Tips for Going Organic
David Robson, horticulture educator

Organic gardening (without the use of man-made chemicals to control weeds, diseases, and insects) grows more popular each year. You can increase your chances of success with organic gardening if you follow some sound gardening practices.

As a starter, choose varieties that can be grown with little or no danger of damage from disease or insect pests. Radishes, lettuce, onions, leeks, chives, beets, chard, mustard, Chinese cabbage, parsnips, salsify, peas, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips, and most herbs fill this bill and can be grown with great success.

If you're willing to use biological methods to control insects, such as a spray of Bacillus thuringiensis (a bacteria insecticide to control caterpillars), you may add cabbage, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower to the roster.

You can grow tomatoes if you handpick tomato hornworms and snip off shoots that are harboring aphids. Stake, cage, or mulch the plants to keep the fruit from coming in contact with the ground.

Sweet corn can also be successfully grown in Illinois without the aid of chemicals if you pay attention to timing. Corn planted between May 7 and May 30 will generally silk after June 15 and before mid-July, a period during which there is little risk of serious earworm infestation.

Most organic gardeners will run into trouble if they attempt to grow vine crops such as cucumber, muskmelon, pumpkin, squash, and eggplant. These crops are attacked by insects that can be controlled only by chemicals.

Here are some more suggestions to help ensure a successful garden:

-- Interplant varieties, but maintain adequate spacing for good air movement.

-- Avoid spreading diseases. If a plant does become diseased, immediately remove the infected leaves or the entire plant. Diseases spread quickly.

-- Don’t water in the evening or walk through the garden when it’s damp.

-- Use fresh, commercial seed that is grown under disease-free conditions.

-- Keep out weeds and grass by shallow hoeing or mulching. Weeds compete for fertility, water, and space; weeds also harbor insects and diseases. Straw, grass clippings, and sawdust make good mulches.

-- To avoid soil compaction, don’t work the soil when it’s wet.

-- Use compost, manure, steamed bone meal, rock phosphate, and muriate of potash or wood ashes to provide nutrients for garden plants.

-- Plant at the proper time.

-- When feasible, use stakes, cages, or other training methods to support plants.

-- A plant that is growing in good soil, with proper water and fertilizer, can withstand insect and disease problems. Maintain proper moisture levels throughout the growing season.

Sweet Potato Vine:
An Attractive Plant for the Home Landscape
Ed Billingsley, guest columnist

Ornamental sweet potato vines are a popular addition to many landscapes. Sweet potato vines do well in full sun to light shade in well- drained soils.

The variety “Blackie” was the first one introduced to gardeners and is still popular today. Its dark purple, almost black, leaves add contrast to any container or garden border. “Margarita” is another favorite; it is chartreuse, which means yellow-green leaves. There are also variegated leaf varieties such as “Sweet Caroline” green/yellow and “Tricolor” green/white/pink or gray variegation. All of these varieties are proven winner selections, which means they have been tried and proven across the U.S.

These plants are gorgeous ground covers. You can also put them in hanging baskets, but they will need more fertilizer and water due to a reduced root area. Sweet potato plants are also attractive on a slight slope. Their color and vining nature can make a neighborhood stir with envy.

Insects are not much of a threat except for chewing holes in the leaves. But when the plant is used as a border or ground cover, the holes can be overlooked.

Sweet potato vines will not survive Southern Illinois winters. But, you can dig the root before freezing and store in a cool place. In the spring, just replant the root and soon it will be visible again.

Page >> 1 2 3