Organic Vegetable Fertilizing and Insect Control
Posted by ichatmedia | Under Organic Food, Organic Gardening Friday Aug 1, 2008
In fertilizing your garden, first you know or determine the nutrients need to be added to the garden, soil testing is suggested to that. Non-organic fertilizer is forbidden in any organic production system but it doesn’t mean that the nutrients the plant need cannot be supplied. In fertilizing the garden, too much nitrogen can harm the garden; you must know what levels of nitrogen exist before applying and this is a gardener’s note.
Here is a nutrient content you want to know and be sure the manure sources are well composted to maximize the weed seed kill and residual disease carryover.
Manure Source Actual Nitrogen Actual Phosphorus Actual Potassium
Poultry 20 lbs. 7 lbs. 8 lbs.
Hog 10 lbs. 7 lbs. 8 lbs.
Beef 14 lbs. 9 lbs. 11 lbs.
Sheep 18 lbs. 11 lbs. 20 lbs.
In organic insect control, rotation is the first and best way to prevent insect problems and the next option is hand removal of old plant residue. Use organic insecticides as a last option or last resort, but first check with you certifier to see if they are acceptable. Sabadilla is certified acceptable to OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) as a restricted use organic product. This means it can be use only if no other alternatives are feasible. Using an insecticidal soup can control a wide range of plant destructive insects. This is not a household soup, this insecticidal soup is intended for insect especially aphids. Another insect control is bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) it is acceptable product but cannot contain petroleum distillates in the formulation. Bacillus thuringensis can control cabbage worms and hand picking is also an alternative.
