Garden Wisdom Blog — organic

What is manure? Broadly speaking, manure is organic matter. Animal manure is the feces of animals—primarily of livestock like horses, cows, and chickens. It may be “pure,” but it often includes bedding or litter materials like straw or sawdust, in which case it will also contain animal urine. Facts about manure. Depending on the source, manure is very high in organic matter as well as nutrients essential to plant growth. As animals digest the plants and other food they eat, they are broken down by anaerobic bacterial action in their stomachs. Manure is, in some ways, like compost that has...

These gastropods (Snails and Slugs) are a fact of life in damp coastal BC. Two factors, however, can be used to minimize their impact on your organic vegetable garden. First, they shun sunlight, and are mostly active at night. Second, they require ample moisture to thrive and breed. The organic gardener’s best control is to minimize the amount of water in the garden: Remove all unnecessary objects under which moisture can collect – all pots, bricks, boards, hoses, and tools should be removed from the garden. Water only in the morning, and take advantage of evaporation and drainage during the...

In this installment of Commit to Grow for Earth Day, we take the chance to explain why we choose to maintain our status as certified organic handlers of seeds. What does it mean to be certified organic? Organic certification has many nuances, but basically it’s the “certified” part that matters most. Farms or companies or products that are certified to be organic are held to account by the body that provides the certification. The certifier sets rules and minimum standards according to regional, federal, and international laws. But what does that mean? Take West Coast Seeds as an example. We...

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) This perennial member of the mint family is native from eastern Europe eastward to China. It is a bushy, branching herb that grows to 50–100cm (20–39″) tall. Like many mints, its stems are square in cross section, and its leaves have a soft texture, being covered by minute hairs. Its white to pale-pink flowers are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Catnip is hardy to Zone 4, and works well in containers. Catnip has been celebrated for centuries as a medicinal herb, and it has come to be known by many names: Catmint, catnep, catrup,...

After years of promoting Community Supported Agriculture, I finally broke down and joined a CSA program at one of the local organic farms. What a great decision it was, too! Back in February we signed up for a “small” farm share at Cropthorne Farm on Westham Island here in Ladner. For an upfront investment of about $350, we get a box of freshly harvested, certified organic vegetables every week. This particular farm’s CSA program is now full, and we got a small discount for registering early in the season. Every Tuesday, we drive out to the farm and pick up...