GARDEN + GARDENING + GARDENING TIPS & ADVICE

Choosing the right landscaping supply store means thinking outside the box. You have to stop thinking like a normal everyday personal landscaper and begin thinking like a person about to take on a job and who wants to save some money, especially on solar powered garden lights. There are many gardening supply stores out there but only a few of them are worth visiting and these are not the ones that you see the ads for on TV.

The landscaping supply stores that you want to purchase your materials from are the ones that cater primarily to those in the industry. If you can get your landscaping materials from a gardening supply store that does not usually sell to the public, or at least is not well known by the general public then you are in business. This can take some work though.

Try talking to a professional gardener to see if you can get the info out of him or her about the closest landscaping supply store. See what they say. What gardening supply store does this business use? You can tell them that you need to know this in order to make sure that they are getting and using only the best materials. This should work in getting you a name. Then you can go down there yourself and get all of the materials and tools that you need to complete the job on your own. Sound sneaky? Well, it is but it works and it will save you lots of money on your landscaping supplies.

If you just cannot bring yourself to be so treacherous you can try looking in the phone book. You may find something like this under landscapers, it depends on where you live. Do whatever you must to find out where the pros get their stuff and you are well on your way to saving some serious cash this year. All of the professionals get their landscaping items from somewhere so all you have to do is find out where. Most of these places will sell to regular people like you but they do not bother with a lot of advertising because they do well with the businesses. These landscaping stores do not need to business from the little people like you. But if you can find these gardening stores you are set.

One tip you should consider is that not all private landscaping stores will allow you to purchase without first setting up an account. During this setup, you may be declined because you are not a landscaping-oriented business. But it does not hurt to apply. You never know, you just may be saving much more money than you expect.

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An organic garden can be an exciting undertaking but it involves a lot ofhard work. If youare successful, you will be rewarded with healthy fruits and vegetables for all of your hard work. The last thing a gardener wants is to discover that insects are eating away at the fruits of their labor.

Maintaining the delicate balance of soil, water, plants and beneficial insects in your organic garden’s ecosystem is the hard part but it is the best way to keep your plants healthy and free from pest damage without the need for additional pesticides or fertilizers.

When that balance is upset and insects become a problem, the need may arise for a pesticide. Choosing to even use a pesticide is a hard decision for most organic gardeners. It goes against every belief you had about your garden. It was supposed to be a chemical-free environment. Why would I actually put chemicals INTO my garden? When considering the alternative of just letting harmful insects destroy their hard work, most gardeners choose to use a pesticide.

Given the choice of a homemade remedy or a commercial repellent, the safer bet for the organic gardener is, of course, the homemade variety. In the event a homemade treatment is not effective and you decide to proceed with a commercial pesticide, you should be aware of several issues.

Even though a commercial pesticide may be labeled “natural” or “organic”, it does not mean the product is completely free of harmful ingredients. If you want a truly chemical-free organic garden, these products should be avoided and you should rely only on prevention and homemade remedies with common kitchen ingredients.

“Natural” or “organic” pesticides contain chemicals that are derived from botanical (plant) or mineral (animal) sources. These chemicals may still be toxic, but they break down more rapidly and are much safer than other man-made chemicals. One way to gauge how “safe” an organic pesticide is would be to review the label and look for an EPA approval rating.

When choosing organic gardening pesticides, also consider these facts:

- Products containing “sabadilla” are harmful to bees and should be avoided.

- Products containing copper will stunt plant growth and should be used sparingly.

- Products containing sulfur or lime should not be used if any oil-based product has also been used in the last month.

- Organic soaps and oils are effective against soft bodied insects (ie aphids..). Water the plants before applying and do not apply in full sun.

When using any pesticides, it is important to always observe pesticide safety and follow these rules.

1. Read all labels carefully before using any product.

2. Observe and follow all directions and restrictions on labels.

3. Always store the product in the original container.

4. Keep all pesticides in a locked cabinet and out of reach of children!

5. Use recommended amounts of pesticides.

6. Dispose of empty containers per pesticide instructions.

Considering all of these factors, issues and rules may seem a bit overwhelming at first. But in order to comply with the original objective of growing an organic garden, it is especially important to not take the use of any pesticides lightly.

In the end, your consideration for your garden will reward you with the freshest, healthiest produce on earth. Please also never forget one of the most important things about your garden. You planted it because gardening is fun.

Visit the author’s comprehensive article Organic Gardening Pesticides for more information about prevention and the use of both homemade and commercially-available pesticides… and make sure you spend a little time in Suzy’s Garden – a great place for more gardening and crafting information and fun !

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