1. food and drink
2. desserts and baking

Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
March - April 2008
. Volume XI . Number 3
www.dirtdoctor.com
1 Note from Howard
4 Color Your Easter Eggs Naturally!
6 Haint Blue Paint for Repelling
Bugs and Evil Spirits
7 Cornmeal and its Many Uses
8 Formulas for Organic Home Brews
9 Organic Rose Program
10 Organic Pecan & Fruit Tree
Program
12 Hazardous Waste Collections
12 Herb Tea
13 Edible & Medicinal Landscaping
Plants
14 Howard's Books
15 Recommended Reading
16 Basic Organic Materials
19 Organic Procedures
20 Pest Control
21 Attracting Birds
Trees succumb to insect pests and
diseases because they are in stress and
sick. Mother Nature then sends in the
clean up crews. Insects and pathogens
are just doing their job - trying to take
out the unfit plants. Most plant sickness
is environmental - too much water, not
enough water, too much fertilizer, wrong
kind of fertilizer, toxic chemical
pesticides, compaction of soil, grade
changes, ill-adapted plant varieties and/
or over planting single plant species and
creating monocultures, as was done
with American elms in the Northwest
and the red oak/live oak communities in
certain parts of the South.
22 Tree Problems & Solutions
25 Refractometer
26 Organic Product & Services
30 Organic Household Maintenance
30 The Easiest and Most Useful
Herbs to Grow
31 Take Time for Tea
32 Creature Features
33 Plant of the Month
34 Question & Answer
My plan is simple. Keep trees in a
healthy condition so their immune
systems can resist insect pests and
diseases. It has been noticed by many
farmers and ranchers that oak wilt
doesn’t bother some trees - especially
those that are mulched and those
where the natural habitat under trees
has been maintained. The Sick Tree
Treatment is not just good for oak wilt,
but for any other tree disease as well.
Here is how it works:
37 Monthly Calender
Sick Tree Treatment
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/cover-08March-April_p.html3/3/2008 10:45:42 AM
Step 1: Remove Excess Soil from
above the Root Ball
A very high percentage of trees are
too deep in their containers and also
have been planted too low or have had
fill soil or eroded soil added on top of
the root flares. Soil on top of the root
flare reduces oxygen availability and
leads to circling and girdling roots.
Soil, or even heavy mulch, on trunks
keeps the bark constantly moist which
can rot or girdle trees. Excess soil and
circling and girdling roots should be
removed before planting. Removing
soil from the root flares of already
planted trees should be done
professionally with a tool called the Air
Spade. Homeowners can do the work
by hand with a stiff broom or gentle
water and a shop-vac if done very
carefully. Vines and ground covers
should also be kept off tree trunks.
Step 2: Aerate the Root Zone
Heavily
Don’t rip, till or plow the soil. That
destroys all the feeder roots. Punch
holes (with turning forks, core aerators
or agriculture devices such as the AirWay) heavily throughout the root zone.
Start between the drip line and
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
the trunk and go far out beyond the
drip line, 6-8" deep holes are ideal, but
any depth is beneficial. An alternative
is to spray the root zone with a living
organism product such as Nature’s
Creation with mycorrhizal fungi.
diseases. Dry granulated garlic can
also be used on the soil in the root
zone at about 1-2 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft.
for additional disease control. Adding
Plant Wash to the spray is also
beneficial.
Step 3: Apply Organic Amendments
Apply greensand at about 40-80 lbs.
per 1,000 sq. ft., lava sand at about
80-120 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.,
horticultural cornmeal at about 20-30
lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. and dry molasses
at about 10-20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.
Cornmeal is a natural disease fighter
and molasses is a carbohydrate
source to feed the microbes in the
soil. Expanded shale applied at 1/2 "
is also very helpful if the budget allows
this step. Apply a 1" layer of compost
followed by a 3" layer of shredded
native tree trimmings; however, do not
pile mulch up on the root flare or the
trunk. Smaller amounts of these
materials can be used where budget
restrictions exist.
Step 4: Spray Trees and Soil
Spray the ground, trunks, limbs, twigs
and foliage of trees with compost tea
or the entire Garrett Juice mixture. Do
this monthly or more often if possible.
For large-scale farms and ranches, a
one-time spraying is beneficial if the
budget doesn’t allow ongoing sprays.
Adding garlic oil tea or cornmeal juice
to the spray is also beneficial for
disease control while the tree is in
trouble. Cornmeal Juice is a natural
fungal control that is made by soaking
horticultural or whole ground cornmeal
in water at 1 cup per 5 gallons of
water. Screen out the solids and spray
without further dilution. Cornmeal
Juice can be mixed with compost tea,
Garrett Juice or any other natural
foliar feeding spray. It can also be
used as a soil drench for the control of
soil borne
Step 5: Stop Using High Nitrogen
Fertilizers and Toxic Chemical
Pesticides
Toxic chemical pesticides kill
beneficial nematodes, other helpful
microbes and good insects, and also
control the pest insects poorly.
Synthetic fertilizers are unbalanced,
harsh, high in salt, often contaminated
and destructive to the chemistry, the
structure and the life in the soil. They
also feed plants poorly.
P.S. During drought conditions, adding
soil moisture is a critical component.
TREE GOOP
1/3 of each of the following mixed in
water: soft rock phosphate, natural
diatomaceous earth, manure compost.
Slop it on the trunk. Note: fireplace
ashes can be substituted for the soft
rock phosphate.
After backfilling:
• Add volcanic rock dust product to
disturbed area at 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq.
ft.
• Add 1" compost and volcanic sand.
• Add shredded tree trimmings mulch
as shown. Do not pile mulch on trunks.
• Do not stake trees.
• Do not wrap trunks.
• Do not thin or top trees.
• Do not build watering rings.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-content_p.html3/3/2008 10:51:10 AM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Note: Remove any soil that has been added to the top of the root balls before planting. Remove the burlap from the top
of the ball and burlapped plants. Remove circling and girdling roots from all. Expose the actual top of the root ball.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-03_p.html3/3/2008 10:52:38 AM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
shades, but can result in uneven coloring
unless the eggs are rotated vigilantly
while in the dye. For hollow eggs that will
last indefinitely, cold-dip raw eggs, then
blow them out after they are dyed.
Boiled Method
Strainer
Small bowls
Eggs
Large metal spoon
Paper towels
Drying rack
Dye Recipes
The tradition of dyeing eggs goes
back to medieval times when
people made pace eggs to
celebrate spring and Pasch, the
original name given to Easter or
Passover.
Your kitchen is full of natural dyes.
Common food items such as red
cabbage, onion skins, and coffee
can be used to transform plain
white eggs into colorful Easter
gems. Kids will especially love
discovering all the different colors
they can create -- let them
experiment using hard-boiled eggs
and bowls of cold dyes.
Tools and Materials
Natural dyeing agents (red
cabbage, turmeric, onion skins,
beets, and coffee)
3-quart pot (or larger)
White vinegar
Select a dyeing agent, and place it in the
pot using the amount listed below. Add 1
quart water and 2 tablespoons white
vinegar to pot; if more water is
necessary to cover ingredients,
proportionally increase the amount of
vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat.
Allow the ingredients to simmer for 30
minutes. Strain dye into a bowl.
Red-cabbage dye: 4 cups chopped
cabbage
Turmeric dye: 3 tablespoons turmeric
Onion-skin dye: 4 cups onion skins
(skins of about 12 onions)
Beet dye: 4 cups chopped beets
Coffee dye: 1 quart strong black coffee
(instead of water) Cold-Dipping Method
Cold-Dipping Method
With this method, the eggs and the
ingredients for the dye are boiled
separately. Using a metal spoon, lower
cooled hard-boiled eggs into a bowl of
cooled dye, and let them soak for as little
as 5 seconds or as long as overnight,
depending on the depth of color you
desire. Remove eggs with spoon, pat dry
with paper towels, and let dry on a wire
rack. The cold-dipping method produces
subtle, translucent
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-04_p.html3/3/2008 10:57:05 AM
This method involves boiling the eggs
with the dye; the heat allows the dye to
saturate the shells, resulting in intense,
more uniform color. Set raw eggs in a
pot of strained dye; bring to a boil for the
amount of time specified in our color
glossary. Remove and dry eggs as with
the cold-dipping method.
Finish (optional)
Natural dyes tend to fade over time, so
finish any eggs you plan to keep with a
matte or gloss acrylic spray varnish. To
create an egg-spraying stand, stick a 6inch length of wire into a block of
Styrofoam; prop a hollow egg onto the
wire through one of its holes. Spray egg
with a coat of varnish in a well-ventilated
area, and let dry.
Color Glossary
Natural dyes can sometimes produce
unexpected results, so don't be
surprised if, for example, your redcabbage dye yields blue eggs. Use the
following guide to help you achieve the
colors you desire.
Deep Gold: Boil eggs in turmeric
solution, 30 minutes.
Sienna: Boil eggs in onion-skin solution,
30 minutes.
Dark, Rich Brown: Boil eggs in black
coffee, 30 minutes.
Pale Yellow: Soak eggs in roomtemperature turmeric solution, 30
minutes.
Orange: Soak eggs in roomtemperature onion-skin solution, 30
minutes.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Light Brown: Soak eggs in roomtemperature black coffee, 30
minutes.
Light Pink: Soak eggs in roomtemperature beet solution, 30
minutes.
Light Blue: Soak eggs in roomtemperature cabbage solution, 30
minutes.
Royal Blue: Soak eggs in roomtemperature cabbage solution
overnight.
Lavender: Soak eggs in roomtemperature beet solution, 30
minutes. Follow with roomtemperature cabbage solution, 30
seconds.
Chartreuse: Soak eggs in roomtemperature turmeric solution, 30
minutes. Follow with roomtemperature cabbage solution, 5
seconds.
Salmon: Soak eggs in roomtemperature turmeric solution, 30
minutes. Follow with roomtemperature onion-skin solution, 30
minutes.
BAG IT
Get reusable cloth bags for the
grocery store and the dry
cleaner. More than 100 billion
pastic bags are thrown away
every year.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-05_p.html3/3/2008 10:59:07 AM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
reproduced and authorized the use two
haint blue paints in 1980. Haint Blue
Light is almost a mint green. Haint Blue
Dark is a mid tone teal. Haint blue is
probably more of a culturally iconic hue
that falls in the light blue to blue-green
range rather than an actual, specific
color.
In the South Carolina Low Country,
there’s blue paint that is used on
porch ceilings. It’s called haint
blue. Some say this color blue
helps extend daylight as dusk
begins to fall and believee that it
helps keep wasps and other
insects away. It is spiritual and
cultural based color especially in
the southern United States. In
deep south cities such as
Savannah you will see the
recurring color painted on the door
frames, porches and window sills
of many homes. This blue/green
color or “Haint Blue,” is not only
aesthetically pleasing but has an
important “folk lore” purpose to
ward off evil spirits. Haint blue
paint is reported to have been first
used by African slaves to secure
the entry into their houses from
spirits. According to the Geechee/
Gulla culture of the Low Country,
the haint blue color represents
water which, spirits can not pass
over.
Haint blue is a fascinating color
seen on doors, shutters, entire
buildings and most commonly on
porch ceilings all over the world.
Milk paint formulas in the early
days were mixed in pits dug right
on the properties where the
painters were working. One
ingredient in the milk paint formula
was lime. A common trait
associated with haint blue is that it
keeps bugs from landing, building
nests, and living on outdoor porch
ceilings. Some think that lime in
the blue paint
mixtures is what deterred the insects,
not the color itself. Most modern paint
formulas do not contain lime, so painting
your porch ceiling blue may or may not
help shoo the bugs, but it definitely
looks good.
Prospect Place is reported to be one of
the most haunted mansions in Ohio and
was a station on the Underground
Railroad. George W. Adams, the builder
of Prospect Place, was an abolitionist
and his servants were of African origin,
which most likely migrated from the
South and were employees not slaves.
They had their own quarters in the
house and they painted many of the
rooms the haint blue.
The Savannah Historical Society
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-06_p.html3/3/2008 11:02:22 AM
Haint Blue Light
Haint Blue Dark
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
treatments is usually enough to control
the algae for several months. Caution:
any fast algae kill from any product can
cause oxygen depravation and result
in fish kill.
Got yellow leaves on your
photinia, brown patch in your St.
Augustine grass or algae in your
pond or water feature? You don’t
have to use toxic chemicals like
the synthetic fungicides or heavy
metal products like copper
sulfate. There’s a terrific solution
to these problems that is totally
natural. Cornmeal – and it’s now
available from the garden centers
and feed stores in 25 pound
bags. Cornmeal controls diseases
better than any of the toxic
chemical pesticides.
In general, cornmeal is the natural
fungal disease fighter that is
especially good for use on brown
patch in St Augustine grass,
damping off in seedlings and
fungal leaf spots on roses, Indian
hawthorn, photinia and other
susceptible plants. Corn gluten
meal is the natural “weed and
feed” product.
1. BED PREPARATION – Wheat
Bran/Cornmeal Soil Amendment
with Molasses is the commercial
product and should be used at 10
- 50 lbs./1000 sq. ft. as a source
of nutrients, organic matter and
cornmeal’s natural disease
control. It can be used as the
primary bed prep material or mixed
with any of the commonly
recommended additions. The homemade version of this product is 65%
wheat bran, 35% horticultural cornmeal
and 10% dry molasses.
2. DISEASE CONTROL - Use
Horticulture Cornmeal for root and soil
borne fungal diseases at 10-20 pounds
per 1000 sq. ft. Cornmeal works as a
disease fighter in the soil by
stimulating beneficial microorganisms
that feed on pathogens such as brown
patch in St. Augustine, damping off in
seedlings and other fungal diseases.
Use cornmeal at about 2 pounds per
1000 sq. ft. to help control any soilborne fungal diseases on both food
and ornamental crops. One application
may be all that is needed, but multiple
applications are okay if necessary
because cornmeal serves as a mild
organic fertilizer and soil builder.
Cornmeal needs moisture to activate.
Rain won’t hurt cornmeal’s efficacy
because, like all organic products, it is
not water soluble.
3. ALGAE CONTROL IN WATER–
Alliance Pond Cleaner is a finetextured cornmeal for floating paint-like
and filamentous algae in water, use
cornmeal at 5 pounds per 1000 sq. ft.
or 150 - 200 pounds per surface acre.
The cellulose in the cornmeal helps tie
up the excess phosphorous in water,
balances the water chemistry and thus
kills off the algae. The carbon in the
cornmeal enables the beneficial
bacteria in the water to flourish at the
expense of the algae. Then the
decomposing algae provide a source
of carbon for the bacteria. One or two
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-07_p.html3/3/2008 11:04:38 AM
4. COMPOST STIMULATION – Use a
mixture of wheat bran and dry
molasses. It should be used at 1 lb./
cubic. yard of compost to stimulate
beneficial decomposing microbes in
order to neutralize contaminates or just
speed up the composting process. This
material can be used at much higher
rates for accelerated results
5. WEED CONTROL – Corn gluten
meal is available in powered and
granular forms. The granular is less
effective but much less messy to use.
Broadcast at 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft.
before weed seed germinate in early
spring and fall. It not only helps control
weeds but is also an excellent organic
fertilizer with an analysis of almost 9 1 - 1. For best results it should be
watered
Nematodes
No it's not to cold to apply them to
control thrips, fleas, ticks, fire ants
and many other pests. Spring and
Fall are the best times. Beneficial
nematodes are microscopic worms
that can be used for most all soilborne pests. Overall broadcasting
is best. Spot treating helps if the
budget dictates. In an organic
program one treatment a year is
usually enough. No, they do not
hurt the beneficials. Apply per the
label instructions for the control of
fleas, ticks, grubworms, termites,
fire ants and roaches. Beneficial
nematodes are just one of the
beneficial microbes that exist in
healthy soil. These helpful animals
can be purchased from organic
garden centers or mail ordered.
See the new Texas Bug Book for
sources.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
soap Yucca extract at a higher rate is
even better
Version 2
1 gallon full-strength 10 percent white
vinegar (grain alcohol desired)
2 ounces of orange oil
Disease and Insect Control
Garrett Juice - 1 gallon ready to
spray 1/4 cup garlic tea or 1/2 cup
garlic/pepper tea, or 1 ounce of
orange oil Fire Ant Killer 1 gallon
ready-to-spray Garrett Juice 2
ounces of orange oil per gallon of
Garrett Juice. The ready-to-use
solution should not have more
than 2 ounces of orange oil per
gallon.
Wholeground cornmeal at 20lbs/
1000 square feet.
Dry garlic at 2lbs/1000 square feet
Baking Soda Fungicide - Mix 4
teaspoons—about 1 rounded
tablespoon, of baking soda and 1
tablespoon of horticultural oil into
one gallon of water. Spray lightly
on foliage of plants afflicted with
black spot, powdery mildew,
brown patch and other fungal
diseases. Avoid over-using or
pouring on the soil. Potassium
bicarbonate is a good substitute
for baking soda. Citrus oil and
molasses can be used instead of
horticultural oil.
Milk Fungicide - Mix 1/2 cup of
regular or skim milk in a gallon of
water and spray.
Garlic Teas for Insect and Disease
Control - To make garlic/pepper tea,
liquefy 2 whole bulbs of garlic and 2 hot
peppers in a blender 1/2 to 2/3 full of
water. Strain the solids and add
enough water to the garlic/pepper juice
to make 1 gallon of concentrate. Use
1/4- cup of concentrate per gallon of
spray. To make garlic tea, simply omit
the pepper and add another bulb of
garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of blackstrap
molasses for more control. Garlic
works on soil borne fungi when used as
a soil drench. Commercial products are
now available. (Garlic GP)
1 cup liquid molasses
Garrett Juice Concentrate - 1
gallon manure-based compost tea 1
pint natural apple cider vinegar 1 pint
liquid seaweed 1 pint liquid molasses.
Mix all ingredients together. For
spraying, use 1/4 cups of concentrate
per 1 gallon of water.
*Premixed Tree Goop is available at
many organic suppliers.
I keep fine tuning my potting soil
mixture. Here’s the latest and favorite
version.
1 part quality compost
1 part expanded shale
1 part coconut fiber (coir)
Add lava sand, greensand,
decomposed granite and alfalfa meal
for even better results.
Trombone Sprayer
Garrett Juice – Ready To Spray
My recommended basic organic foliar
spray is available commercially. Or you
can make your own. Mix the following
ingredients in a gallon of water.
1 cup manure-based compost tea 1
ounce liquid molasses 1 ounce natural
apple cider vinegar 1 ounce liquid
seaweed
Organic Herbicide (Two versions)
Version 1
Vinegar Fungicide - Mix 3
tablespoons up to 2 ounces of
natural apple cider vinegar in one
gallon of water. Spray during the
cool part of the day for black spot
on roses and other fungal
diseases. Adding molasses at 1
tablespoon per gallon will help.
Organic Potting Soil
1 gallon full-strength 10 percent vinegar
2 ounces of orange oil
1 teaspoon Basic H or other mild
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-08_p.html3/3/2008 11:07:46 AM
The best sprayer for home use is
the trombone sprayer. It has a
sliding brass barrel connected to
tube that goes down into a bucket
of whatever mix you are using. This
sprayer is especially good for foliar
feeding with compost tea or Garrett
Juice but also effective for applying
the organic herbicides and
fungicides. This sprayer is much
better than hose end sprayer.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
nematodes to the soil in early spring.
• For more information, read Texas
Gardening –The Natural Way or visit
DirtDoctor.com.
Here are some of my favorites.
Roses should only be grown
organically since they are one of
the best medicinal and culinary
herbs in the world. When they are
loaded with toxic pesticides and
other chemicals, that use is gone,
or at least, it should be. Drinking
rose hip tea or using rose petals
in teas or salads sprayed with
synthetic poisons is a really bad
idea. For best results with roses,
here's the program:
SELECTION
Buy and plant well adapted roses
such as antiques, David Austin’s
and proven hybrids. The old roses
will have the largest and most
vitamin C filled hips. Rosa rugosa
roses have the most vitamin C.
PLANTING
Prepare beds by mixing the
following into existing soil to form
a raised bed: 6” compost, ½” lava
sand, ½” expanded shale, ½” of
decomposed granite, 30 lbs. of
wheat/corn/molasses soil
amendment and 20 lbs. of sul-pomag per 1,000 sq. ft. Soak the
bare roots or root ball in water
with one tablespoon of Garrett
Juice per gallon. Settle the soil
around plants with water - no
tamping.
MULCHING
After planting, cover all the soil in
the beds with one inch of compost
or earthworm castings followed by
2-3" of shredded native cedar. Do
not pile the mulch up on the stems
of the roses.
WATERING
If possible, save and use rainwater.
If not, add one tablespoon of apple
cider vinegar and one oz. Garrett
Juice per gallon of water. If all that
fails, just use tap water, but don't
over water. Avoid using salty well
water if possible.
FEEDING SCHEDULE
Round #1 February 1-15: organic
fertilizer @ 20 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft.,
lava sand at 80 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft.
and horticultural cornmeal at 10 -20
lbs./1,000 sq. ft.
Round #2 June 1-15: organic
fertilizer @ 20 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft,
Texas greens and @ 40 lbs./1,000
sq. ft. or soft rock phosphate at 30
lbs./1,000 sq. ft. if in acid soil areas.
Round #3 September15-30:
organic fertilizer @ 20 lbs. /1,000
sq. ft., sul-po-mag @ 20 lbs. /1,000
sq. ft. Apply wheat/corn/molasses
soil amendment at 30lbs. /1,000 sq.
ft.
PEST CONTROL
• Apply dry granulated garlic to the
soil
• For disease control in general,
spray roses with garlic tea or mild
vinegar solution.
• For insect Pests, spray plant oil
products.
• For thrips, apply beneficial
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-09_p.html3/3/2008 11:09:10 AM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
first sign of shiny honeydew on foliage.
PRUNING
Pecan trees and fruit trees can be
grown organically, and you don't
have to spray toxic pesticides.
Plant adapted small-nut varieties
like Caddo, Kanza and the native
pecans. Plant the trees in wide,
rough-sided or square holes,
backfill with soil from hole (no
amendments), settle the soil with
water (no tamping), add a 1" layer
of lava sand and compost mix,
and finish with a 3"- 5" layer of
coarse-textured native cedar
mulch. Do not stake, wrap trunk or
cut back the top. Those who say
to dig a small round hole are
wrong. Mechanical aeration of the
root zone of existing trees is
beneficial, but tilling, disking or
plowing destroys feeder roots and
should never be done. Pecans
should never have bare soil. The
root zone should always be
covered with mulches and/or
native grasses and legumes.
SOIL FEEDING SCHEDULE
Round #1 February 1-15: organic
fertilizer @ 20 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft.
Lava sand or other volcanic sand
at 80 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft.,
decomposed granite at 80
lbs./1,000 sq. ft. and horticultural
cornmeal at 20 lbs./ 1,000 sq. ft.
Round #2 June 1-15: organic
fertilizer @ 10 lbs. /1,000 sq. ft
and Texas greensand @ 40-80
lbs./1,000 sq. ft. or soft rock
phosphate at the same rate if in
acid soils.
Round #3 September 15-30:
organic fertilizer @ 10 lbs. /1,000
sq. ft. and sul-po-mag @ 20 lbs. /
1,000 sq. ft.
Note: Once soil health has been
achieved, round #3 can be omitted.
Rock powders are optional after the
first 3 Years.
Large pecan orchards can use
livestock manure or compost at 1-2
tons/acre per year along with
establishing green manure cover
crops. Lava sand and other rock
powders can be applied any time of
the year. Foliar feed with Garrett
Juice twice monthly.
FOLIAR FEEDING SCHEDULE
The first spraying is at bud swelling.
The second spraying is after the
flowers have fallen. The third
spraying is about June 15th. The
fourth spraying is the last week in
August. The first two sprayings
should contain Garrett Juice and
garlic tea. For best results, spray
every two weeks, but do at least
once a month. Additional sprayings
as time and budget allow.
INSECT RELEASE
Trichogramma wasps Weekly
releases of 10,000 - 20,000 eggs
per acre or residential lot starting at
bud break for 3 weeks.
Green lacewings Release at 4,000
eggs per acre or residential lot
weekly for one month.
Ladybugs Release 1,500 - 2,000
adult beetles per 1,000 sq. ft. at the
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-10_p.html3/3/2008 11:11:09 AM
Very little pruning is needed or
recommended. Maintain cover crops and/
or natural mulch under the trees year
round. Never cultivate the soil under
pecan and fruit trees.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-11_p.html3/3/2008 11:13:20 AM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Herb tea continues to be an
important part of my life. I enjoy
herb tea both for its health
benefits and for the variety. I
could brew a different herb tea
each day for at least a year. And,
herb tea is a great example of
the financial benefits of being
organic. A two-liter bottle of soda
— with its unhealthy refined
sugar or sugar substitute and
artificial coloring costs upwards
from a dollar. If you grow your
own herbs, herb tea costs next to
nothing. Some herbs perk you
up. Others soothe you to restful
rejuvenating sleep. Some teas
just taste good. If you prepare
herb tea per my directions you’ll
enjoy a healthful beverage free
of artificial sweeteners and
preservatives.
Start with the clean, filtered
water. Bring the water to just
before the boiling point in a glass
kettle. If it boils vigorously it
loses oxygen. Brew the tea in
what I believe to be the best
teapot, the Rockingham teapot,
made in England by Pristine
Potteries. These clay pots are
deeply glazed in cobalt blue,
green, brown, yellow or white —
inside and out, come in two- and
five-cup sizes. I don’t know if it’s
the quality of the glaze, the
shape of the pot or what, but the
flavor of the tea is exceptional.
Unfortunately these pots are now
hard to find.
I often start with a base of
organic green tea and then add
other herbs. Be creative. You
may want to add some honey for
sweetness, I usually do.
If you have just come over to The
Natural Way getting rid of all
synthetic toxic materials is the first
step to organic living. Don't throw
those old toxic chemicals in the
trash where they'll wind up father
polluting our landfills. Instead
dispose of them properly at one of
the below collection centers and
welcome aboard!
Ft. Worth Storm Water Quality
Environmental Management Department
North Texas Central Council of
Governments
Storm Water Management in North
Central Texas
Texas Commission on Environmental
Qualtity
National Resources
Clean Water Campaign
United States Environmental Protection
Agency: Nonpoint Source Pollution
Section
United States Environmental Protection
Agency: Nonpoint Source Pollution
Section
United States Environmental Protection
Agency: Wastewater Management
Dallas Area:
Home Chemical Collection Center
Plano Road, Dallas, TX
Call 214-553-1765 for information
and hours.
No charge to residents of Dallas or
participating cities.
www.dcfr.org/hhw/hhw.htm
Fort Worth Area:
United States Environmental Protection
Agency: Wetlands, Oceans, & Watersheds
International Stormwater Best
Management Practices (BMP) Database
National Menu of Best Management
Practices for Stormwater Phase II
Stormwater Magazine
STOP JUNK MAIL
Environmental Collection Center
6400 Bridge Street off east 820
Call 817-871-5257 for hours and
information
No charge to residents of Ft. Worth
or participating cities.
Other Collection Sources for the
Dallas - Fort Worth Area
City of Dallas Storm Water
Management Education
Trinity Trudy's Storm Water World
for Kids
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-12_p.html3/3/2008 11:18:15 AM
Every year 100 million trees are
chopped down for junk mail sent to
American homes. Contact the Direct
Marketing Association at dmachoice.org/
mps to remove your name from mailing
lists of their members.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
foliage to repels ants
Turk’s cap – flowers & fruit for tea
ANNUALS:
SHADE TREES:
Ginkgo – tea from leaves
Jujube – fruit
Linden – tea from flowers
Mulberry – fruit
Pecan – edible nuts
Persimmon – fruit
Walnut – edible nuts
petals
Persimmon – fruit
Plum – fruit and edible flower
petals redbud – edible flowers
Rusty blackhaw viburnum –
edible berries
Witch hazel – tea from leaves,
edible Seeds
SHRUBS:
PERENNIALS:
Agarita – fruit for wine and jellies
Althea – edible flowers
Bay – tea and, food seasoning
from leaves
Germander – freshens air indoors
Pomegranate – edible fruit
Turk’s cap – flowers and fruit for
tea
Anise hyssop – edible flowers,
foliage for tea
Blackberries – edible berries,
foliage for tea
Chives – edible foliage and flowers
Daylilies – edible flower
Dianthus – edible flowers
Garlic – edible flowers, greens and
cloves
Ginger – food, seasoning and tea
from roots
Hibiscus – edible flowers
Hoja santa – leaves for cooking
with meats
Horsemint – insect repellent
Jerusalem artichoke – roots for
food
Lavender – teas and insect repellent
Monarda – edible flowers and
leaves for teas
Peppers – edible fruit
Purple coneflower – all plant parts
for teas
Rosemary – food and tea from
leaves and flowers
Roses – petals and hips for tea
Salvia – edible flowers, foliage for
teas
Sunflower – edible seeds and
flower petals
Sweet marigold – food, flavoring
and tea from leaves and flowers
Tansy – chopped and crushed
VINES:
Beans and Peas – edible pods
and seed
Gourds – dippers and bird houses
Grapes – food (fruit and leaves)
Luffa – sponges from the fruit,
edible flowers
Malabar spinach – edible foliage
Passion flower – edible fruit, tea
from leaves
ORNAMENTAL TREES:
Apple – fruit and edible flower
petals
Apricot – fruit and edible flower
petals
Citrus – edible fruit
Crabapple – fruit and edible flower
petals
Fig – fruit
Mexican plum – fruit
Peach – fruit and edible flower
petals
Pear – fruit and edible flower
Begonias – edible flowers
Dianthus – edible flowers
Ginger – food, seasoning and tea from
roots
Hibiscus – edible flowers
Johnny jump-ups – edible flowers
Nasturtium – edible leaves
Pansies – edible flowers
Peanuts – edible nuts
Purslane – edible leaves
Sunflower – edible seeds and flower
petals
GROUND COVERS:
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-13_p.html3/3/2008 11:19:08 AM
Clover – tea from leaves and flowers
Creeping thyme – teas and food flavoring
Gotu kola – tea from leaves
Mints – food and teas from flowers and
leaves
Oregano – teas and food flavoring
Violets – leaves in salads and tea from
flowers and leaves
Note: Pregnant women should avoid all
strong herbs and no plant should be
ingested in excess by anyone. None of
these should be eaten unless they are
being grown organically.
EDIBLE FLOWERS
Aloe Vera, althea, apple blossoms,
arugula, basil, begonia, borage, broccoli,
calendula, chicory, chives – onion and
garlic, clover, coriander, dandelion, dill,
elderberry, English daisy, fennel, hyssop
lavender, lemon, lilac, mint, monarda –
red flowered M.didyma, mum (base of
petal is bitter), mustard, okra, orange,
oregano, pea (except for sweet peas),
pineapple sage, radish, redbud, rosemary,
scented geranium, society garlic, sweet
woodruff, squash blossoms, thyme, violet,
winter savory and yucca (petals only).
RULES FOR EDIBLE FLOWERS
Not all flowers are edible. Some are
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
poisonous. Learn the difference.
Eat flowers only when you are
positive they are edible and nontoxic. Eat only flowers that have
been grown organically, toxic
materials collect in the
reproductive plant parts.
Do not eat flowers from florists,
nurseries or garden centers unless
you know they’ve been maintained
organically. Do not eat flowers if
you have hay fever, asthma or
allergies. Do not eat flowers
growing on the side of the road.
Remove pistils and stamens from
flowers before eating. Eat only the
petals, especially of large flowers.
Introduce flowers into your diet the
way you would new foods to a
baby – one at a time in small
quantities.
TWO NEW BOOKS BY THE DIRT
DOCTOR
In the new and updated Organic
Manual, Howard explains in detail
how to implement practical
alternatives to synthetic chemicals
and fertilizers. The best kept secret
of all is that his organic program is
better in every way. Whether it’s
growing beautiful landscaping or
delicious healthy food crops, the
Organic Manual explains bed
preparation, planting, pest control
and compost making. It also covers
pet management and natural living
advice. AVAILABLE MARCH 2008
plants, both native and adapted, that grow
well in Southeast Texas. AVAILABLE
MARCH 2008
Plants of the Metroplex was the first
book, self published from 1975 to 1994. It
contains over 300 color photos of
landscape plants for Texas together with
information on the cultivation, uses and
problems of each plant with practical
pointers for beginning gardeners on such
basics as soil preparation, planting,
watering, fertilizing and pest control. UT
Press, Austin, Texas.
Howard Garrett’s Texas Organic
Gardening is written especially for
Texans, explaining how to use native
plants, vegetables and fruits. It also
covers soil improvement and maintenance
instructions for production of organically
healthy lawns, gardens and landscapes
without harmful chemicals. Lone Star
Books. Lanham, Maryland.
J. Howard Garrett’s Organic Manual is
a non-regional guide to organic
gardening. It explains how to work with
nature to promote healthy gardens without
the use of toxic chemicals or artificial
fertilizers. Tapestry Press. Irving, Texas.
Whether you're a first-time
homeowner, dedicated gardener, or
landscape professional, if you're
gardening on the Gulf Coast, you
need Howard Garrett's Plants for
Houston and the Gulf Coast. Garrett
is one of Texas's top organic
gardening experts, and gardeners
rely on him for accurate, sensible
advice about what to plant and how
to maintain healthy yards and
landscapes without synthetic
fertilizers and toxic pesticides. In
Plants for Houston and the Gulf
Coast, Garrett presents nearly 400
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-14_p.html3/3/2008 11:23:12 AM
Plants for Texas is a book on native and
introduced ornamentals and food crop
plants for Texas. It is arranged in
alphabetical order rather than chapters
and cross referenced for ease of finding
detailed information on landscape plants,
fruits, vegetables, cover crops and herbs.
UT Press, Austin, Texas.
Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening
and Edible Landscaping is a book about
food crops for Texas including vegetables,
fruits, nuts and herbs. Lone Star Books.
Lanham, Maryland.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Dirt Doctor’s Guide to Organic
Gardening, Essays on The
Natural Way is a compilation of
Dallas Morning News columns.
UT Press Austin, Texas.
Texas Bug Book, co-authored
with Malcolm Beck, is a recently
updated instructional book
covering the protection and use of
beneficial insects and detailed
information on how to organically
or biologically control
troublesome insects. UT Press.
Austin, Texas.
Texas Herb Book, written with
Odena Brannam, covers the
landscape, culinary, and
medicinal uses of Texas native
and introduced herbs. UT Press.
Austin, Texas.
Howard Garrett’s Texas Trees
covers over 100 varieties of
native and introduced trees along
with state of the art planting and
maintenance instructions. It
includes color photos and
detailed descriptions of the
flowers, fruit, bark, foliage, fall
color, preferred habitat,
maintenance needs and
interesting notes. Lone Star
Books. Lanham, Maryland.
Dear Dirt Doctor is a book
covering the most asked
questions from the Dallas
Morning News and WBAP radio.
UT Press Austin, Texas.
Texas Gardening the Natural
Way – the Complete Handbook
is the latest and most
comprehensive book. It contains
over 800 photos of 600 native
and adapted plants, insects and
their control, diseases and their
control and complete planting and
maintenance instructions. UT
Press, Austin, Texas.
Agricultural Research Magazine
Drunil
Agriculture Testament and Soil
Health by Sir Alfred
The Method (Lessons in Nature) is written
by the king of compost, Malcolm Beck
The Albrecht Papers by William
Albrecht
The Omega Diet by Jo Robinson,
Common Sense Pest Control by
William Olkowski, Sheila Daar.
Establishment and Maintenance of
Landscape Plants II by Dr. Carl
Whitcomb
Growing Great Garlic, by Ron
Engeland
Growing a Business by Paul
Hawken
Holistic Resource Management by
Alan Savory
How to Have a Green Thumb
Without an Aching Back by Ruth
Stout
Humic, Fulvic and Microbial
Balance: Organic Soil Conditioning,
William R. Jackson
Introduction to Soil Microbiology,
Second Edition, Martin Alexander
Teaming with Microbes A
Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food
Web by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne
Lewis
Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken,
Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins
Nature’s Silent Music by Dr. Phil
Callahan
Nourishing Traditions by Sally
Fallon
The Making of a Conservative
Environmentalist – by Gordon K.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-15_p.html3/3/2008 11:37:26 AM
The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu
Fukuoka
The Secret Life of Compost by Malcolm
Beck .
Seaweed and Plant Growth by Dr. T.L.
Senn
Science in Agriculture by Dr. Arden
Anderson
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Weeds by Charles Walters
Why Grassfed is Best! By Jo Robinson.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
to animals.
EARTHWORM CASTINGS
Earthworm castings, the waste of
earthworms, are an effective light fertilizer
high in bacteria, calcium, iron,
magnesium, sulfur and many trace
minerals. They are an excellent ingredient
in potting soil, in flats when germinating
seeds and in each hole when planting
vegetables, herbs, bulbs and other
ornamentals. Earthworm castings, along
with lava sand, are my favorite products
for feeding interior plants.
COMPOST
Good quality compost is easy to
identify. Ask the company for a
test giving the amount of living
organisms in the material.
COMPOST TEA
Manure compost tea is effective
on many pests because of certain
micro-organisms that exist in it
naturally. Use any container. A
plastic bucket is easy for most
homeowners.
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
Fill it half-full of manure-based
compost and then fill to the top
with water. Let the mix sit for 10 to
14 days. Pumping air into the
concentrate with a simple
aquarium pump makes an even
better product.
Natural diatomaceous earth is the
skeletal remains of fresh or saltwater diatoms. It consists of mostly
silica and contains aluminum,
sodium, iron and lots of trace
minerals, including some that are
rare.
Then dilute and strain. A rule of
thumb is to dilute the leachate
down to one part compost liquid to
four to 10 parts water. It should
look like iced tea. Strain the solids
out using old pantyhose,
cheesecloth or floating row cover
material.
Natural diatomaceous earth is dug
from the earth, ground into a powder
and sold as an anti-caking agent for
stored foods and grains, a natural
insecticide and a natural food
supplement for pets and livestock. It
is approved by the USDA for use in
food at up to 2 percent of the food
volume.
Spray on the foliage of all plants
including fruit trees, perennials,
annuals, vegetables and roses especially those that are regularly
attacked by insects or fungal
pests. It’s very effective on black
spot on roses and early blight on
tomatoes.
Natural diatomaceous earth should
be added to the food of all pets and
livestock. At present, Muenster
Natural dog and cat foods are the
only products that we know of on the
market containing the proper levels
of diatomaceous earth.
Add two tablespoons of molasses
to each gallon of spray for more
power. Add citrus oil for even
greater pest killing power.
See Compost on DirtDoctor.com.
EXPANDED SHALE
Swimming pool filter DE has been
calcined (partially melted) and sometimes chemically treated. It is
dangerous to breathe because of
the high level of crystalline silica. It
has no use other than in swimming
pool filters. It would be extremely
harmful
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-16_p.html3/3/2008 11:42:58 AM
Made from natural and ground to 1” to ½”
range particles and then kiln fires. As it
progresses through the kiln for 40 minutes
at 2,000 degrees C, certain chemical
processes take place in the silica content
(60-70%) causing the material to expand.
As the material cools, cavities are left
after gases escape, leaving a porous
lightweight chunk capable of absorbing
water and releasing it slowly at a later
time. I recommend it to be used along
with other organic soil amendments to
loosen and aerate soil. It is also an
excellent potting soil ingredient, especially
when used with shredded coconut fiber
and compost.
ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
Organic fertilizers are significantly
different from synthetic fertilizers.
Synthetic fertilizers contain no organic
material thus no carbon. They have a
nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium analysis
(N-P-K) printed on the bag such as 16-48. That means the con-tents are
supposed to be 16 percent nitrogen, 4
percent phosphorus and 8 percent
potassium — a total of 28 percent. The
big question — What makes up the other
72 percent of the stuff in the bag? It’s
labeled as ‘inert.’ In the state of Texas
fertilizer manufacturers are not required to
disclose the nature of this material. It
could be something innocuous like clay
pellets or granulated limestone. Or, it
could be hazardous
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
industrial waste and there are
documented examples of this.
Synthetic fertilizers are water
soluble. They create high levels of
salts and nitrates in the soil and
water stream which kill or repel
beneficial organisms.
Organic fertilizers are not water
soluble. They do not leach out and
pollute our waterways. They are
100 percent soil food. They
contain a balance of carbon, N-PK and trace minerals. And they
release their nutrients slowly — at
a rate that allows plants to absorb
them as needed. Synthetic
fertilizers contain an imbalance of
nutrients and glut plants,
especially with nitrogen, causing
rapid but weak growth which
encourages the attack of diseases
and insect pests.
sized pieces of volcanic rock that
hold moisture in the soil providing
paramagnetic energy - a low level
natural energy that aids in root
growth and crop production.
MOLASSES
We use molasses in both liquid and
dry forms. Blackstrap is the best
liquid molasses. Any dark molasses
is next best. Dry molasses isn’t
really straight dried molasses. It is
molasses sprayed on a grain or
other organic matter residue carrier.
It’s an excellent carbon source that
stimulates beneficial
microorganisms. And, it repels fire
ants. If only one amendment can be
afforded, this is usually the best
choice.
companies. Many make mulch available
free or at a minimal cost. Here are some
common mulches in order of my
preferences – and why: –
Excellent
• Recycled material that grew on your
own property is the best mulch of all.
• Shredded native tree trimmings:
Excellent and highly efficient choice.
• Shredded native cedar: It’s the best
choice to purchase. It repels pests and
helps better than any mulch.
• Shredded hardwood bark: A good
choice for sloped areas and is the neatest
looking of the shredded mulches.
Good
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
• Large size pine bark: It breathes and
Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, is the
equivalent of a water molecule
with an extra oxygen atom. It can
be used as a disinfectant, an
antiseptic and bleach. It comes in
concentrations from 3 to 100
percent. The 100 percent variety is
used in rocket fuel. All our
purposes can be served with the 3
percent version that’s available at
grocery stores and pharmacies.
This colorless, odorless liquid is
not a stable compound. It must be
protected from light and kept in a
cool place. Hydrogen peroxide can
be poured on minor cuts and
scrapes. It will foam as it breaks
down to water and the extra
oxygen - a gas that bubbles to the
surface. The high concentration of
oxygen kills bacteria. The same is
true with plants. I recommend
splashing it on wounds on trees
before applying the Tree Trunk
Goop.
stays in place well. It is the best choice if
you must use pine bark. Some people
don’t like the look.
LAVA SAND
Lava sand isn’t just sand. It is pea-
• Cypress chips: Expensive and can seal
MULCH
Mulch is an organic blanket. It is
organic material that is spread on
beds around plantings to protect the
soil and plant roots. Mulch helps to
retain moisture and minimizes
compaction caused by irrigation and
rainfall. It blocks out sterilizing
ultraviolet light and looks good.
Mulch helps to balance the
temperature of the soil keeping it
cooler in the summer and warmer in
the winter. And, as the mulch
breaks down, it becomes humus
and adds nutrients to the soil.
Nature doesn’t allow bare soil.
Neither should you. Do not use
weed-blocking cloth as it interferes
with the important soil/mulch
interaction and really doesn’t work.
It’s just a waste of money. Check
with your city or local tree-care
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-17_p.html3/3/2008 11:46:54 AM
off oxygen. Also has to be shipped across
the country. It’s okay to use in Louisiana
or Florida where it is produced.
• Pecan or peanut shells, rice hulls:
Inexpensive but don’t stay in place well.
Fresh pecan shells will attract fire ants.
Poor
• Small to medium size pine bark: It
washes or blows away. When it stays in
place it can seal off oxygen. It produces
strong growth inhibiting natural chemicals
- terpenes, phenols, etc.
Terrible
• Peat moss: Expensive and blows or
washes away. It’s slow to decompose to
add nutrients to the soil.
• Plastic: Cooks the soil and plant roots
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
and ruins the natural systems in
the soil.
ORANGE OIL & D-LIMONENE
Orange oil and D-limonene are
natural solvents extracted from
citrus rind. Orange oil is just what
the name implies. D-limonene is
the commercial extraction of the
orange oil. They have been used
for fragrance and flavoring
qualities. In the past decade dlimonene has been one of the
fastest growing products of the
household cleaning market.
Orange oil is available
commercially, or you can make
your own. Put a bunch of citrus
peelings in a container and cover
them with water. Let them sit for a
couple of days, then strain off the
liquid. You can extract more oil by
simmering the peelings. The
strength of homemade orange oil
varies significantly, so you’ll have
to experiment when using it in the
recipes that follow. It’s impossible
to duplicate the concentration of
commercial orange oil or dlimonene. Commercial d-limonene
at full-strength can replace a wide
variety of toxic products. Be
careful when using strong
solutions since it can melt plastic
and ruin paint finishes. It is a
powerful natural solvent. For most
of our purposes one to two ounces
per gallon of water should be the
maximum.
SOFT ROCK PHOSPHATE
Soft rock phosphate, or colloidal
calcium- phosphate, is a byproduct of the hard rock
phosphate mining industry. It is
actually soft clay that lies between
the various layers of hard rock
phosphate. It is washed off and
accumulated in settling ponds
during the mining process. It is a
remarkable fertilizer and provides
tremendous benefits to soil,
microbe and plant life.
TEXAS GREENSAND
Texas greensand is an ironpotassium silicate that is naturally
deposited undersea. Much of Texas
was covered by seawater
millenniums ago. This is an
excellent source of iron and many
other trace minerals. Texas
greensand should replace Ironite
which contains significant amounts
of arsenic and lead. Jersey
greensand is available in the
Midwest and Northeast and is more
appropriate for those soils.
VINEGAR
Vinegar, from the French term for
‘sour wine,’ can be made from any
fruit, or from any material containing
sugar. The raw material is first
fermented to produce alcohol. Then
via a secondary fermentation the
alcohol is turned into vinegar. We
use natural apple cider vinegar at
the rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon
of water as a mild fertilizer when
watering potted plants. Beware of
‘apple-cider flavored’ vinegar. For all
other uses the less expensive white
vinegar works fine. White vinegar
comes in different strengths.
Regular vinegar is 5 percent.
Pickling vinegar is 10 percent. The
strongest you should ever use is 20
percent. It is dangerous so handle it
carefully. Avoid contact with skin
and breathing the fumes. Keep the
mix well-shaken while spraying.
the soil. It especially likes ammonia -raw
nitrogen. So, if you’ve been using
synthetic fertilizer, an application of
Zeolite will grab that excess nitrogen and
release it slowly so it is useful to plants —
and isn’t leached into our water systems.
Its capacity to grab odors makes it a great
material in cat litter. And, it’s the crunchy
material that comes in those little bags
that are sold to absorb odors in
refrigerators, closets and such. And it’s
reusable. I bought a chunk of it at an
aquarium shop. I keep it in my aquarium
with my albino frogs. Periodically, I put it
out in the yard in the fresh air and
sunshine where it releases the absorbed
odors. Then I put it back with the frogs.
This is a very useful product in the organic
program.
Other Products
The other products that are recommended
for organic gardening, farming and
ranching are listed on the website in the T.
O.R.C. portion of the website along with
products that are not acceptable.
Acceptable Organic Fertilizers and Soil
Amendments
Unacceptable Organic Fertilizers and Soil
Amendments
A MUG OF YOUR OWN:
ZEOLITE
Zeolite is a natural volcanic mineral.
It contains a wide array of basic
minerals that were spewed back to
the earth’s surface in a cataclysmic
event - a volcanic eruption. Over
millions of years, hot springs
leached the calcium, sodium and
other contaminants out leaving a
unique material. Finely ground
zeolite has an amazing capacity to
grab things - odors in the air - all
kinds of odor, and contaminants in
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-18_p.html3/3/2008 11:48:12 AM
Every year Americans throw away 25
billion polystyrene cups and 25 billion
individual water bottles, most of which
end up in landfills. Instead buy a
reusable to-go mug and a bottle that
you can refill with your own filtered
water.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
contains it, then mixture of Garrett Juice
and orange oil at 2 ounces per gallon. Use
this liquid mix as a drench.
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
Store homemade organic solutions in
plastic containers with loose fitting lids and
label them. The microbial activity can turn
a tightly capped container into a bomb.
AZALEA PLANTING
The azalea mix you should try is
50 percent well broken-down
compost and 50 percent finetextured cedar such as
Horticultural Cedar. Add 5 gallons
of lava sand, 1 gallon Texas
greensand and 1 gallon of
horticultural per cubic yard of
material. Be sure to thoroughly
moisten the mixture prior to
adding it to the beds. Plant your
azaleas and drench with Garrett
Juice as a root stimulator.
• Pregnant women should avoid all strong
herbs.
• Wear a mask when handling dusty
materials.
• No plant should be ingested in excess
by anyone.
rock sand. Then, apply a small
amount of sugar or dry molasses.
Till this mixture together and into
the existing soil to a depth of about
8 to 10 inches and plant away. Put
a mulch layer around transplants
and seedlings when they are large
enough. Cover all the bare soil.
Your production will impress you.
• Use only natural food-grade
diatomaceous earth for all organic
purposes.
DETOX PROGRAM
BED PREPARATION
To prepare garden beds The
Natural Way, scrape away any
existing weeds and grass and
toss that material into the
compost pile. Don’t till before
doing this or you’ll drive the
reproductive part of the grass
down in the ground and create a
huge weed problem. Spread a
blanket of compost across the
bed area — 4-inches deep for
ground cover, 6-inches deep for
shrubs and vines and as much as
8- inches deep for perennials,
roses and vegetables. Add an
organic fertilizer at 2 pounds per
100 square feet and some
volcanic
To detoxify any contaminated soil,
the first best step is to apply
activated carbon — NORIT’s
product GroSafe is the best product
choice. This will immediately lockup the contaminant. Zeolite is the
second best choice. Then apply
organic fertilizer — first applying dry
molasses or any product that
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-19_p.html3/3/2008 11:49:39 AM
• Do not use swimming pool
diatomaceous earth for anything but
swimming pool filters.
• Pregnant women should not handle cat
feces.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
wasps. Encourage birds and frogs. Apply
beneficial nematodes.
Nature sends in pests to take out
plants that are in stress from too
much or too little water, too much
or too little sun, too hot, too cold,
or not being well suited to the
situation where they are planted.
By following organic principles —
working with, not against nature,
you will avoid many pest
problems.
There are an estimated 60,000
species of "bugs" in the world,
probably many more. Of these,
less that one in 50 is a pest. The
good bugs are carnivores — meat
eaters. They eat other bugs. The
bad bugs are herbivores — plant
eaters. A termite that helps with
the decomposition of a dead tree
in the forest is a good bug, but a
termite feeding on your house
falls into the bad bug category.
There are organic solutions for
every pest problem. There is no
reason whatsoever to use toxic
synthetic pesticides. They pollute
the air and water, they are a
threat to our health and they don’t
work.
The number 1 principle of pest
management is bio-diversity.
Plant several varieties of trees,
shrubs, perennials, herbs and
vegetables. Encourage toads and
lizards. And, feed the birds! Ants:
Other than carpenter ants and fire
ants, they are just a nuisance.
Wiping down counters with 50/50
vinegar and water will repel them.
A physical barrier of natural
diatomaceous earth helps. Bait:
Mix a bit of boric acid with peanut
butter or jelly in jar lid. Keep this
away from children and pets.
Aphids: A strong blast of water,
garlic- pepper tea or citrus oil.
Release ladybugs and green
lacewings.
Armyworms: Act quickly. Use
Bacillus thuringiensis citrus or neem
products. Release trichogramma
wasps to prevent them the next
time.
Bagworms: Spray Bacillus
thuringiensis in the spring. Hand
pick the rest of the year.
Fire ants: Drench the individual mounds
with an orange oil based product. Foliar
feed the area with Garrett Juice. Fire ants
hate molasses. Encourage bio-diversity.
They hate competition. Apply beneficial
nematodes. Spinosad products also work
well.
Fleas: Clean pet areas and vacuum
frequently. Feed your pets Muenster
Natural pet foods. Bathe pets with a mild
soap. For dogs, include d-limonene or tea
tree oil. Citrus products can burn cats’
skin. Apply beneficial nematodes to your
property.
Cabbage Looper: Bacillus
thuringiensis products. Release
trichogramma wasps.
Centipedes: They’re beneficial out
side. Inside – vacuum them up.
Chiggers: Increase the soil
moisture. Dust sulfur on your shoes
and pant legs or rub the crushed
flowers of lemon mint on your
clothing. Apply sulfur at 5 pounds
per 1,000 square feet at the
maximum.
Chinch Bug: Diatomaceous earth
and compost. Spray Garrett Juice
with 2 ounces of orange oil per
gallon.
Cockroaches: Clean well, repair
any leaks and caulk all cracks and
crevices. Put out bait of 50/50 sugar
and Arm & Hammer laundry
detergent with a pinch of boric acid.
Kill on sight with citrus-based spray.
Crickets: Same as roaches. But
you might not want to kill them.
They are a major predator of brown
recluse spiders.
Cutworm: Release trichogramma
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-20_p.html3/3/2008 11:51:56 AM
Fungus gnats: Water potted plants less
often; apply cornmeal lightly to the potting
soil. For severe problems, drench the
potting soil with Neem mixed at spraying
rates. Traps can be made by putting
apple juice in the bottom of a mason jar,
cover the jar with plastic, secure with a
rubber band and punch a small hole in
the plastic. Gnats fly in but can’t get out.
Grasshoppers: Mulch all bare soil. They
need bare soil to lay their eggs. Feed the
birds heavily. Apply Nolo Bait in spring.
Dust with Kaolin clay.
Harlequin and other bugs: Spray with
Garrett Juice with citrus oil or Neem
products added at 2 ounces per gallon.
Mealy bugs: This common houseplant
pest sucks the juice from new growth.
Their honeydew encourages sooty mold
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
and other diseases. Figure out
why your plants are in stress.
Water and fertilize lightly and put
horticultural cornmeal in the soil.
Mosquitoes: Eliminate all
standing water-even from the
pans below potted plants. If you
can’t completely eliminate
standing water, as in the case of a
horse trough, toss in cut-up citrus
of Bt – Bacillus thuringiensis,
‘Israelensis’. Do not use electric
bug zappers. Beware of products
with DEET. Use native cedar oil
products. Install a purple martin
and/or bat house. If you use a
mist system, load it with plant oil
products or other non-toxic
material. Do not use any of the
pyrethrum or pyrethroid products.
They are toxic and not advisable
in an organic program.
Pill bugs, slugs and snails: Dust
with hot pepper. Put horticultural
cedar, diatomaceous earth, and
hot pepper or coffee grounds on
top of your mulch.
Scale: Horticultural oil in the
winter and orange oil at 2 oz. per
gallon of water in the growing
season.
Scorpions: They eat roaches and
crickets, so control those insects.
Dust with diatomaceous earth or
spray on sight with citrus oilbased spray. Use tent shaped
glue traps.
Silverfish: Eliminate corrugated
cardboard boxes. Dust with
diatomaceous oil and boric acid.
Spiders: All spiders are beneficial.
But, we don’t want to be bitten or
to have them in our houses.
Wasps are their natural predators.
Spiders come into houses in
search of insects, so keeping
things very clean is essential.
Spider Mites: Spray with Garrett
Juice and water your plants
properly. Mites are a sure sign of
stress caused by plants not being
able to adsorb water properly.
Termites: Eliminate moist wood
from structures. Fix any leaks.
Install a 6-inch barrier of 16-grit
sandblasting sand around the
perimeter of the slab or around the
piers of a pier-and- beam structure.
Treat exposed wood with boric acid
products. Fill cracks with silicon
caulk. If tubes are visible, break
them and apply beneficial
nematodes.
Tomato Hornworms: Hand-pick.
All bugs aren’t pests. Most bugs
aren’t pests. The vast majority are
beneficial. Most insects eat the pest
insects, pollinate plants, and help to
break down organic matter.
Moles and Gophers: Apply
cracked corn or whole ground
cornmeal. The other best method is
to apply beneficial nematodes.
NOTE: In general, insect pests,
slugs, snails and pillbugs can be
killed (if need be) with plant oil
products such as EcoEXEMPT or
Bioganics.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-21_p.html3/3/2008 11:59:04 AM
I end each of my radio broadcasts with
‘Don’t forget to feed and water the birds.’
Birds are one of the many pleasures of
gardening. Watching them is delightful.
Listening to their songs is so pleasant
and they’re beneficial to your landscape.
A healthy collection of birds will help
keep down populations of pest in-sects
including grasshoppers. There are many
things you can do to attract birds.
Providing food and water tops the list.
Birds are particularly attracted to noisy
water – a dripper, a bubbler, a fountain
and such. Keep the water clean and
fresh. A variety of bird feeders will
increase your bird population. Buy quality
seed and choose carefully. Cardinals
prefer sun-flower seeds and other birds
have specific favorites. Provide a variety
of feeders. Cardinals prefer platform
feeders. Be consistent. A few visits to an
empty feeder will cause the birds to seek
a more dependable source.
Water your foliage. Birds love to drink
droplets off leaves. Plant a wide variety
of tall trees, understory trees, shrubs,
vines and flowers so some-thing is
blooming, fruiting or providing cover at all
times. Here are some suggestions.
TREES THAT ATTRACT BIRDS
Arrowood
Black cherry
Crabapple
Deciduous yaupon
Eastern red cedar
Elderberry
Figs
Flowering dogwood
Hackberry
Hawthorn
Magnolia
Mulberry
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Oaks
Persimmon
Rusty blackhaw viburnum
Scarlet buckeye
Service berry
Tulip tree
Viburnum
Yaupon Holly
SHRUBS THAT ATTRACT
BIRDS
Abelia
American beautyberry
Carolina buckthorn
Chinese photinia
Elaeagnus
Flame bush – winged euonymus
Hollies
Leather leaf mahonia
Roses
Rough leaf dogwood
Winter honeysuckle
Cavity that holds water: Do not fill
with concrete or any other material.
Leave it alone or tie a cotton rope
around a weight. Drop the weight in
the cavity and let the end dangle to
the ground to wick the water away.
Leaving it alone is the best plan.
VINES THAT ATTRACT BIRDS
Carolina snailseed
Coral honeysuckle
Coral vine
Cross vine
Cypress vine
Grapes
Virginia creeper
ANNUALS THAT ATTRACT
BIRDS
Blackberries
Hibiscus
Ixora
Nasturtium
Poke salad
Scarlet sage
Sunflowers
PERENNIALS THAT ATTRACT
BIRDS
Chili pequin
Lantana
Monardas
Salvias
Turk’s cap
Mistletoe: Prune it off or notch it
out. The roots of mistletoe can run
laterally within the limbs. I no longer
recommend pruning paint at all.
Apply the entire Sick Tree
Treatment to build the tree’s
immune system and the tree in
most cases will get rid of the
parasites.
Physical damage to the trunk:
String weed trimmers, trucks, sapsuckers, beavers and all other
beasts can damage the bark on the
trunk. If the damage circles the
trunk, the tree will die. Cut it down,
shred it and use for mulch. If some
bark is intact, treat as storm
damage.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-22_p.html3/3/2008 12:00:24 PM
Storm damage: broken limbs: Do not
cable. Cut back to healthy stable tissue.
Splash the wound with hydrogen
peroxide. Apply the Tree Trunk Goop.
NATURAL TREE PLANTING
The Right Way to Plant a Tree
The best time to plant trees and shrubs is
in the fall and winter. The roots will grow
through the winter and the tree will be
ready to take off in the spring. However
trees can be planted year round. To plant
any tree — shade, fruit, big, little, native
or introduced — here’s the plan.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
1. Establish The Tree Top of the
Root Ball. Remove all the excess
soil from the top of the root ball.
This can be a problem with
container plants and balled and
burlap plants. Remove burlap
from top of the root balls. Don’t be
surprised to find excess soil under
the burlap.
2. Dig An Ugly Hole. Tree holes
should be dug less deep than the
height of the ball. Don’t guess –
actually measure the height of the
root ball. Never plant trees in slicksided or glazed holes such as
those caused by a tree spade or
auger. Holes with glazed sized
greatly restrict root penetration
into the surrounding soil and
consequently limit proper root
development. Roughen the sides
of the hole with a shovel. Holes
should be saucer shaped or
square. Both will prevent roots
from circling in the hole. Holes
should be slightly more shallow
than the height of the root ball so
the root ball is above ground
grade.
3. Run A Perk Test. After digging,
fill holes with water and wait until
the next day. If the water level
the hole. This is a critical point. Do not
add sand, foreign soil, organic matter, or
fertilizer into the backfill. The roots need
to start growing in the native soil from the
beginning. When holes are dug in solid
rock, topsoil from the same area should
be used. Some native rock mixed into the
backfill is beneficial. Water the backfill
very carefully, making sure to get rid of all
air pockets. Adding amendments to the
backfill such as peat moss, sand, or
foreign soils not only wastes money but is
detrimental to the tree. Putting gravel in
the bottom of tree holes is a total waste of
money.
doesn’t drain away overnight, a
drainage problem is indicated. At
this point, trees need to be moved
to another location or have
drainage added in the form of a
gravel drainline running from the
hole to a lower point on the site.
Another draining method that
sometimes works is a pier hole dug
down from the bottom of the hole
into a different soil type and filled
with gravel. A sump from the top of
the ball down to the bottom of the
ball does little if any good. Positive
drainage is critical, so don’t shortcut
this step unless you are sure the
area has good drainage. Add
Garrett Juice to the Perk Test water.
4. Backfill with Existing Soil.
Place new trees or transplants in
the center of the holes, making sure
that the top of the ball is about 2”
higher than the surrounding grade.
Backfill with the soil that came from
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-23_p.html3/3/2008 12:02:56 PM
When planting balled and burlapped
plants, remove the burlap from the sides
of the rootballs after planting in the hole.
Remove any nylon or plastic string, since
these materials do not decompose and
can girdle the trunk and roots as the plant
grows. Studies have shown that even
wire mesh should be removed to avoid
root girdling.
When planting from plastic containers,
carefully remove plants and cut or tear
the outside roots if they have grown
solidly against the container. Never leave
plants in containers. Remove upward
growing “bird’s nest” roots and circling
and girdling roots.
Bare-rooted, balled and burlapped, and
container plant materials should be
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
planted the same way. When
planting bare-rooted plants, it is
critical to keep the roots moist
during the transportation and
planting process.
5. Do Not Wrap or Stake. Trunks
of newly planted trees should not
be wrapped. Yes, that includes red
oaks. It’s a waste of money, looks
unattractive, harbors insects, and
leaves the bark weak when
removed. Tree wrapping is similar
to a bandage left on your finger too
long. If you are worried about the
unlikely possibility of sunburn, it’s
much better to paint the trunk with
a diluted latex paint – a color that
matches the bark color is best.
This is what the ISA (International
Society of Arboriculture) has to say
about wrapping.
“Many early references
recommend wrapping the trunks of
differentials at the bark are greater
with tree wrap than without.
Further, tree wrap tends to hold
moisture on the bark and can lead
to fungal problems. Also, insects
tend to burrow between the bark
and the wrap and can be worse
with wrap than without it”.
Staking and guying is usually
unnecessary if the tree has a
healthy root system and has been
planted properly with the proper
earth ball size of at least 9” of ball
for each 1” of trunk diameter.
Staking is often a waste of money
and always detrimental to the
proper trunk development of the
plant. Staked trees consistently
produce less trunk taper, develop a
smaller root system and are subject
to leaning when stakes are
removed. In rare circumstances
(sandy soil, tall evergreen trees,
etc.) where the tree needs to be
staked for a while, connect the guy
wires as low on the trunk as
possible and remove the stakes as
soon as possible. Never leave
staking on more than one growing
season. Temporary staking should
be done with strong wire and metal
eyebolts screwed into the trunk.
Staking should only be done as a
last resort – it is unsightly,
expensive, adds to mowing and
trimming costs, and restricts the
tree’s ability to develop tensile
strength in the trunk. It can also
cause damage to the cambium
layer even when soft materials are
used. Remove all identification tags
at planting. Keep records on labels
not connected to the tree.
6. Do Not Overprune. Only those
not up with current industry
standards of proper horticulture
recommend that limb pruning
should be done to compensate for
the loss of roots during
transplanting or planting. Most
trees fare much better if all the
limbs and foliage are left intact. The
more foliage, the more food can be
produced to build the root system.
The health of the root system is the
key to the overall healthy of the
tree.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-24_p.html3/3/2008 12:03:50 PM
The only trees that seem to respond
positively to thinning at the time of
transplanting are field-collected live oak,
yaupon holly, and other evergreens.
Plants purchased in containers definitely
need no pruning, and deciduous trees
don’t need to be thinned. Pruning in
general should be limited to dead,
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
damaged or otherwise unsightly
or rubbing limbs and branches.
7. Mulch the Top of Ball. Mulch
the top of balls after planting with
1” of a mix of compost/lava and
then 3” of shredded native mulch
such as shredded cedar. This
step is important in lawn areas or
in beds. Don’t ever plant grass
over tree balls until the trees are
established. Do not build water
ring dikes. They are unnecessary
and get in the way, especially for
long term maintenance.
8. Enjoy Watching Your Trees
Grow
the amount of sugar that is available in
the liquid sample held between the
daylight plate and the main prism
assembly. As light moves through
different medium, it’s speed changes.
When light comes into the refractometer
prism at an angle, it bends as it moves
from one material to another. It bends
toward the denser material. Due to optical
density, light slows down when passing
through a dense liquid. Simply place
sample on glass and close the daylight
plate (with not bubbles or air spaces
showing. Light enters from all angles.
There is a terrific instrument that
every organic gardener and grower
should have. I should also talk
about more often. It is called
Refractometer and is an optical
instrument used to measure the
amount of dissolved solids in a
liquid. It shows the sugar levels in
plant tissue. It has been used in the
grape growing industry forever.
A refractometer gives growers the
percentage Brix, which is the
relative "sugar weight" of a sample
compared to distilled water. It can
be used on all plants and all fruit.
Brix is sometimes referred to as
Balling. The refractometer works
much like a prism - it reacts
differently to light (by giving a
reading on a scale) depending upon
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-25_p.html3/3/2008 12:14:41 PM
Refractometers are traditionally used to
test ripening fruits and vegetables;
however they can be used for “Plant Sap
Analysis”. Sap is squeezed from fresh
plant tissue (leaves or petioles) and
tested for Brix or sugar content. The
higher the sugar, the healthier the
plant and the better the taste. Food
products are healthier for people and
animals and all plants with higher Brix
readings have few to zero insect and
disease problems. The sap pH indicates
the level of balance of nutrient uptake and
helps to identify which elements may be
out of balance.
Devices are available from places like
Pike Agri-Labs Supplies, Inc. www.
pikeagri.com
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
BALCH SPRINGS, TX
Eden’s Organic Garden Center
4710 Pioneer Road
214-348-EDEN (3336)
www.safe-gardens.com
BARTLESVILLE, OK
ABERNATHY, TX
Turffalo
P.O. Box 177
800-872-0522
www.turffalo.com
ARLINGTON, TX
A-Pest-Pro, Inc.
1220 Colorado Lane
817-261-4760 (Metro)
214-366-3338
www.apestpro.com
Dr. Allen Sprinkle, D.D.S.
1106 W. Randoll Mill Road
817-461-9998
817-459-4844
www.drsprinkle.com
Organicare
Daniel Wright, Certified Arborist
Serving the Metroplex
817.469.4495
Redenta’s Garden
5111 West Arkansas Lane
817.451.2149
Nature’s Creation
117 W. 5th Street, St. 200
918-336-0115
www.naturescreationorganics.com
CELESTE, TX
Good Earth Organic Farm
903.496.2070
www.goodearthorganicfarm.com
CHANDLER, TX
Blue Moon Gardenss
13062 FM 279
903.852.3897
www.bluemoongardens.com
COLLEYVILLE, TX
Foreman’s
3800 Colleyville Blvd.
817.281.7252
COPPELL, TX
Blooming Colors Nursery
1701 East Beltline Rd.
972.939.8660
www.bloomingcolorsnursery.com
ANCHORAGE, AK
Close To Infinity
604 W. 2nd Ave.
907-258-1505
www.closetoinfinity.com
CRESSON, TX
Cresson Feed & Vet Supply
Hwy. 377
817.396.4316
ATHENS, TX
Athens Organic Supply
6187 Highway 19 N
903.286.0383
DALLAS, TX
Arbock Pest Management
2842 Mark Twain Drive
972.484.1174
AUSTIN, TX
Natural Gardener
8648 Old Bee Cave Road
521-288-6113
www.naturalgardeneraustin.com
John Silk Feed
11415 Harry Hines
972.247.2681
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-26_p.html3/3/2008 12:18:40 PM
Living Earth Technology
1901 California Crossing Rd.
Dallas, TX 75220
972 869-4332
North Haven Gardens
7700 Northaven Rd.
Dallas, TX 75230
214 363-5316
www.nhg.com
Perma-Pier Foundation Solutions
2912 Barge Lane
214-637-1444 (Dallas)
817-589-8400 (Ft. Worth)
www.permapier.com
Redenta's Garden
2001 Skillman St.
Dallas, TX 75206
214 823-9421
www.redentas.com
RID-All Pest Control
6812 Colfax Dr.
214-340-6969 (Dallas)
817-266-4776 (Ft. Worth)
www.ridall.biz
Soils Alive
P.O. Box 823165
972-272-9211
www.soilsalive.com
Southland Farm Store
5855 Maple Avenue
214-350-7881
Soil Building Systems
1770 Y Street
Dallas, TX 75229
972 831.8181
www.SoilBuildingSystems.com
Agrispon
3601 Garden Brook Dr.
Dallas, TX 75234
800.274.8930
www.agsciinc.com
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Moore Tree Care - Root Flare
Services
6333 Denton Drive, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75235
214-350-8350
www.rootflare.com
EDINBURG, TX
Texas Plant & Soil Lab
5115 W. Monte Cristo Rd.
Edinburg, TX 78541
956 383-0739
www.txplant-soillab.com
Harvest Supply Company
2317 Cullen
Fort Worth, TX
817-335-2601
www.harvestsupply.com
Nature’s Guide
2317 Cullen Street
800-299-1881
www.natures-guide.com
Russell Feed and Supply
9804 Camp Bowie West
817-244-3830
FARMERSVILLE, TX
Truth Hill Farm's Natural Grass
Finished Beef
17953 Country Road 618
Farmersville, TX 75442
903-776-2173 or 214-491-9441
truth_hill@yahoo.com
FORT WORTH, TX
Affordable Hearing
1015 Pennsylvania Avenue, St.
100
800-521-1592
www.affordable-hearing.com
AJ Southwest
4310 Village Creek Rd.
Fort Worth, TX 76119
817 232-2785 or Toll Free 1-877810-0064
www.ajsw.com
Marshall Grain Company
2224 E. Lancaster Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76103
817 536.5636
www.marshallgrain.com
Silver Creek Materials
2251 Silver Creek Road
Fort Worth, TX 76108
817- 246-2426
www.silvercreek-materials.com
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX
Grand Prairie Feed & Garden Supply
1229 E. Main St.
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
972 263-6522
GRAPEVINE, TX
Blooming Colors
2221 Ira E. Woods Ave.
Grapevine, TX 76051
817 416.6669
www.bloomingcolorsnursery.com
GREENVILLE, TX
Rehoboth Ranch
2238 CR 1081
903-450-8145
www.rehobothranch.com
Southern Lights
214-357-5020 (Dallas)
817-822-7323 (Ft. Worth)
www.southern-lights.com
HONDO, TX
Whiz-Q-Stone
4501 East Loop 820 South
Fort Worth, TX
817-429-0822
HUNTSVILLE, TX
GARLAND, TX
Rohde’s
1651 Wall Street
972-864-1934
www.beorganic.com
Roach Feed and Seed
409 Main St.
Garland, TX 75040
972 276-3217
Medina Agricultural Products
902 Medallion
214-369-4997
ANTidote
1045 Elkins Lake
713-864-9717
KILLEEN
Oma’s Garten Pflanzen
2301 Old FM 440 Road
254-526-8792
www.omasgartenpflazen.com
LANCASTER, TX
Living Earth Technology Co
3450 S. Beckley
972.869.4332
GRANBURY, TX
Ferrier Custom Homes
11255 Camp Bowie West, Suite
115
Fort Worth, TX 76008-3692
817-237-6262
www.ferrierbuilders.com
Arrow Feed & Ranch
2031 E. Highway 377
Granbury, TX 76049
817 573-8808
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-27_p.html3/3/2008 12:20:27 PM
LEWISVILLE, TX
A Little Extra Organic Lawn Care
1322 Bogard Lane
972-365-9266
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Hartwells Nursery
1570 N. Stemmons Fwy.
Lewisville, TX 75067
972 436-3612
POTTSBORO, TX
Good Earth Soil & Material
P.O. Box 298
Pottsboro, TX 75076
903 786-7645
MINEOLA,TX
Aunt Cindi’s Organic Market Center
6134 FM 49 aka Hwy 49
903.857.2418
WEATHERFORD, TX
Dillard Feed & Seed
319 N. Main St.
Weatherford, TX 76086
817 594-6055
SAN ANTONIO, TX
MURPHY, TX
Green Light
P.O. Box 17985
210-494-3481
www.greenlightco.com
Weatherford Gardens
2106 Fort Worth Hwy.
Weatherford, TX 76086
817 594-605
Classic Gardens
401 W. FM 544
Murphy, TX 75094
972 424-9929
www.classicgardensnursery.com
Perma-Pier Foundation Solutions
10927 Wye Drive, St. 108
210-654-4400
www.permapier.com
Willow Park Feed & Organic Supply
3849 Fort Worth Hwy.
Weatherford, TX 76087
817/ 596 – 8844
MUENSTER, TX
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX
Muenster Milling Co.
202 S. Main
Muenster, TX 76252
1-800-772-7178
www.muenstermilling.com
East Texas Landscaping
450 Main St.
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
903 439-4648
Wildflower Soaps
1800 Oak Country Est.
Weatherford, TX 76085
817-946-9847
www.wildflowersoaps.com
TULIA, TX
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX
Green Mama's
5324 Davis Blvd.
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817 514-7336
www.greenmamas.com
PITTSBURG, PA
Perfectly Natural
100 West Station Square Drive
403-225-3391
www.perfectlynatural.com
PLANO, TX
Living Earth Technology Co.
5032 Split Trail
972.869.4332
Wells Brothers Farm Store
5001 Avenue K
972-424-8516
www.wbfarmstore.com
Soil Mender Products
3071 Highway 86
800-441-2498
www.soilmender.com
TYLER, TX
Al H. Horaney’s, Inc.
5520 Old Jacksonville Hwy.
903.939.1046
Aunt Cindi’s Organic Market Center
6134 FM 49 aka Hwy 49
903.857.2418
ABILENE
Carolyn Wiggins
Jeannette St. Abilene
915/673-3338 or 915/673-2802
ARLINGTON
Storm's Nursery
9605 China Springs Rd
254 836-0022
Arlington Organic Garden Club
Dorothy Beard
Po Box 173954
Arlington, TX 76003
www.aogc.com
WAXAHACHIE, TX
AUSTIN
Organigro Products
206 Harrington Rd.
972-938-0929
www.organigro.net
Jim Grahs
RR I, Box 444
Red Rock, TX 78662
512/303-5190 or 512/303-4653
WACO, TX
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-28_p.html3/3/2008 12:23:52 PM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
DALLAS
Dallas Organic Gardening Club
Meetings held 4th Thursday each
month
7:00 pm Fretz Park Recreation
Center
Contact number 214.676.4326
DENTON
Denton Organic Society
Mike Mizell
509 N. Bell Ave.
Denton, TX 76201
940/382-8551
FORT WORTH
Norma Miller
Po Box 9204
Ft. Worth, TX 76147
817/292-2022
GARLAND
Lakeside Organic
Gardening Club
Meetings are held at Rohde's
Nursery, the first Sunday of the
month at 2:00
susan_c_brown@hotmail.com
972/203-9170
JOSHUA
Old Towne Joshua
Organic Garden Club
Metting are held the 2nd and 4th
Sunday of every month from 3:00
to 5:00
817/517-6100
STEPHENVILLE
Renate Snyder In The Garden
272 South Belknap
Stephenville, TX 76401
254/965-3710
TYLER
Charles Whitehead
207 Atlanta Ave. Tyler, TX 75703
903/509-4416
organicnetwork@tyler.net
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-29_p.html3/3/2008 12:25:00 PM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Aloe Vera
Basil
Bay
Chives
Comfrey
Garlic
Ginger
Lavender
Lemongrass
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Peppers
Rosemary
Sage
Stevia
Thyme
Anise Hyssop
Borage
Dill
Germander
Hibiscus
Hoja Santa
Lemon Balm
Lemon Mint
Mullein
Perilla
Pomegranate
Salad Burnet
Savory
Scented
Geranium
Sweet Myrtle
Tansy
They can be grown in beds or
containers. For More information
on herbs, read Herbs for Texas.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO
BIODEGRADE?
Anywhere you use scouring
powder or the squirt type scouring
products: Use straight, dry baking
soda or mix 1/2 cup of baking soda
with 3 tablespoons of liquid
dishwashing detergent and a little
water for the soft scrub style.
Windows, inside and out: Add
1/2 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing
deter-gent and 1/2 cup of vinegar
to 1 gallon of water. Pour into a
squirt bottle. Squeegee off or use
newspapers to wipe off. If you’ve
been using commercial window
cleaners, you may have waxy
build-up. A tablespoon of citrus oil
in the first washing mixture will
solve this problem.
Drain cleaner: Pour 1/4 cup of
baking soda down the drain
followed by 1/2 cup vinegar. Wait
at least an hour. Flush with boiling
water.
Vinyl floors, tile and laminated
countertops: Mix equal parts of
vinegar and warm water. This will
also help repel ants and roaches.
Brown paper bag: 1 to 5 months
Cigarette Butts and Filters: 12
years
Plastic bags, caps and lids:
Decades
Aluminum Cans: 2 to 5 centuries
Styrofoam: Virtually Forever
Stains on porcelain appliances,
sinks and countertops: Make a
paste of cream of tartar and
hydrogen peroxide - the 3 percent
solution from the drug store. Or,
use citrus oil and water.
Disinfectant: Fill one spray bottle
with vinegar and a second with
hydrogen peroxide. First spray
with the vinegar and then
immediately spray with the
peroxide. Rinse.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-30_p.html3/3/2008 12:29:06 PM
Use this to wash pesticides off of fruits
and vegetables, in diaper pails and on
cutting boards and other surfaces where
bacteria may cause odor or health
problems. University research has
shown this to be very effective on e-coli
and salmonella. The two-step spray
approach is 10 times more effective
than mixing the solutions. Tea tree oil
can also be used as a disinfectant.
Oven cleaner: Mix a cup of baking
soda with 2 tablespoons of liquid
dishwashing detergent and a cup of
water. Spread this over the bottom of
the oven. Then sprinkle more water on
top. Let it sit at least over night. Then
wipe it up. Use a mild abrasive pad if
needed, but don’t work too hard. If
necessary, repeat the process. For
stubborn problems add 1/2 cup of
washing soda. Wear gloves. Washing
soda is a bit caustic. Substitute for antistatic aerosol sprays for your dust cloth:
Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup olive
oil in a pint of water.
Pet stains on carpet: Brush in baking
soda. Pour on white vinegar. When it
stops fizzing, vacuum with a wet vac or,
use the Procyon carpet cleaning
solution.
Oil on garage floor or driveway: If
there is still oil on the surface, soak it up
with zeolite. Then sprinkle on washing
soda, scrub with water and a brush and
rinse. Repeat if necessary.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
settlers who relied on supply ships from
Europe. Until the 19th century,
however, Dutch usage of the tea was
minimal.
Rooibos, (pronounced "roy-boss"),
Afrikaans for "red bush"; scientific
name Aspalathus linearis) is a
broom-like member of the legume
family of plants and is used to
make a tisane (herbal tea).
Commonly called South African red
tea or simply red tea, the product
has been popular in South Africa
for generations and is now
consumed in many countries.
same as black tea save that the flavor is
improved by longer brewing. The
resulting brew is a reddish brown color,
explaining why rooibos is sometimes
referred to as "red tea".
Several coffee shops in South Africa
have recently begun to sell red espresso
[1], which is concentrated rooibos served
and presented in the style of ordinary
espresso (which is normally coffeebased). This has given rise to rooibosbased variations of coffee drinks such as
red lattes and red cappuccinos.
Nutritional and Health Benefits
Flowers
Rooibos is becoming more popular in
Western countries particularly among
health-conscious consumers, due to its
high level of antioxidants such as
aspalathin and nothofagin, its lack of
caffeine and its low tannin levels
compared to fully oxidized black tea or
unoxidized green tea leaves.[citation
needed] "Green" rooibos (see above)
has a higher antioxidant capacity than
fully oxidised rooibos.
Rooibos is only grown in a small
area in the Cederberg region of the
Western Cape province. Generally,
the leaves are oxidized, a process
often (technically inaccurately)
referred to as fermentation by
analogy with tea processing
terminology. This process produces
the distinctive reddish-brown color
of rooibos and enhances the
flavour. Unoxidized "green" rooibos
is also produced, but the more
demanding production process for
green rooibos (similar to the
method by which green tea is
produced) makes it more
expensive than traditional rooibos.
History
In South Africa it is more common
to drink rooibos with milk and
sugar, but elsewhere it is usually
served without. The flavor of
rooibos tea is often described as
being sweet (without sugar added)
and slightly nutty. Preparation of
rooibos tea is essentially the
Although rooibos was first reported in
1772 by botanist Carl Thunberg, the
Khoisan people of the area had been
using it for a long time and were aware
of its medicinal value[citation needed].
The Dutch settlers to the Cape adopted
rooibos as an alternative to black tea, an
expensive commodity for the
Plant
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-31_p.html3/3/2008 12:31:39 PM
Green rooibos tea
In 1903, Benjamin Ginsberg (a Russian
settler to the Cape and descendant of a
famous tea family) saw potential in
rooibos and began trading with the local
Khoisan people who were harvesting it.
He sold his "Mountain Tea" to settlers in
the Cape and shortly became the first
exporter of rooibos using contacts from
the family tea business.
In the 1930s, Ginsberg convinced a
local doctor to experiment with
cultivation of the plant. The attempts
were successful, which led Ginsberg to
encourage local farmers to cultivate the
plant in the hope that it would become a
profitable venture. The first attempts at
large volume cultivation were a disaster
due to the small size of the seeds. They
are no larger than a grain of sand and
so were difficult to find and gather. This
resulted in the seeds soaring to an
astounding £80 a pound, which was far
too expensive for local farmers.
Fortunately for Ginsberg, who employed
collectors of the seeds, one woman had
found a rather unusual source of
supply. While other collectors only
brought in matchbox-sized quantities of
the seed, she continually delivered
large bags and was eventually
persuaded to share her secret. She
chanced upon ants dragging seed one
day, while she was searching for the
minute seeds. She followed their trail
back to their nest and, on breaking
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
it open, found a granary. Today
however the seed is gathered by
using special sifting processes.
Since then, rooibos has grown in
popularity in South Africa and since
about 2002 or so, has gained
considerable momentum in the
worldwide market. There are now
(as of late 2007) a growing number
of brand-name tea companies
which sell this tea either by itself or
as a component in an ever-growing
variety of blends.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and
Here’s How
Recycling is something that
everyone young and old can
easily do, and should do. Here
are some resources for
recycling some items you may
have not previously considered
to be recyclable.
Appliances: recycle-steel.org
Business Clothing:
dressforsuccess.org
Carpets: carpetrecovery.org
Cell phones and rechargable
batteries: rbc.org
Computers: sharetechnology.org
Electronics: mygreenelectronics.
org
Eyeglasses:
neweyesfortheneedy.org
Floppy Discs and Videotapes:
greendisk.com
Formal Dresses:
operationfairydust.org
Packing Peanuts:
loosefillpacking.com
Paint: earth911.org
Tires: epa.gov/garbage/tires/live.
htm
Scientific Name: Longistigma
caryae
Size: Adult 1/4 inch long
Identification: Largest aphid in
North America, have long legs
which makes them appear even
larger. Males and some females
have wings. Egg laying females are
wingless and are brown with black
markings giving a mottled
appearance and have short, black
cornicles. Cornicles are tube-like
structures only found on the
posterior portion of the abdomen of
aphids. The cornicles are believed
to secrete a waxy substance that
may be involved in predator
defense. The presence of cornicles
is a specific character for aphids
and can be viewed in some aphid
species with just the naked eye
Biology and Life Cycle: Adult
females gives birth to live young
and a colony is formed on the
underside of the branches of the
host tree. Several generations occur
during the summer and fall. Activity
continues into mid-November in
some years. Late in the fall females
lay eggs in bark crevices or on the
smooth bark of smaller limbs. The
eggs are yellow when laid but later
turn black and are in the
overwintering stage.
Feeding Habits: American elm, pin
oak, live oak, post oak, blackjack
oak, pecan, hickory, sycamore, and
golden rain tree. Other trees which
might be infested include maple,
basswood, birch, beech, walnut,
chestnut, and willow.
Control: They do suck some sap
out of the trees but usually don't do
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-32_p.html3/3/2008 12:35:35 PM
serious damage. They are more
interesting than anything. If there are huge
numbers and it looks like damage is being
done, dust them with natural DE or spray
with orange oil at 2 oz per gallon of water.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
PROBLEMS: Few other than hard to
find in the nursery trade.
OTHER INFORMATION: Native
Americans used buttonbush for a
number of medicinal purposes. The
root and bark were used to treat eye
disorders; the bark was chewed to
relieve toothaches and was boiled and
used to treat headaches, dysentery,
fevers, and stomach aches.
Cephalanthus occientalis
sef-ah-LAN-thus ox-eh-DEN-tal-is
USES: Attracts bees, butterflies, and
waterfowl..
Height 10'-12' Spread 10'-12'
Deciduous - Sun / Part Shade
Spacing: 6'-8'
HABIT: White or pale pink
summer flowers in 1"-2" globes.
Fruit in heavy brown clusters.
CULTURE: Bush or small tree
with round, fragrant pale pink to
white flowers that bloom all
summer in the sun, off and on in
the shade. Will grow in wet soil and
even in shallow water.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-33_p.html3/3/2008 12:36:35 PM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Q: We became Ground Crew
members even though we are not
sure how much we can profit by
living in Florida and not being at
all familiar with the dirt and other
Texas conditions. The soil we
have here is what is commonly
referred to as sugar sand. For
years now we have seen working
compost in our beds and have
exclusively used St Augustine
grass. Last year we started
getting broadleaf weeds and
have not done well in controlling
them. Rather than going to
chemicals we are interested in
becoming organic gardeners. D.
S., Altamonte Springs, FL
A: The organic program works
the same where ever you are.
The one thing that is very
important and often surprising is
that you need to add volcanic
sand. It helps to hold the
moisture and build humus even
better than compost in some
cases. You need the compost
and organic fertilizers too. Try to
get the product called Nature's
Creation. It will be available all
over the country very soon if not
now. Its biological activity is very
important. Hope you stay with us
- the conditions aren't that
different.
Q: I heard part of your show
today, where you said some
things about the price of corn
gluten meal, and organic
products, mostly how expensive
they are becoming! I wrote you a
year or two ago to tell you the
very same thing. I believe in
organics, but you are so out of
touch with what it takes to farm hay
with organics. As I have said before, it
is so expensive to buy the volume of
compost I need for my field, let alone
the other rock powders, molasses,
etc. I have to be able to feed the field
and replace the nutrients I take off in
hay. Your program might work fine for
a golf course and/or a large company,
they have truck loads of money, and
don't have to sell the grass at a
competitive price! The only organic
going around here is a few guys are
putting out liquid fish oil and some
other liquid products. I would like to
find out how to get a government
grant to start a totally organic hay
operation! The government wastes
our money with that total boondoggle,
ethanol. They should help a little guy
like me! W.S., Dublin
A: I have never recommended corn
gluten meal for someone growing hay.
What you should use is dry molasses
or molasses feed which will give you
increased production at a lower price
than using synthetic fertilizers. I do
agree with you that ethanol from corn
is a joke.
Q: The bag shows peat moss in Soil
Mender potting mix. Howard said it
didn't. Please clarify. S.B., Mesquite
A: The bags still say peat moss but it
is no longer in the formulation.
Q: I am considering supplementation
with d-limonene as my friend is taking
it, but I have a few questions.
Throughout the 'monograph/
testament' for d-limonene there are 2324 articles referenced (I assume),
however at the bottom of the page,
there was only one article listed and it
was on GERD, not on d-limonene
itself. Are there any valid phase 1 and
2 trials that were used to prove dlimonene works? Also, I have read
that d-limonene is used as a
component in industrial cleaner and
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-34_p.html3/3/2008 12:39:23 PM
a flavorant in food and as a fragrance
in perfumes. How can it be safe to take
as a supplement? And, if it is safe, how
long do you recommend taking it for
and at which dose? J.O., Halifax, Nova
Scotia, Canada
A: I do not use d-limonene as a food
supplement. I only use it to kill insects
and as a cleaner. It also can make the
organic herbicide more effective if
added at 1 ounce per gallon of vinegar.
If any of the ground crew members
have any ideas to share, we will pass
them on.
Q: I'm interested in purchasing
an organic pre-emergent for a 12-acre
walnut orchard. Corn gluten meal looks
like it might work well. The fact that it
degrades into a fertilizer is a big plus. I
don't know if it would be cost-effective,
or how many times would it need to be
applied throughout the growing season
(Feb. through Nov.) Do you know an
agricultural retailer who handles
organic supplies? We're set up with a
sprayer right now. If we need a
spreader, we'd have to arrange
something else. M.J., Waterford, CA
A: Corn gluten meal would work well
but is very expensive for a 12 acre
project. Try to get some dry molasses
instead or even better try the new
Nature's Creation product which is
available now in California. Use the
liquid product or the micronized
product which is also mixed with water
and sprayed. Don't worry that much
about the weeds. Be concerned about
the biological activity in the soil. The
product I mentioned is loaded with
mycorrhizal fungi that will help in many
ways.
Q: Should a banana tree be cut down
to the ground during freezing weather?
D.F., Plano
A: Yes, after if has turned brown and
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
melted down. Cut it off a couple of
inches above the ground and then
cover the stump with shredded
tree trimmings. Put the old parts in
the compost pile. By the way,
banana parts (stems and leaves)
are great for repelling fleas and
roaches.
Q: I have a 2' wide and 18' long
strip of soil adjacent to a 5 year
old poured foundation slab.
Something is leaching into the soil
from the concrete. I need to plant
something up the side of this
street-side brick wall to improve
the appearance. I've planted ivy; it
died, and now have a Carolina
jessamine that is virtually dead.
Only a ground cover of Asian
jasmine seems to survive. What
can I do to the soil to counteract
this presumed "leaching"? Short of
this, what could survive and hide
the brick wall? . J.K., Lufkin
A: Stuff coming out of concrete
will be highly alkaline and highly
chemically imbalanced for growing
plants. What will solve the problem
until the leaching stops is lots of
compost, lots of coffee grounds
and lots of all the other products
that I recommend. Plant native
plants that tolerate less than acid
conditions and all should be fine.
Make sure the soil isn't staying too
wet also.
Q: Today I roasted a yellow bell
pepper, so I could get the skin off
easily. After it cooled, I opened it
and inside was what looked like 56 tiny peppers forming. I have
never seen that before. R.M.,
Frisco
A: I've never see that before, but
the crazy weather we have had
this year has caused all sorts of
abnormalities - flowering out of
season, new flushes of growth in
late summer, strange fall color,
etc.
Q: I have heard about you for years
from Bob Webster and love your site. I
also think highly of you because you
have a pet of the week from SPCA, if
only others would think to help the
animals. What do I do with my
Mexican petunias...they sprout
everywhere, which is ok, but some are
looking tall and lanky. Do I just cut
them off? They are great for drought
tolerant areas, but I wish they looked
better. S.M., Sherman
Ruellia brittoniana 'Katie'
A: I have a love/hate relationship with
Mexican petunias (Ruellia). I have the
tall version as well as the low growing
Katie (Ruellia brittoniana 'Katie'). The
tall one gets the rattiest looking and
should be cut back after the first real
freeze. Not much needs to be done to
Katie. Why the 'hate'? Both, especially
the tall ones, are very invasive. If they
go where they aren't invited, pull them
out.
Q: I noticed a previous inquiry about
using corn gluten mean as a pasture
fertilizer, rate of 200 - 400 lbs. per
acre. For commercial use as a pasture
application, what are the ballpark P
and K values? Corn distiller's grain is
high in P, what about corn gluten meal
or cottonseed meal? And, is it best to
use meal vs. pellets? Are there other
references to using these
commodities as fertilizers? Any info or
references you could share would be
appreciated?
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-35_p.html3/3/2008 12:41:52 PM
Based on our current soil tests, our
commercial based NPK fertilizers will
run us over $600 this year. Alternative
ideas are being looked at. T.G., Dallas
A: Corn gluten meal's analysis is
almost 10-1-1 even though most
products only claim 9-0-0. The
synthetic fertilizer prices are indeed
going up because of the price of
natural gas, and that's good because
more people will at least consider
organic alternatives. But if the organic
product prices also go up, we haven't
accomplished anything. I strongly urge
you to look into the molasses products,
compost tea products and products
that are laced with mycorrhizal fungi.
Dry molasses is good to use as a
fertilizer alternative, liquid molasses
should be added to any liquid
applications, molasses feed is an
excellent transition product even
though it contains urea, and the
mycorrhizal fungi laced products are
available from Mycorrhizal Applications
and Nature's Creation.
Q: How poisonous is the Carolina
jessamine? I need an evergreen vine
for a long section of fence to act as a
screen but dogs and horses may have
access to it. How much do they have to
eat to get sick? A.M., Poetry
Carolina Jessamine
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
A: I have no reports of animal
poisoning. Children have been
injured by this plant by mistaking it
for honeysuckle and sucking on
the flowers. Causal contact is not
a problem. The native cross vine
might be a better choice.
Q: I received a hydrangea for
mother's day. It bloomed for a little
while then stopped. Since that
time I put it inside I have washed it
with soapy water. It has had
droopy leaves. Today I discovered
very fine webs and little white
bugs on the webs. I doused it
again with soapy water. Should I
cut it back? J.D., Sherman
Q: We have a century plant in our
backyard that bloomed this past
summer. The leaves have since
withered and dried up, but the 17-foot
stalk is still standing. I understand that
the dried stalks are often used as yard
ornaments and am wondering when
the best time is to cut them down. My
wife is afraid it will come crashing
down any day now, but it seems to me
that it's as sturdy as ever. Once its
cut, is there anything specific we
should do to preserve it? B.R., Dallas
A: Interesting question I have never
had. I would cut the stalk off now and
hang it upside down for a month or so.
It should last a long time as a dried
flower. No treatment other than that
should be needed..
Q: I have a bumper crop of poison ivy.
How do I get rid of this stuff and is it
still active this time of year with all the
leaves gone? J.C., Plano
A: Regular soap used too much
will foul the soil so try alcohol
instead for the insects. The Plant
Wash product sprayed on the
foliage will also work. The bugs
are present because the plant is in
stress. Give it very bright indirect
light, keep the soil moist but not
sopping wet and fertilize with the
Nature's Creation tablets which
dissolve in water and are designed
specifically for indoor plants. Do
not cut it back.
A: You can get a very bad case of
poison ivy rash by rubbing against the
dormant stems, especially if the stems
scratch your skin. Ask me how I know!
Even if I recommended toxic chemical
herbicides, they don't work on
dormant plants. All you do is hire a
landscape contractor to remove the
vines, roots and all. Most companies
have at least one or two guys who can
work around the stuff without turning
into red bumps.
Century plant in bloom
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-36_p.html3/3/2008 12:43:33 PM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
pepper tea and dust around plants with
a mix of hot pepper, natural
diatomaceous earth and cedar flakes.
Spray plant oil products for serious
infestations
• Aphids: use a blast of water and a
release of ladybugs. Add 2 ounces
molasses per gallon for better results.
• DISEASES: Black spot, powdery
PLANT*:
PRUNE:
• Trees, shrubs and other
• Finish major pruning if necessary.
permanent plants.
No flush cuts or pruning paint.
• Begin warm season crops such
• Spring-flowering shrubs and vines
as black-eyed peas, okra,
peppers, squash, tomatoes, etc.
Plant a mixture of varieties and
include some open-pollinated
choices after last killing freeze
date. .
only after they finish blooming:
azaleas, camellias, Carolina
jessamine, flowering quince, forsythia,
Lady Banksia rose, spirea, weigela,
wisteria, etc.
• Fruit trees just before bud break.
• Summer herbs: basil, lavender,
mildew, and bacterial leaf spot: Spray
Garrett Juice plus a cup of skim milk
per gallon of spray or spray cornmeal
juice. Hydrogen peroxide is even better
for bacterial diseases. Plant Wash is
also effective.
• Sycamore bacterial leaf scorch:
Cornmeal juice or hydrogen peroxide
as leaves emerge and apply the entire
Sick Tree Treatment.
• Fruit trees: Spray Garrett Juice plus
garlic tea at pink bud and again after
flowers have fallen from the trees.
Spray Garrett Juice only every two
weeks. Spray Plant Wash at first sign
of disease. See the Organic Fruit and
Pecan Tree Program for more details
on my website at DirtDoctor.com.
lemongrass, lemon verbena,
mint, oregano, sage, salad
burnet, thyme, etc.
• Remove suckers from bases of
• Continue to plant cool-season
WATER:
annuals such as petunias and
snapdragons. Begin planting
warm-season types.
• Annuals and all dry soil areas as
needed.
ODD JOBS:
• Transplant as needed
• Potted plants as necessary.
• Turn the compost pile and keep it
deciduous shrubs and other plants.
moist.
FERTILIZE:
• All planting areas with a natural
organic fertilizer at approximately
20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. (if not
done in February).
• Turf during drought conditions.
• Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider
vinegar to a gallon of irrigation water or
1 ounce of Garrett Juice.
• Spray all growing plants with
• Drench the roots of newly
planted plants with Garrett Juice.
It makes an excellent root
stimulator.
preparation - use partially completed
compost or shredded native as topdressing mulch.
• Mulch all bare soil but do not pile
PEST CONTROL:
Garrett Juice or aerated compost
tea.
• Use completed compost for bed
• INSECTS: Loopers and caterpillars:
Spray Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
biological worm spray. Add one ounce
of liquid molasses per gallon of spray.
Release trichogramma wasps.
• Pillbugs, snails, slugs: Spray garlic-
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-37_p.html3/3/2008 12:47:01 PM
mulch on the stems and trunks of
plants.
• Feed and water the birds!
*Planting recommendations based on North Texas
climate, which is zone 8. Check with your local
Garden Centers and extension service for specific
varieties and timing.
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
Truth & Lies: Mercury
QUOTE: "There's no
conclusive scientific evidence
that the amount of mercury
one might get from a flu shot is
linked with neurological
development outcome that's
negative. Jeanne Santoli, deputy
director of immunization services
division for the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
FACT: A typical flu shot
contains 50,000 parts per
billion of mercury.
FACT: The EPA classifies a
liquid with 200 parts per billion
of mercury as hazardous
waste..
FACT: The legal "safe" limit for
mercury in drinking water is 2
parts per billion.
FACT: For each flu-shot, a 22pound baby gets more than 25
times the amount of mercury
considered safe. And doctors
are recommending that many
babies and children get two flu
shots this season.
FACT: A material safety data
sheet from Eli Lilly and Co., a
former producer of flu
vaccines, says exposure to
thimerosal may include "fetal
changes, decreased offspring
survival and lung tissue
changes. Exposure in utero
and in children may cause mild
to severe mental retardation
and mild to severe motor
coordination impairment."
A Solution to all the little black pots:
Missouri Botanical Garden set a new recycling record in 2007 by
collecting more than 100,000 pounds of horticultural plastic originally
destined for landfills. The recycling program has collected more than
300 tons of waste over the past 10 years. The pots and trays are
transformed into plastic landscape timbers. Several area retail garden
centers assisted with the collection effort.
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-38_p.html3/3/2008 12:48:23 PM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-39_p.html3/3/2008 12:49:44 PM
Dirt Doctor's DIRT | March - April 2008
32 A Little Extra
15 ANTidote
19 Classic Gardens
33 Live Green Expo 2008
14 Maxicrop
38 Medina
10 Moore Tree Care
05 Muenster Natural Pet Food
05 Nature's Creations
11 Nature's Guide
14 Organicare
29 Perma-Pier
09 Rehoboth Ranch
06 Silver Creek Materials
29 Soil Mender
36 The Perfect Garden Tool
System
38 Tuffalo
39 University of Texas Press
25 Whiz-Q Stone
29 Wildflower Soaps
file:///D|/project/dirt/march-april/magazine/08March-April-40_p.html3/3/2008 12:50:16 PM