Herself’s Houston Garden

A recent incident in my garden in which a lemon tree received a concentrated does of orange oil because I did not read the label was still fresh in my mind when I saw these stories. The lemon tree dropped most of its leaves, but is recovering nicely.

Do you know where your chemicals went?

. . .Problems with the herbicide emerged late last year, when some commercial potato growers reported damaged crops. In response, Dow launched a campaign within the agriculture industry to ensure that farmers were aware of how the products should be used. Nevertheless, the herbicide has now entered the food chain. Those affected are demanding an investigation and a ban on the product. They say they have been given no definitive answer as to whether other produce on their gardens and allotments is safe to eat.

It appears that the contamination came from grass treated 12 months ago. Experts say the grass was probably made into silage, then fed to cattle during the winter months. The herbicide remained present in the silage, passed through the animal and into manure that was later sold. Horses fed on hay that had been treated could also be a channel. . . [read more Home grown veg ruined by toxic fertilizer]

Did you know temperature greatly effects many chemicals you use?

. . .Up to 10 per cent of New Zealand’s export cymbidium orchids worth several million dollars and bound for Asia, Europe and the United States have been destroyed by a new insecticide imported last September.
. . .
Failure to provide adequate spraying instructions appears to be the problem, rather than the insecticide itself, which is widely used in Europe.

It is understood growers were not told the spray should be used only in cool months nor the impact of dense spraying, particularly in hot temperatures. Crops most severely affected were sprayed in summer.

Though the amount of millilitres per 100 litres on the insecticide label is 20 per cent higher than recommended in the Netherlands, the main issues were the hot temperatures and the density of spray per square metre. . . .
[ read more Millions of orchids lost in spray botch]

And sometimes it is an evil plot

Sir Richard Tucker, for years one of the country’s most senior judges, is heading for court in a row with his former gardener over poisoned plants.

The retired High Court judge, who presided over famous cases including the Polly Peck fraud trial, became embroiled in controversy after a verge and flower borders were allegedly sabotaged at his Cotswolds home.

Police charged his former gardener with causing £500 worth of criminal damage to the garden, with the case set for full trial in August. . . .[ read more Gardener accused of poisoning former judges plants ]

Read the label. Even if you are busy and think you know what you are using. Then do a bit of extra research. Some times not everything is on the label, as the Dutch orchid growers will tell you.

If it ever rained in Houston after June first and before Oct first each year I might find it easier to get interested in rain water harvesting. I’m also pretty sure the HOA would pitch a tizzy fit. But be that as it may I ran across this really cool idea on Rainwater Harvesting Vertically ( photo credit to Az Sustainably as well ) that might not freak out your HOA.

This design is a terrace that collects the rain water from your downspout and delivers it to your garden. I really like the design. I expect you could design it to go in front of your downspout and hide the downspout all together.

More information:
Rocket 2008 Industrial Design Competition
The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting ( pdf )
Rainwater Harvesting Texas AgriLife
Houston as a Model City: Meeting the challenges of an environmental crisis, The future of water
Texas Water

John Aeschliman turns over a shovelful of topsoil on his 4,000-acre farm in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State. The black earth crumbles easily, revealing a porous structure and an abundance of organic matter that facilitate root growth. Loads of earthworms are visible, too—another healthy sign.

Thirty-four years ago only a few earthworms, if any, could be found in a spadeful of his soil. Back then, Aeschliman would plow the fields before each planting, burying the residues from the previous crop and readying the ground for the next one. . . .[ read more No-Till How farmers are saving the soil by parking their plows]

There is mounting evidence that tilling not only exposes weeds to much needed light but disturbs the soil in deeper and more profound ways. Not till increases organic matter in the soil and conserves soil bacteria.

Do a bit of research before turning the soil over in the vegetable bed next year. Or just consider how much better undisturbed soil you run across is from soil that has been worked.

Grow fish for dinner while letting them fertilize your vegetable crop. Urban farming is getting more interest all the time and this one sounds cool.

Portable Farms announces the availability of their new invention, Portable Farms which offers an easy way to grow 100 pounds of home-grown fish and 400 heads of lettuce (or other table vegetables) per year in a small 6 foot x 8 foot space.

Units can be scaled to feed several families, a small neighborhood, or an entire village. The fish and table vegetables can be eaten or sold locally to stores or restaurants. . . [ read more Invention offers easy solution to food shortages]

More information:
Portable farms