens are becoming more concerned about the distance food has to travel and the carbon emissions that result from a lengthy shipping process. Fresh vegetables grown in backyards or small parcels of leased land, called allotments, are considered more environmentally friendly.

This spring, The Guardian, a British newspaper, reported a substantial increase in vegetable seed sales. The country’s Horticultural Trades Association showed a 31% increase in sales of vegetable seeds and a corresponding 32% decrease in sales of flower seeds.

The book “Food Not Lawns,” by Heather C. Flores is helping to support a movement for homeowners to replace parts of their lawns to grow vegetables. Unfortunately, some cities and townships still have archaic codes stipulating that trees and grass should be the primary elements in front yards. “Renegade” gardeners are bucking the system and the trend is beginning to take hold. Edibles make more environmental and economic sense. Irrigation costs are going toward something that can be consumed, rather than simply admired. Front-yard produce also makes eating healthy more affordable and accessible. Who can argue with that?

Over the past several years, according to a 2006 National Gardening Survey, interest in vegetable gardening remained relatively steady. U.S. households growing vegetables ranged from 22 to 25 percent. Sales of vegetable seeds decreased in 2006, while vegetable transplants saw a slight increase. Organic food sales increased 38.4%, according to consumer research company Mintel International. The company projected that sales of organic foods will increase 71% through 2011.

With higher food and fuel prices (mainly in transportation costs) along with food safety issues as top reasons for growing your own, homegrown veggies are beginning to look like a lot more reasonable alternative to supermarket offerings.

No matter the reason for the increase in new gardeners, I wish to extent a hearty welcome to all of the new comers and to those who are converting flowers to vegetables. Perhaps we will see an increase in the number of blogs to help feed our voyeuristic tendencies.

Sources

Southeast Missourian

GreenBeam Pro

Cortez Journal

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Asheville Citizen-Times

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Organic or not

One thing I have not yet had to deal with in any great numbers is insect pests. Sure there have been the occasional hole in a leaf or chew marks around the edges but nothing to make me want to reach for the insecticides. Not that I would without hesitation, but I just don’t know yet. I would like to believe I wouldn’t. Having not faced the prospect of losing the entire plot my resolve has not yet been tested.

Right now, weeds are my only real enemy and I have been satisfied with just pulling them by hand. I guess I haven’t gotten too tired of it yet. I have learned that just piling 3”-4” of mulch on the bed does not cut out weeds entirely. Since this is my first year at gardening in something other than a raised bed, and thick mulching is the only ‘weed control’ I have used, I have not yet been faced with the horror stories I have read about of weeds completely taking over plant beds.

My experience with growing vegetables has been in raised beds and I have very little problem with weeds there. Insects have always made their presence known but nothing too serious.

I have read books that extol the virtues of maintaining the organic way of life and I have always thought it sounded like a lot of work. Idealistically it would be great if everyone would practice it but I don’t think many people do. There are too many people today, with their busy lifestyles who have become accustomed to having instant gratification and will therefore, if they bother to garden at all, reach for a chemically based fertilizer or pesticide that guarantees quick success.

I have to admit that I have a few of these chemicals in my garden shed. When I first started flower gardening I thought it was inevitable that I would need a ‘well stocked’ chemical shelf of insecticide, herbicide and chemically based fertilizer. I have used Carbaryl on the Box Elder bugs that hang around the shed that sits underneath the drooping branches of a neighbors Box Elder tree. But I don’t have any vegetables growing in that area so I don’t feel I am doing any damage. I sprinkle it around the perimeter of the shed in an attempt to keep them out because they like to hang out inside in the heat of the day. I have cut down on their numbers, there aren’t nearly as many as there was last year. But it never completely got rid of the bothersome little buggers.

I also have to admit to using a complete herbicide when clearing a patch of ground to start a new bed a year before planting anything in it. And again, this plot is not to be used for vegetables.

As far as maintaining plots that already have plants in them, I have five plots that have flowers only in them and they are not completed yet, I fear using anything chemically based, so the chemical based fertilizer I bought remains unopened and unused. The fertilizer I do use is based entirely on animal products and naturally occurring minerals. People have suggested I use Miracle-Gro about midway through the season but after reading the books on organics and re-reading the label of ingredients on the Miracle-Gro I turned away from it. Next year will be year number two for all of these flower plots I started and I plan on spreading composted steer manure in the Spring and scratching it into the soil. So, I am trying to make a conscious effort to stay organic. I just don’t know how I will react if I am the victim of a large-scale insect attack.

I guess I have never believed in a totally idealistic way of life such as organic gardening is supposed to be. Real life and what you read about in books rarely match up. So, in order for me to go totally organic, I am going to have to be convinced it is worth the effort.

The creed of organic gardening is that if you don’t use any chemicals in your plot then nature will balance the population of bad organisms with a population of good organisms so that you will never completely lose an entire plot to voracious insects. Forgive me if I am not completely convinced yet. I am open to trying this lifestyle to see if it works, but the first time I lose an entire plot, then out come the chemicals.

But wait, there are natural pesticides available, if not to purchase then there are many recipes so you can make your own, right? Well, I have tried some of these recipes and they can be a bit messy and don’t last very long. Like I said I have not had a major problem with insects so maybe I should not try to pass judgment on their effectiveness yet.

The most common natural pest control is insecticidal soap. Another popular recipe involves the use of garlic. I have used them both as sprays and remain dubious as to their effectiveness. Other recipes use onion or mint. It seems to me that the action of just spraying insects with a strong spray in order to knock them off of the plant is enough to combat the problem they present. Another recipe I found uses tomato leaves crushed up with cornstarch in water and used as a spray. I have not tried this one yet but those leaves would have to be ground up pretty finely in order to pass through the sprayer head.

I like the idea of the botanical pesticides such as Neem, Rotenone, Pyrethrin and Sabadilla. Although I have never used these I would be willing to try them before using chemicals.

The bottom line on all of these natural pesticides is that they break down readily in the soil and are not stored in plant or animal tissue. These are big pluses for me. As much as I don’t like cats in my yard scaring away the birds, I would not want to be responsible for poisoning one. Also, I don’t want to poison the birds just to keep some plants.

None of these natural pesticides will last very long so that repeat sprayings will always be required. This is itself is a bit of a hassle but still a small price to pay for not poisoning the environment.

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Found this fertilizer that looks really promising

I saw an ad for this product called Worm Poop. Naturally, it caught my attention. It is liquid worm casings, which is an organically rich product that has been touted for years as one of the best fertilizers to use for feeding plants as well as protecting plants from a myriad of pests.





The ad said the company recycles bottles that customers send to them and I thought, now that sounds like a win-win situation in that it helps keep at least some plastic out of the landfills, for awhile anyway. The ad directed me to www.terracycle.net to learn more about how to get your organization involved so I checked it out.

I realized, after reading about the product that I have heard of this product from another gardeners blog a couple of months ago, sorry I can’t remember who, but then I saw the article about them being sued by Scott’s Miracle-Gro. After reading about the law-suit and learning why Scott’s is suing, I could not believe it. Scotts claims that the two companies’ products look similar and will ‘confuse customers because some TerraCycle plant foods have a green and yellow label with a circle and a picture of flowers and vegetables on it.’

I looked again at the product and realized that when I first looked at the Terracycle product that I did not even think about Miracle-Gro. Therefore I am convinced that this lawsuit is completely without merit. I don’t think we gardeners are simple minded enough that just because a package is similar in color to Miracle-Gro that we will think we are buying Miracle-Gro. I think Scotts is insulting our intelligence. We can read after all.

The website goes on to compare the two companies from several different aspects, which I personally think is a little “over-the-top” and unnecessary, but Terracycle is the ‘little guy’ and underdog type in this battle.

TerraCycle is requesting our help by asking us to write to Scotts Board of Directors telling them why they should not sue TerraCycle and I for one am going to write to them.

I do feel insulted by Scotts claim that we as consumers cannot tell the difference between a Miracle-Gro label and any other label that is yellow and green.

I also would hate to see a company that has the foresight to attempt to address the recycle problem as well as promote an organic way of life get pushed out of business because some goliath feels threatened.

Are there really more people who would rather grow plants with chemicals than to grow them organically?

I am sure, or would like to believe, that gardeners have at least heard of the benefits of organic gardening and have also heard and seen proof of how chemicals are damaging our environment.

Let’s all write to Scotts and tell them that we are intelligent enough to read labels and differentiate between chemicals and organic products. Let’s be polite about it and not be insulting as they have been towards us. Let’s remind them that TerraCycle is small enough not to be a threat to their profits and that Scotts does not need to own the entire market.

Perhaps we can suggest to Scotts that maybe they can learn from TerraCycle’s example and start their own recycling program to help clean-up our environment.

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