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“The way you communicate with your readers is just marvelous! You provide such a wealth of gardening information! I am so glad to have found your blog, I`m learning so many new things here!”
“— your blog was instrumental in getting me past the ‘paralysis of over-analysis’ phase of my balcony garden…I was intimidated and lacked the knowledge I needed to get started. Your ‘can-do’ style inspired me to get started and see my summer-fall season as an experimental phase of ‘research and development’…”
“—This is the most in depth, informative blog on gardening I’ve seen.”
“—–This is what folks need to hear and it is exactly what is missing at the book stores as well. —-With all of the books, videos, encyclopedias, and google searches I could get my hands on, THIS SITE is my #1 source and a benchmark to which all other sources are compared and measured.”
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“I wanted to let you know that from your guidance, I have discovered that ‘less is more.’ I was planting the old fashioned way–rows with lots of weeds to take care of–. Then I learned your secret of mulching heavily with straw and/or leaves. What an amazing difference. The soil is always ready for a seed or two in an empty spot and weeding is minimal. Last year we harvested twice as much produce in half the space.”
“Theresa, I’ve been gardening for about 40 years, and in the last 10 or so have tried my hand at gardening organically. I bought the books, read the websites, took the magazines, etc., but have been largely overwhelmed and discouraged. I happened upon TMG and have been reading for around 3 months. Now I know I can really do this!!! Thank you so very much for being so realistic and practical. And also for being so open, willing, and giving. You are a blessing!”
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“Every time I hear something “out there” about gardening, I think…….wait that sounds too complicated, Theresa keeps it simple…….do what she does. Lol. You have kept me from jumping on the crazy train! ”
“I discovered your blog just last week while searching the web for information on raised bed gardening. I was actually pricing rough-cut lumber from a local saw mill, and looking for design ideas for wooden boxes when I stumbled upon your post “Contained Raised Beds? NO WAY!” I have not left your blog since!
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“Finding your site thanks to Diane’s flowers has helped continue my education but in a very easy manner. I’ve found that your experience has confirmed that heritage gardening does not have to be exhaustive but more fun. I find your thinking about gardening assured me that my “maybe I’ll just let nature do the work” is ok and now I’m learning why.”
“Just read your post on Garden diversity- as always excellent, thorough and you have this ability to give all the information one might need in a nutshell – keeping the reader engaged all through.”
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“I just read your post on using straw once sprayed with 2-4D. Then I read a few more snippets … I think I’m in love…just to find an organic gardener blogging in such a practical way.
It is a fact that we live in a world with more than a few undesirable chemicals infiltrating the world we live in, but we have to understand what will decompose, what is persistent, and how to proceed. … reading your commonsense words just made my day. ”
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” I think there are more people than you know who would love to garden with your ideas – they just don’t know it’s possible.”
“just a note to say thanks again for doing what you do…your gardening updates are like a welcomed letter from a distant relative or a long lost friend. I’ve been veg gardening for 40 years and I continue to use your site as a great reference! ”
“Your postings ALWAYS shed light in a slightly different way —. It’s like taking a walk around the garden with a favorite friend who can be relied on to share the truth.”
(I want) ” to tell you how much I enjoy your blog, your style of writing, the clarity of the information you provide and the very obvious expertise you have achieved.
Reading your blog and the information about your book has given me hope that I can try again (to garden), this time with much greater success and a lot less work.”
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“Last fall I found TMG and purchased your book. I took to heart your wisdom and applied it to my garden. I added lots of leaves and organic matter. After I planted my garden and applied lots of mulch I have done nothing but harvest. My garden is not perfect but my family is eating, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, okra, cucumbers and swiss chard. That is a complete 180 (degrees) from the previous 2 years. Real soil works, mulch works! If you are a new reader to TMG …unplug from Big Food and the chemical marketing matrix!”
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“—and I love reading your posts and using them as my garden encyclopedia.”
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“After discovering you and TMG several years ago, I’m happy to say this has changed the way I garden in many ways…and all for the better. You’ve made me think out of the box and question why I’m doing things the way I am, many times the changed behavior results in higher yield with less effort.”
“You have inspired and taught me so much over the years! I thank you most of all for removing the stress out of my garden activities.”
‘Those that have found you are very fortunate to discover how to garden in a healthful, less costly, natural way for us and planet earth.”
Also, the farmer may have sprayed the hay field with herbicides to get rid of the weeds. If so this could be death to your garden plants because it is still in the hay and will either kill them or affect their growth. It happened to me.
I appreciate your adding this point Beppy. I even added a PS to the post so folks will be sure to read your comment. So many gardeners pay no attention to this possibility and I think that’s a mistake —– because as you say —- it does happen!
For those interested in reading more
http://tendingmygarden.com/compost-mulch-residual-herbicides-what-you-can-do-about-them-in-your-garden/Thanks so much for the great input!
Theresa
What about the grains now grown
with GMO seed. Would the straw be contaminated?
Thank you so much for your newsletters they have been such an encouragement considering I always believed I had two brown thumbs.
Sincerely,
Ann (from Kansas)
Ann, your question is such an EXCELLENT one and one I wish I really knew the right answer to it.
The last time I got straw from my farmer I asked him if he was growing GMO wheat. He said no. I told him I did not want straw from GMO wheat if he did grow it. He said he would give me barley straw if he decided to grow GMO wheat.
I know he grows GMO corn from time to time and I can’t help but wonder if some of that doesn’t end up in my garden. I hate the thoughts.
The thing is — a lot of research has been done — and we do know that GMO products ingested are harmful to animals and humans. We know that ingesting animals that eat GMO is harmful.
We really are not sure about residue from crops that decay in the soil. However, I would like to err on the side of caution. I want to stay as far away from them as I can —- because if damage is done because of them — we probably can’t undo it.
That’s another thing that is so awful about what Monsanto and the others are doing with all the GMO stuff. With nature — when something goes wrong — it can be fixed. With GMOs — that are taking the very DNA of one species and crossing it with another —– they are upsetting the very balance that was built into things. This might be beyond us to deal with.
I will write more in future posts about how I am looking ahead and planning other things I can do for mulch rather than buy straw from my farmer if GMO stuff becomes the only thing available. I’m not able to grow ALL of the mulch I need, but I am going to start growing some. One small step.
I will continually look ahead and plan and continue to take one small step in the direction I want to go —– My goal being to stay as far away from GMO stuff as possible and become more self sustaining than I am now.
Look to as many other sources for mulch as you can. Pine tags, wood chips, straw from other grains, etc.
If you love gardening — I can almost guarantee you do NOT have brown thumbs! That thought — rest assured — is the result of the marketing you are bombarded with all the time. Don’t give in to it. Look to nature —- and if she is not being cooperative the day you need her — write to me with your question and I’ll try my best to help.
Thanks for the great question Ann and for letting me know that what I write has been encouraging to you.
Theresa
Hello,
I just stumbled upon your excellent web site while researching Tomato blight. Since I am a bit afraid of using hay or mulch since I do not know the source could I use leaves, in my case this being mostly white oak leaves with some red oak and hickory mixed in. I have heard both good and bad things about this. Some say they would be too acidic and too many tannins while others say they work just fine. Your thoughts?
Forgot to say I am also a Virginia gardener! I live in Stafford near Fredericksburg.
Don, leaves are excellent! You can’t get anything much better than leaves for the garden.
Why that bit about leaves or pine needles making soil acid is still going around is beyond me. Anyway, don’t believe it. Use your leaves. They’re like gold for your garden.
You might want to read this post http://tendingmygarden.com/collect-gold-for-your-garden/
Theresa
Several years ago, there was a problem with residual herbicides in cow compost for gardening. Seems the digestion did not “weed” out the herbicides and it was killing vegetables. Google “killer compost”. Hopefully the problem has been fixed. I’m still cautious when using commercial compost. Also about GMO products. When you think about it, just about everything we consume is GMO including seeds we buy. Gmo isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you consider higher yield, disease and insect resistance, better all around crops, veggies etc. When I grew up in the 50’s in Hawaii, there was much research done by Dole to produce a better sugar cane and pineapple. Think about it, Luther Burbank and G.W. Carver pioneered GMO b4 it was GMO.
Residual herbicides surfaced about 1999 -2000. I’ve written about them numerous times and have given lots of details in various posts. And no, the problem has NOT been fixed. When buying commercial compost you have a 50- 50 chance that it contains residual herbicides. Here’s 4 posts:
http://tendingmygarden.com/residual-herbicides-in-composts-part-i/
http://tendingmygarden.com/residual-herbicides-in-compost-part-2-on-grow-mix-potting-mix-compost-manure-mulch/
http://tendingmygarden.com/compost-mulch-residual-herbicides-what-you-can-do-about-them-in-your-garden/
http://tendingmygarden.com/compost-hay-residual-herbicides-extension-office-advice-a-readers-experience/
And yes, there is much that the public consumes that contains genetically modified ingredients. We have to be very current on information to try to stay away from them, but it can be done.
The seed that gardeners have access to is NOT GMO seed. GMO seed is sold to commercial growers (farmers) and they have to sign papers to even buy the seed.
There is a big difference in hybrids (a cross of two varieties of the same species) and GMO, where
one species is crossed with another — for example a fish with a tomatoe.
Burbank and Carver did not pioneer GMOs.
GMOs do not produce higher yields and are not disease and insect resistance. That belief is a result of heavy marketing by companies like Monsanto. The facts are out there, you just have to look for them.