Birds, Butterflies, Bats, and Bees…oh my!!!

By the simple act of transferring pollen from one flower to another, one of the great miracles of the plant kingdom takes place and production of our food begins in earnest.  Without pollinators, we don’t have food crops.  Something like 1 in 3 bites of food we eat are a direct result of pollinators doing their job.

The relationship between pollinators and plants is critical to healthy cultivated and wild plant communities.  But we are facing some critical problems that are negatively affecting pollinator populations.  The loss of habitat, the increased use of pesticides and other chemicals, combined with unexplained diseases have imperiled these relationships.

This is alarming news about what is happening to the pollinators.  Even scientists don’t completely understand or agree about what is happening to pollinators.  This can be daunting because it’s hard to determine a best course of action and what we can do individually and collectively to make positive change.

There are some daily and long-term decisions we can each make that will help to reverse the course of pollinator decline.  So, what are some simple things we can all do to help pollinators survive?  Here is what I’ve learned recently that we can do as a start…

Protect the pollinators from toxins.  Every day we release pesticides and chemicals that poison or impair the breeding cycles of our pollinators.  Become aware of the species native to your area and what needs to be done to insure their continued success.

• Read labels before you buy and spray - make sure that you minimize the impact on your local pollinators.
• Buy organic foods - support farmers who are not using pesticides and chemicals.

Mason Bee Lodge

Build habitat for native pollinators.  Loss of habitat is one of the great dangers confronting pollinator populations.  Pollinators need undisturbed habitat for nesting, roosting, and foraging.  An important part of building habitat is to plant native trees, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals.  Contact your local native plant society or the master gardeners in your area – they have lists of native plants that attract and support pollinators.

• Plant native in your garden.
• Focus on including nectar and host plants in your gardens.
• Work within your community to create large, uninterrupted areas of plant populations in which pollinators can live and work.
• Add a mason bee house or bumblebee habitat to your garden - these are natures gentle pollinators.

It doesn’t seem like much, but if we all take one idea and turn it into action we will make a difference. 

Triple Threat: As Easy As 1,2,3! 1. Economical 2. Eliminates guess work and 3. Effective with the highest number of pests.

We strongly recommend that you choose beneficial nematodes based upon the target pest and level of infestation.  However, when you have multiple pest species, certain pests that have mobile and immobile stages or you have an unidentifiable combination we recommend using the Triple Threat. 

The Triple Threat includes all 3 varieties of our beneficial nematodes – Sf, Sc, and Hb. In case you are interested in knowing their full names:

• Sf are nicknamed NemAttack but formally they are Steinernema feltiae.
• Sc are nicknamed NemAttack but formally they are Steinernema carpocapsae.
• Hb are nicknamed the NemaSeek but formally they are Heterorhabditis bacteriaphora.

For example, if you have fleas and ticks – the triple threat is your best option for controlling multiple stages of development that range from low mobility to high mobility.  For instance, the Sf go after the very mobile adult fleas while the Sc go after the less mobile larval and pupae stages of the flea.  The Hb and the Sf go after the various life cycles and feeding stages of ticks.

Another scenario for the Triple Threat is a vegetable garden that is limited in size or limited in options for crop rotation.  Before you plant in spring or early summer, apply the Triple Threat to eliminate the pest insects that have over-wintered in your soil before they destroy your spring and summer fruits and vegetables.

Finally, if you are a new gardener and you don’t know exactly which pests you have – applying the Triple Threat is smart.  You cannot over apply beneficial nematodes and it can be safer to apply all three varieties instead of guessing and using trial and error while your garden and lawn are being consumed by pests. 

We offer the Triple Threat in all sizes at special prices.  The SKU’s and coverage rates are: 

• The 1/2 Garden size covers 1,600 square feet, the SKU# is 1220328.
• The Garden size covers 3,200 square feet. The SKU# is 1220330.
• The Farm size covers 1 acre. The SKU for the Farm size is 1220329.
• The Small Ranch size covers up to 5 acres, the SKU# is 1220327.

Remember, you cannot over-apply beneficial nematodes – so don’t worry about having too many.  For maximum effect, order enough to fully cover your area.  All varieties of the nematodes can be applied at the same time – just mix them together and look for the results!

Stinky HE Washing Machine? We May Have a Cure!

Anyone who knows me is aware that I have more than a passing interest in finding good, natural cleaning products – some friends and family think it’s a bit of an obsession.  The good news, as a collecting hobby it’s pretty inexpensive and I get some really great products to use.  For the last year I have been enjoying learning more about products produced by Biokleen.  In reality, I am over the moon about the Biokleen line of cleaning products.  So much that I convinced the folks here at Arbico to add some of their products.

   

For me, it all started with a perniciously slow drain in one of the bathroom sinks.  I have tried all of the old-fashioned homemade remedies along with every natural drain cleaner I could find and no joy.  Sometime last year I came across the Biokleen Bac-Out Drain Care – after following the directions and strictly adhering to the ‘leave it in the drain for 24 hours’ I had a clear and clean running drain.  I was sold.

The problem came in when I tried to buy more – this is a difficult product to locate here in Arizona.  The answer to that problem is to begin carrying much of the Biokleen line and making it available to our customers.  Biokleen is a great fit for us.  Just like Arbico, Biokleen is a family owned and operated business.  Their products are made in Vancouver, Washington, with a strong commitment to ensuring that the products are effective but non-toxic and safe for the environment.  

So, back to the title of this blog…I’ve tried everything recommended to keep our HE (high efficiency) washing machine clean and odor free.  I wipe down the gasket, use the HE laundry soaps, keep the door open to dry the machine, run the cleaning cycle monthly, I’ve even used both the organic and caustic machine cleaners.  Nothing seemed to work and walking through the laundry room was an increasingly odoriferous experience. 

My husband had concluded that it wasn’t the machine, but perhaps the drain pipe to which the washer was attached.  His theory was that HE washers don’t have that surge of water going through the drain that the old top-loads did and he was thinking that perhaps the drain pipe wasn’t getting ‘flushed’ properly and needed to be cleaned. Usually we don’t go ‘off-road’ and diverge from product labels but we have had such good results with the Bac-Out Drain Care that using it to clean the wall drain seemed a low risk proposition. 

We followed the instructions as for any other drain (don’t forget to pull the washing machines drain hose out of the drain and turn off the water to the machine – just in case someone tries to start the washer!).  We left the Bac-Out Drain Care in the drain for 24 hours (per the label), then ran a load of wash through the machine.  Don’t forget to put the hose back in the wall drain and turn the water back on.  WOW.  The lingering odor that we thought came from the machine is gone and the clothes smell much better coming from the wash.  I figure that I’ll do this monthly for a few months and see if it continues to mitigate that nasty odor that I was blaming on my HE washer.

If I was sold before, I’m kind of in love now.  I urge you to try some of the Biokleen products; I think that you will be very happy with the results!    

Veganic Growing in a Nutshell

It’s been a few years since I first learned about growing veganically, recently I’ve observed that it is becoming a more common practice.  For those who are new to the idea, Veganic is a contraction of the words Vegan and Organic and it identifies a methodology of growing where the use of animal products and by-products are avoided. 

In a way, Veganic takes Organic a step further.  Organic growers eschew the use of synthetic or chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and genetically modified crops. Veganic growers abstain from all of the above, as well as animal products.  Many commonly used organic animal-based products are excluded from Veganic growing.  These include:

• Manures
• Blood and Blood Meal
• Bone Meal
• Fish Meal
• Liquid Fish Fertilizers
• Crab Shell

What is in Veganic fertilizers? 

Veganic fertilizers are plant and mineral based using ingredients that come from land and sea.  Common ingredients are alfalfa meal, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, grain solids, kelp meal, and rock phosphate.

Why are people moving to Veganic growing?

There are several reasons that people grow veganically: 

• Reduce ones carbon footprint by reducing the use of animal based products.
• Religious beliefs and tenets that require a vegetable based diet and lifestyle.
• Philosophical choice to produce crops with minimal exploitation or harm to any animal.
• Concern that animal manures contain contaminants that are harmful to soil health and the health of consumers. These include listeria, E.coli 0157, Salmonella, Giardia, Cryptosporidiosis.

Whatever your reason for moving to Veganic growing we are delighted to provide you with a new choice in fertilizers – Organics Rx.   Organics Rx comes in several N-P-K ratios that are designed for any and all of the plant varieties that you grow. 

OrganicsRx Sea-Kelp 100

Organics Rx consists of approximately 100% plant and mineral based nutrients.  The dry Organics Rx products contain ingredients such as soybean meal, alfalfa meal, rock phosphate, calcium sulfate, and sea kelp.  The Organics Rx LiquidSea Kelp is comprised of Ascophyllum, a sea kelp that is rich in both macro and micro nutrients, cytokinins, gibberellins and a host of other valuable resources for your plants and soil.  

For those of you who live in Southern and Central Arizona, we can also introduce you to a local food grower who is Certified Veganic – Sunizona Family Farms.  Sunizona has a flexible CSA program – the FarmBox - as well as an increasing local presence in grocery stores.  Arbico Organics is proud to be a supplier to Sunizona as well as a pick-up location for their CSA FarmBoxes.   Follow this link for more information about Sunizona Farms:  http://www.sunizonafamilyfarms.com/         

Weeds are Interesting Storytellers

By now you know that I don’t have a lot of weeds (it’s the soil baby) – but a weed free environment is still a dream.  Weeds happen, they can’t be avoided.

However, weeds are interesting storytellers.  When weeds occur they can tell us quite a bit about what the garden needs or has too much of.  Weeds tell us specifically what is happening in the soil.  Here are some things that weeds tell us:

• Whether we are watering correctly - weeds occur when we over - or under - water.
• If we've planted too closely together or left too much space between plants.
• They communicate when there is too much or too little fertilizer - they can indicate if we need to add more of a specific nutrient.
• A new crop of weeds can tell us whether we are planting good, clean seed (or not).
• Weeds tell us a lot about the quality of the soil or tilth - whether it's sandy, clay, compacted, too fertile, not fertile enough.

So before you reach for a weed spray, take a look around and follow some other sage advice I’ve picked up along the way – know your weeds and learn what they are trying to tell you about your garden.  Get started, one weed at a time and here is a game plan to help you:

1. Identify the weed you have – your local County Extension office can help you with plant identification.
2. Once you have correctly identified the weed, investigate the optimal conditions for the weed.
3.  Use your new knowledge to formulate your strategy for fixing the problem – focus on the root cause of the problem. For instance, if the weed likes moist, poorly draining areas develop a plan to fix the drainage.  

To help get you started, here are some common weeds and what might be encouraging them:

Click To Enlarge

If you don’t know what to do about the weeds you have, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you get started on managing weeds.  Just remember that after you get rid of the weeds – we’ll help you focus on improving your soil! 

Great Soil is the First (and Best) Method for Fighting Weeds

When I was just discovering my passion for growing things, one of our neighbors, an experienced gardener, gave me the best soil tutorial.  On one of her walks, she noticed as I struggled to deal with weeds in my drought stricken yard.  She stopped to chat and casually mentioned that I really needed to work on the tilth of my soil.  When I asked what that meant, she kindly invited me to check out her garden – it would be better to see and feel what she meant. 

When she poured some of her soil in my hand it was clear that what I saw, felt, and smelled was very different from the dirt that I was dealing with.  I had an immediate and visceral reaction to the wonderful musky richness.  The soil was soft and darkly colored and it felt good – plump, moist, lively – not thin, grainy and dry like the stuff I was dealing with.   She told me that this was my goal in the garden - create soil that was dark brownish-black and smelled good, clean and earthy and held together but did not clump or fall through my fingers when moist.

How to accomplish this?  Her message was simple –back off the chemical fertilizers, feed the soil by adding organic matter and she promised that over time my soil would become like hers and I would have no weeds.  Really?  No weeds???  I was a skeptic at first but over time I have learned that if I cultivate healthy soil and I make sure to water and fertilize properly* – weeds are unlikely to grow in such a healthy soil environment.

In the ensuing decades (yes decades), I’ve learned that most of us don’t inherit or buy a piece of land with great soil, the fact of the matter is that we need to improve the soil with every growing season.  Our best friend in the garden is soil that is rich in micro-nutrients, has enough macro-nutrients to support what we are growing, and has abundant microbial life.  Good soil encourages:

•  The break down of organic matter.
•  Microbial life that develops good soil structure.
•  Fights pathogens that would harm plants and
•  Transforms minerals so they can be better used by plants.

It’s not that I never have any weeds, but the weeds I do have are easy to manage.  Another great lesson learned from a fellow gardener – pull weeds in the first 15 minutes you are in the garden and that bend and snap helps warm-up your muscles and joints in preparation for the tough gardening ahead.  Smart advice to help avoid an aching back!

*Watering and fertilizing properly are dependent upon many factors – soil, temperature, humidity, wind, and the type and health of the plants you grow.  It is important to know how all of these factors influence your garden’s needs.  Responding appropriately is a lot easier with knowledge.  Just remember “The Three Bears” – not too much, not too little, just the right amount of water and fertilizer are very good things!

Managing the Japanese Beetle – A Short Course for the Homeowner

The Japanese Beetle has made a home in many parts of the U.S. and while we can’t get rid of them, we can manage them to reduce the damage they do to trees, plants and lawns. Because adult stage beetles are so mobile, managing their population requires a bit of planning and effort. Understanding their life cycle will help you know what to do and when to do it. Here are some tips to help you gain control of this pest:

Adult Japanese beetles emerge from the soil in late spring or early summer. This is the stage when they are causing visible damage in your garden. Hard-bodied insects like the Japanese Beetle are tough to kill. Using a combination of Bon-Neem insecticidal soap and pyrethrin such as Pyganic will act as a one-two punch to kill the beetle. The insecticidal soap penetrates their shell enough to weaken and dehydrate the insect allowing the pyrethrin to be absorbed by the insect, killing it. These products are natural and can be used on all types of plants and crops.

During the summer feeding period, the adult females burrow 3 inches into the soil, lay a few eggs and then repeat this process throughout the summer. A single female will lay 40 to 60 eggs annually.

The eggs develop into larva (the grub stage) as the temperatures begin to cool in September and October. As temperatures continue to cool, the grubs move deeper into the soil to survive the winter temperatures.

The Japanese beetle spends about 10 months of the year as larvae in the soil. In spring, the grubs begin to move up through the soil toward the warming air – this is when the grubs voraciously feed on the roots of plants and turf. This is the time to use beneficial nematodes (the variety Heterorhabditis bacteriaphora) and Milky Spore (Bacillus popillae) to kill the grubs and reduce adult emergence.

There are no easy solutions for controlling the Japanese Beetle, but with knowledge and planning we can reduce the damage caused by this invasive pest. Just remember:

• Spring and late summer use in-soil controls: NemaSeek Beneficial Nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriaphora) and Milky Spore (Bacillus popillae).
• During the summer for adult beetles use Bon-Neem insecticidal soap and Pyganic pyrethrin knockdown spray.

The USDA has published a great handbook for managing the Japanese Beetle. The handbook is available in a printable version online for your use. Here is the link to the handbook: Managing the Japanese Beetle: A Homeowner’s Handbook. Learn more about natural ways to control Japanese Beetles. 

Spinosad to the Rescue

Recently a customer sent me a glowing email extolling the virtues of the Spinosad that I had recommended. His thrips (my personal nemesis) were gone. His email made me wonder why I had not tried Spinosad on my thrips, so a few weekends ago I sprayed my citrus with a low mix to see what would happen. Within 48 hours the orange dog caterpillars which were devouring my grapefruit were dead. Later I discovered that the thrips were controlled as well.
I was so impressed I wanted everyone to know more about this product.

Spinosad is derived from naturally occurring soil bacterium called Saccharopolyspora spinosa which was first collected by a scientist on vacation in 1982 at an abandoned rum distillery in the Caribbean. When studied in the laboratory, researchers determined that when this bacterium is ingested by pest insects it causes rapid excitation of insect nervous systems and kills the insect, but doesn’t harm mammals, birds, aquatic life, amphibians, or reptiles. Even better, Spinosad will not harm most beneficial insects. This includes ladybugs, green lacewings, minute pirate bugs, and predatory mites. Because Spinosad has to be ingested to work, it is very effective on insects that suck plant juices. Pest insects that are susceptible to Spinosad include borers, caterpillars, leafminers, loopers, thrips, spider mites, fire ants, leaf beetle larvae, sod webworm, grape leaf skeletonizers.

Our Spinosad products can make a difference in your garden and landscape too! 

Monterey Garden Insect Spray is packaged in three convenient sizes for the home gardener and small market farmers.

Entrust Naturalyte Insect Control is packaged in sizes that are convenient and better suited for larger scale growers.

Spinosad is now being tested in West Africa for controlling mosquitoes and may well prove to be a new and safer solution to mosquito infestation worldwide. The Master Gardeners at ARBICO Organics suggest you try using Spinosad to control summertime pests in your garden!

Soil is the Soul of your Garden

Organic gardeners and farmers know that the organisms that live in a well-balanced soil are the very heart of that soil. The ideal is a loamy soil, a mixture of sand, silt, clay and decaying organic material. The presence of decaying organic material is an indicator that the soil is healthy and rich and has great potential for supporting plants.

Most of us have soil that is too sandy, has too much clay, is too acidic or too alkaline - the list is long and varies dependant on where you live. There are many things that you can do to improve the quality of your soil and the first step is to determine what type of soil you have and its general health.

Sandy, Clay or Loam?
If your soil is too sandy, you probably have a problem with retention of water and nutrients. Soil that has too much clay is dense and heavy because it is composed of particles that are small and bind tightly together. Clay soil can be difficult for healthy root structure and growth. A quick way to test which type of soil you have is to take a handful of moistened soil in your hand and squeeze. If the soil binds together you have too much clay. If the soil falls apart as soon as you open your fist, you have too much sand. If your soil holds together but does not clump you may be fortunate enough to have loamy soil.

The easiest and most important way to improve or maintain any soil type is by using compost. Adding compost can help these specific soil problems:

• The addition of compost to sandy soil will help bind loose particles together to increase the ability of the soil to retain water and nutrients.  
• By adding compost to clay soil, you help to form larger soil particles as the compost will bind with the clay – this will increase the air space around the particles allowing for better drainage and air movement.  
• Annual applications of compost to any type of soil add life and vitality as well as essential nutrients.

How Healthy is Your Soil?
To find out if your soil has good nutrient value it is best to start with the basics.

• Determine whether your soil has the basic nutrient components of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash.
• Determine the pH level of your soil. pH tests indicate the soil’s acid and alkaline levels.

ARBICO Organics carries two easy-to-use soil test kits. The Rapitest Kit includes enough materials to perform 10 tests for pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. The LaMotte Garden Soil Test Kit features a rapid test procedure and comes with diagrammed instructions and enough material to perform 30 pH tests and 15 tests for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.

Once you have the results of your soil test, ARBICO Organics has a wide variety of products to make your soil healthier and more productive. Take a look at our easy-to-use soil solutions guide that tells you what soil amendments or supplements we recommend to help improve your soil and your garden.

Don’t Forget to Feed the Leaves!

Usually we think of feeding or fertilizing our plants as adding fertilizer to the soil but the leaves can benefit as well. Foliar feeding is simply the application of fertilizer to the leaves of plants, giving them a boost of nutrients that they may not be getting enough of from the soil alone.

What’s the benefit of Foliar Feeding?
A foliar feeding helps address the immediate needs of the plant. The primary benefit of foliar feeding is that it is the fastest way to deliver a corrective infusion of micronutrients. There is also evidence that a periodic foliar feeding will increase the activity in the leaves, increasing chlorophyll production and photosynthesis which drives increased water and nutrient uptake from the soil

How does that work?
Plants absorb the nutrients through small openings on the stems and leaves called stomata.  Research shows that plants absorb fertilizers faster through the stomata on their leaves. Foliar fertilizers can be applied more frequently than soil fertilizer.

The frequency is dependent upon the plant type(s) that you are growing:

• Annuals every 3 weeks
• Fruit every 3 to 4 weeks
• Perennials every 6 to 8 weeks
• Vegetables every 1 to 2 weeks during the growing season

See our Foliar Feeding Guide for more info and tips from Dr. Buglady on our website.

See our wide variety of Foliar Fertilizers here.