Helpful Information

Approved Organic Mulches

Wood chips, straw, leaf mold (partially decomposed form of shredded fresh leaves), grass clippings (no seed heads, no weeds), sawdust, rice hulls, pecan hulls, clean non-printed cardboard, new paper (non-colored sections) overlapped 6 inches and 3 to 6 inches thick can be used under organic mulch.

Approved Organic Pesticides and Fertilizers

Organic Herbicide Recipes: The most effective and surefire way to get rid of weeds is to pull them before the seed head develops.

• Vinegar Solutions: According to research, vinegar solutions are the best organic alternatives to herbicide treatment.
• 10% white vinegar from grain alcohol
  • Put in a spray bottle with warm water and spray weeds for 2 days.
    • If you have larger weeds:
      • 10% vinegar
      • 1 oz. orange oil
      • 1 tbsp. molasses
      • 1 tsp liquid dish soap
      • Put all listed ingredients in a 1 gallon sprayer
• Lemon juice and vinegar
  • 4 oz. lemon juice
  • 1 qt. white vinegar

Organic Pest Control Recipes are nice to children and beneficial insects.

• Neem Spray
  • ½ oz. organic high quality neem oil
  • ½ tsp. liquid soap (suggested: Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap. It is organic and all natural)
  • 2 qt. warm water
• Salt Spray (Spider mites)
  • 2 tbsp. Himalayan salt into 1 gal. of warm water.
• Citrus Oil/Cayenne Pepper (Ants)
  • 10 drops of citrus oil
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup of warm water
  • Shake well
• Soap, Orange Oil and H2O (Ants, slugs and roaches)
  • 3 tbsp. liquid Organic Castile soap
  • 1 oz. orange oil
  • Mix in 1 gal. water
• Eucalyptus Oil (flies, bees and wasps)
  • Apply directly to area of infestation
• Onion/Garlic Spray
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1 med. size onion
  • Add to a qt. of water
  • Wait 1hour
  • Then add 1tsp. cayenne pepper and 1 tbsp. of liquid soap.
    • If stored in fridge, it will keep for a week.
• Chile Pepper/Diatomaceous Earth
  • Grind 2 handfuls of dry Chile’s into a fine powder
  • Mix 1 cup diatomaceous Earth
  • Add 2 liters of water and let it sit overnight
  • Shake well before applying

Organic Fertilizers:

• Epsom Salt (MgSO4): When lacking magnesium, MgSO4 is a great solution. Epsom salt does not go well with sage.
  • Enhances fertilizers
  • No build-up in soil
  • Uses;
    • In potted plants: 2 tbsp. per gal of water once a month
    • In a garden: spray at initial plantings and when veggies begin to mature. If transplanting, apply 1 month after transplants
      • 1 cup per 100 sq. ft.  Work into soil before seeding or planting
      • 1 tbsp. per 1 gal. of water
• Coffee Grounds: Rich in N, Mg, K
  • Line a cookie sheet with newspaper, then spread the coffee grounds on the sheet to dry out completely
  • Great for acid-loving plants like blueberries, beans, cucumbers, onions and more
  • Remember not too much – too much acid can be harmful
• Egg Shells Fertilizer CaCO3 (lime):
  • Best if eggshells are from boiled eggs
  • Dry the eggshells and blend to a fine powder
  • Shake in garden
• And of course, Compost