There are many ways we can use our human energy to lighten the
load on natural resources and tread lightly on our home planet.
Check how many of these you do already:

1. Recycle and re-use Wherever possible, separate waste into
compost material, bottles, tins, paper, clothing etc and make
sure that these get recycled. See if your local council has a
policy for recycling, food reclamation to fuel or even methane
extraction from waste. If they don’t – start one. Ask your
neighbours to contribute to a local composting station.

“The UK has one of the worst recycling records in Europe (12.4%)
compared with 64% in Austria, 52% in Belgium, 50% in Germany and
47% in the Netherlands. In the UK we bury 80% of our rubbish in
landfills, compared to the Swiss who only landfill 7% of their
rubbish.” (The Observer 2004)

2. Shop locally or order a veg box Give your local farmers a
boost by buying direct – either by visiting farms, farmer’s
markets or through vegetable box schemes – which are usually
organic. This saves transport costs in ‘food miles’ and
guarantees, fresh, local, un-polluted and healthy, in-season
food. Try and avoid supermarkets and shop locally when possible
to enhance your own local micro-economy.

“The average household [in UK] spends £470 a year (or one sixth
of its total food budget) on packaging. In a typical Asda or
Tesco shopping basket only 26% of the cost is accounted for by
food; the rest is packaging, processing, transport, store
overheads, advertising and the mark-up of supermarkets which is
sometimes as high as 45%.” (National Farmers’ Union)

3. Make more of your own food from fresh Stop buying ready-meals
and throw away your microwave. Take the time to make healthy,
balanced and delicious meals and condiments from wholesome raw
ingredients. Be like the French and live to eat – rather than
eat to live ! Eating food is the only activity apart from sex
that involves all of our senses.

4. Promote community exchange If you can exchange skills, items
or energy direct with other people without the use of money -
this makes your activities more efficient. If you can share
resources with people around you – then you don’t have to earn
so much to buy things and you don’t have to work as much.

5. Improve local diversity of nature See what you can do to
provide the right ecosystems to promote local biodiversity.
Bring butterflies, moths, birds, wild flowers and so on into
your local environment by providing the resources they need.

6. Review domestic energy use Check whether you can save energy
by cutting down consumption or being more efficient. There are
government schemes in the UK to help with heating efficiency and
insulation. Even switching off at the plug at night saves power
-those little red ‘power on’ lights add up to over £4 million of
electricity used in the UK each year ! Look at how your home
uses energy and where it can be saved, even if it means putting
a jumper on occasionally.

7. Start a local investment scheme If you want to save for a
future – doesn’t it make sense to invest in something you can
see and touch – like a local investment system that brings a
return on your money and improves your own locality ? Invest
money where you can see what it is doing – and where you can
lend a hand if needs be. Community companies, local
co-operatives and credit unions are a growing resource for
sustainable local investment. What better way is there than to
invest your energy directly into your local micro-economy where
you can cherish it ?

8. Use an ethical banking system Just what does your money do
when you invest it a bank? Do you invest in the land mines that
blow off children’s legs ? Do you support armaments
manufacturing, the over-exploitation of rainforests, globalised
cartels intent on raping the planet ? Does your default
investment in a bank endorse child slavery and prostitution,
international drug running and money laundering ? Check the
investment policies of your bank to see just where they are
putting your energy as an investment. If you don’t like what you
see, at least consider using an ethical bank that might invest
in things you want in the world. Even better – reach for a
lifestyle that doesn’t include a bank account at all.

Did you invest in this ? “Japanese physicist Professor Yagasaki
calculated that the 500+ metric tonnes of depleted uranium (DU)
that the US unleashed on Afghanistan was the radioactive
equivalent of 51,875 atomic bombs of the size dropped on the
Japanese city of Nagasaki. During the 2003 Gulf War the amount
of DU used was the equivalent of 103,750 atomic bombs the size
of that dropped on Nagasaki. DU fallout will travel from the
Middle East to the UK, US and parts of Asia.” (International
Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War)

9. Review car use and petrol consumption The real price of
petrol, if you apply economic principles to its production -
that includes the time the earth has taken to make it – comes in
at over £1 million per gallon. Its use produces awful chemical
pollution and extreme noise. Most internal combustion engines
run at an incredibly low efficiency (usually about 20%). The
logic of having something that weighs over a ton to transport a
single person defeats me. Yes, I know they’re incredibly
convenient compared to the alternatives and that many motors
have cult status but – come on – there has to be a better way
than this ! Boy am I looking forward to hydrogen / oxygen fuel
cells. Cycling is great!

10. Start a local energy collective Your roofs are a resource !
Take a look at some of the rooftop energy panels available
today. Chat with your neighbours about a collective approach to
local energy needs. Sell your excess energy back to the grid !
Intermediate technology combined with modern technology in wind,
solar or water power has come of age so start your own power
supply.

11. Learn more about the nature in your local environment Which
wild animals and plants live in your environment? Share some
time with them and see what they can teach you. Become a direct
‘friend of nature’ and explore how other species see the world
we share. You could even adopt some wild nature near you and
‘look out’ for it.

12. Make things from found or recycled materials Do you remember
the fun you had whittling wood when you were younger? Keep an
eye out for interesting wood you can prepare to make useful
things. So much stuff is just thrown away or destroyed that
could be useful again given a little T.L.C. Wild wood can make
attractive coat hangers, boxes, shelves, even furniture. Waste
skips often have objects that can easily be given a ‘new life’.
Working with your hands to make things ‘new’ can be a deeply
satisfying experience.

13. Make your own Christmas and birthday presents Take time out
to make things that you enjoy and give them away to people you
love. These have a value way over anything you can buy. If you
have a creative hobby – use it to make gifts instead of buying
them. If you don’t – find a hobby or activity that puts you in
touch with natural things.

14. Stop using pharmaceutical drugs and chemicals and go natural
We are in a culture where medical consumerism is the norm.
Explore some of the alternatives like using your food as
preventative and curative medicine, or learn about the herbs and
spices that have traditionally boosted mankind’s health for
millennia. There are many gentle ways to find, promote and
maintain health and you will find some excellent examples at the
StarFields Network.

15. Join an environmental group Express your energy in a
collective way by joining a group that voices your concerns. Put
your energy into changing the situation for the better by
directly sponsoring a specific environmental cause.

16. Use natural materials from a sustainable source over
synthetic materials The more natural a product is – the less
pollution is usually incurred in its production. Support your
environment by valuing natural materials over synthetic, for
example (organic) cotton over polyester. Think about where
building materials or other resources have come from and the
processes it takes to make them.

17. Feed your neighbour A quick story based on Dante’s Inferno:
Dante (or someone like him) visits Hell and finds a room of
‘food torture’. The inhabitants are glued to chairs round a
large table covered with food, but they all have their arms
replaced by 10 foot chopsticks. They lift bits of food high over
their heads and drop it down onto their faces in a pathetic
attempt to feed themselves. Later, our hero visits heaven and
finds exactly the same situation except for one thing. The
people in heaven are feeding each other across the table !

18. Dance, sing and laugh. Look after yourself and have fun If
you are happy, fulfilled, in good humour, enjoying life’s
journey and so on – the chances are that others around you will
be able to feel that way too. This moves us all along.

19. Don’t fly in airplanes If possible, take a ship or train for
long hauls or holidays. Aircraft are extremely expensive in
pollution terms. Enjoy the sensation of travelling more slowly.
Accept the journey as part of the trip.

20. Take an action holiday Why not donate your energy to a cause
like helping indigenous people set up sustainable economies ?
There are many companies offering the experience of useful
voluntary work overseas. This is a most direct way to contribute
to a sustainable world and gives you face-to-face contact with
other cultures.

21. Grow more plants indoors Enhance your pact with nature by
turning your home into a plant haven. Even simple spider plants
can improve your space by bringing nature in and cleaning the
air. Plants are pretty undemanding compared to pets and they
bring life in and produce air. Go the whole hog and grow some
trees.

22. Consider changing your employment What does your ‘means of
income’ do in energy terms ? If the ‘ethics’ of your employment
is distant from your own values then you have essentially sold
your soul for money. Think carefully about the consequences of
your employment. Consider finding employment that is near to
your core values and you will find a more fulfilled ‘you’.

23. Review how you are investing in your own future Concerned
about pensions ? It is certainly looking like someone has pulled
the plug on that one. Anyone under 45 should be looking to
exactly what they want in older years and finding ways to
achieve it that may not involve money. There are serious flaws
in our investment systems that are becoming more and more
evident. Co-operative or communal solutions to support in older
years will be an increasing solution to lack of money.

24. Review your usage of water If you have metered water, review
how much you use and where savings might be made. For example
bath water (without chemicals) can be used to water plants, a
brick in the water cistern saves flush water. Can you use the
water that lands on your roof that you pay for the privilege of
having removed ? Water butts are cheaper than ever and some
local councils offer price reductions to residents. There are
many water filters on the market that improve the quality of
tap-water and water is a key issue in health, we are mostly made
of it ! Water is a key issue on planet earth in the 21st
century.

” Nearly 97% of the world’s water is sea water or otherwise
undrinkable. Another 2% is locked up in ice caps and glaciers.
This leaves 1% to meet all of humanities growing needs,
including agriculture, manufacturing, community and personal
household needs. Of that 1%, one quarter of the world’s fresh
water is found in Canada’s lakes, rivers and streams.” (CPS June
2004)

25. Cut down on noise and light pollution Many birds in cities
sing at night as it’s the only way they can make themselves
heard. Generally birds in cities have to sing louder and the
stress this causes gives them shortened life spans. Listen for a
moment now – what can you hear beyond the hum of computer fan?
How much of this noise is really needed? Wouldn’t just some
‘quiet times’ be nice? Get together with your neighbours and see
if you can negotiate a local ‘quiet time’, like a Sunday
morning. Unnecessary light also interferes with wildlife and
even worse – it blocks out the stars – a source of wonder till
the end of time.

26. Start your own herb garden Grow your own medicinal and
culinary herbs. Many of these are easy to grow on a windowsill,
in a window box or tub somewhere. The direct growing and use of
plants ties you into natural cycles and rhythms – you could even
learn about ‘moon gardening’ cycles and biodynamics !

27. Grow your own food Even simple growing such as mustard cress
or delicious sprouting seeds contributes to a good diet. A
surprising amount of your own food can be grown in a little
space by using ‘potato stacks’ or climbing fruits. There is no
better feeling than harvesting your own crop and eating it with
friends. There are many dwarf bush varieties of fruit, some even
have more than one fruit type on the same bush.

28. Downsize Think about how you can work less and keep a good
quality of life. Balance quality of life with standard of
living. Contribute less to GDP and the national/global economy
and more to a wholesome local and global ecology. Think global
and act local.

29. Go organic Whatever you consume, source it from a place that
values natural processes over industrial ones. There are many
enterprises providing organic food, drink, clothing or materials
from sustainable sources. Take pride in tracking these down and
using them in preference to more exploitative practices.

30. Spend time with nature Take the time to visit nature and
spend time relating with it. Find and adopt special places where
you can go to feel the cycles and forces of nature and know that
it is an aspect of you, and you of it. Many people are forming
‘collectives’ to protect or improve special places they value

Simon Mitchell
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/thirty-positive-actions-for-a-sustainable-earth-1283.html

Technorati Tags: Asda, Community Exchange, Compost Material, Delicious Meals, Food Budget, Food Miles, Fresh Stop, Home Planet, Human Energy, Landfills, Local Council, Micro Economy, National Farmers Union, Neighbours, Raw Ingredients, Ready Meals, Season Food, Shopping Basket, Sustainable Earth, Transport Costs

With the massive progress that many cities and towns are experiencing we see the declining of Natural Meadows. With the absence of real meadows, the territory for butterflies, birds and other animals are dwindling too. Luckily butterflies are easily enticed backs if you deposit a backyard where the caterpillar (chrysalis point) has plants to eat and the butterfly has plants to sip nectar. Butterfly gardens are unfussy to lodge and will give you and your family a venture to see butterflies in their ordinary locale.

The basics are an open universes with tons of sunshine and an armor from roll. Pick a location with loads of sunlight with a few rocks or shingle that can boil up on which the butterflies can relax in the morning sun. Try to place your patch near hedges or bushes that will help shelter them from the eager winds. If it is too stormy, the butterflies won’t vacation around for long. The barricade or shrub could become food for the caterpillar. You can find out what the caterpillar likes best from your Nursery Garden Center. Butterflies like mud puddles where they can draft the water and bathe up minerals. An insignia of damp soil will make them favorable. Most important of all is that the patch be pesticide open. Many people like to use pesticides to game away discarded mice, unfortunately it will track away your butterflies too. Put your butterfly backyard in a surround where there will be no chemical pesticides worn. Better still, ask your Garden Center about organic gardening.

Flowers with nectar are a must for a butterfly backyard. When planting these nectar sources try to put in plants that will impart flora throughout the mounting spice since these are the horde of food for the butterflies. Don’t overlook bushes and wildflowers. Roses, geraniums and lilies have no nectar so hide them anywhere besides. Keep your patch diversified to interest the most number of butterflies. Another module for the plot is a spring for worm food. The caterpillar wants food to grow into a butterfly. If there is no food supply they will die. Plant some herbs for both of you. The like dill, fennel, and basil on the menu. What they don’t eat you can gather for cooking with green herbs.

You could also conceal a butterfly locate in garden containers. Buy some appealing pots and lodge them with flowers that have a superb odor as well as clear beautiful ensign (open at your Garden Center). Petunias, daylilies or amiable alyssum will do the fake. Of course the butterfly bushes are a native, or conceal some killing baskets with Impatients (you’ll penury some shade here).

Some gardeners like to make their own feeder and answer. And it is simple to do. Put 4 parts water to 1 part honey in a pot and boil it pending the honey dissolves. Let it cool. Get a shallow garden container, inundate a paper towel with the emulsion and place it the garden container. Put a marble in the garden container so the butterflies have a place to perch while they are feeding.

Get the kids interested. Have them keep a journal of each of the different species that trip your butterfly garden. Let them look up the butterflies on the notebook to learn all about each particular butterfly and it becomes not only fun, but a culture experience also.

Since there are so many growing zones in the United States you will want to natter with your Nursery Center for suggestions of what plants to use for attracting butterflies in your particular zone.

There is an old American Indian Legend about butterflies: “To have a craving come loyal you must capture a butterfly. Whisper to the butterfly what your craving is and then set it boundless. This little envoy will take your craving to the Great Spirit and it will come dutiful.” What a great legend.

JC Schwartz
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/attract-butterflies-to-come-visit-your-garden-674530.html

Technorati Tags: Barricade, Butterflies, Butterfly Gardens, Butterfly Plants, Caterpillar, Chemical Pesticides, Chrysalis, Cities And Towns, Geraniums, Morning Sun, Mud Puddles, Natural Meadows, Nectar Sources, Nursery Garden, Organic Gardening, Shingle, Sip Nectar, Universes, Wildflowers, Worm Food

The bane of every gardener’s existence is clay soil. In addition to feeling like you are gardening in your driveway, clay soil makes ordinary tasks like watering and feeding plants a major problem. Soils with high clay content hold water and do not drain well, which causes root problems in plants. If the roots are in trouble, the whole plant will soon be in trouble. Clay particles also hold tightly to nutrient particles, which makes it more difficult for plants to take up the nutrients they need from the soil. There is a way to help your hard-packed, low organic matter clay soil: add a soil conditioner with humic acid.

Chemical Problems in Clay Soils

Humic acid benefits plants in numerous ways. The first is that it facilitates ion exchange. Humic acid has a higher cation exchange capacity, or CEC. That means it is easier for soil nutrient particles to move within the soil, and thus to be taken in by plants. Soils treated with humic acid have much better nutrient availability. Humic acid does not directly supply the plants with nutrients, but it does make what nutrients are in the soil easier for plants to access. Humic acid also influences the pH of the soil, which affects nutrient availability. Clay soils with very low humus levels can become overly acidic, resulting in poor conditions for plant growth. Humic acid increases the buffering capacity of the soil, and allows pH to remain steadier.

Oxygen Problems in Clay Soils

An oxygen problem can technically be classified as a chemical problem, as well. Low amounts of oxygen and oxygen exchange in soil cause problems with plant roots. Plants are said to “eat” carbon dioxide and release oxygen. That is more or less true, to a point. Plants take in carbon dioxide to use in photosynthesis, the chemical reaction catalyzed by sunlight where plants make sugars from carbon dioxide and water. When plants use the sugars or starches they have made during photosynthesis, the process is called respiration. Oxygen is needed for respiration, and plants get that oxygen from the soil—taking it in through their roots. Overly clayey soils often do not have the spaces needed for oxygen in the soil. Wet, clayey soils that are completely saturated have no space for oxygen. When plants cannot take in oxygen through their roots, they suffer. Humic acid and humus helps create spaces in the soil for oxygen to be available to plant roots.

Humic Acid and Nutrient Uptake

In addition to nutrient availability, nutrient uptake is an important part of plant growth. If the nutrients are there, but the plants cannot absorb them, the nutrients do not benefit the plant growth. Research has also shown that humic acid makes the cell walls of plants more receptive to nutrients and more permeable to the nutrients. This saves gardeners money, as well as encourages healthy plant growth. If you feed your plants and they cannot take in the food, you have wasted time and money, and potentially polluted the groundwater.

In addition to the many other ways that humic acid benefits plants, it does help neutralize the effects of soils high in clay content, making them more hospitable for plant growth.

Casey Coke is a Marketing Manager for Natural Environmental Systems, LLC. The company is a global supplier of humic acid and other organic soil conditioners

.

Casey Coke
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/humic-acid-can-improve-clay-soil-688571.html

Technorati Tags: Buffering Capacity, Cation Exchange Capacity, Chemical Reaction, Clay Content, Clay Particles, Clay Soil, Clay Soils, Ion Exchange, Nutrient Availability, Organic Matter, Oxygen Exchange, Oxygen Problem, Oxygen Problems, Photosynthesis, Plant Growth, Plant Roots, Problem Soils, Release Oxygen, Root Problems, Soil Conditioner

Affiliate marketing is when you sign up to promote other people’s products (or services) for a share of the sale in the form of commissions. As an affiliate marketer, you usually don’t need any special training or start-up funding.
Your tasks as an affiliate marketer will be to drum up traffic to the product owner’s pitch page, allowing them to convert the prospect into a buyer. The more targeted you are with your traffic promotions, the higher your conversion rate will be.
There are many things you can promote as an affiliate. On Amazon, for instance, you can promote anything tangible (and a few digital download to boot). If you want to be in the paintball niche, you can include links using your Amazon associate (affiliate) ID to sell specific paintball guns, paintballs, and attire.
You can go to sites like ClickBank or PayDotCom and get a unique affiliate ID to promote an endless supply of information products. They house everything from acne to organic gardening.
You can even become an affiliate promoting actions. There are many Internet marketers who focus their business on getting a steady stream of traffic to take an action, such as filling out a survey online.
With affiliate marketing, you don’t have to worry about developing ideas and creating products. You don’t have to deal with customer service follow-ups or continually process more products for the marketplace.
Your job is often made easier by product owners who care so much about their own success, that they provide a toolbox to help you with yours! The toolbox usually includes readymade emails, web reviews, and banner ads you can use with your own link embedded in them for instant plug-n-play success.
Most Internet marketers will eventually blur the lines of product owner and affiliate marketer. Product owners continually use their list of buyers to promote affiliate items, and affiliates often build such a good reputation in a niche that they’re urged to come out with a product of their own.
How much can an affiliate marketer earn? There are no limits. You can market multiple niches and work as much or as little as you want to generate targeted traffic through your links. Super affiliates earn six figures or more, but even a beginner affiliate can earn enough to pay the bills each month – with some change to spare!
With todays failing economy, millions of people are looking for ways to supplement their income from home. Believe me, this market is huge and growing daily because of the success rate of affiliate marketing. With an effort of only a couple hours a day, people are replacing and surpassing their present incomes.
I invite you to visit my site, browse carefully and choose 1 or 2 programs that are right for you. All are making my customers a nice chunk of change. Make 2009 your year to be a successful affiliate marketer.

William Geitgey
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/affiliate-marketing-your-answer-to-a-work-from-home-business-706615.html

Technorati Tags: Affiliate Id, Affiliate Marketer, Affiliate Marketing, Amazon Affiliate, Amazon Associate, Banner Ads, Business Affiliate, Clickbank, Conversion Rate, Endless Supply, Information Products, Internet Marketers, Organic Gardening, Paintball Guns, Paintballs, Paydotcom, Plug N Play, Steady Stream, Ups, Web Reviews

Owning your own profitable piece of internet real estate may not be as difficult or expensive as you think.

If you’re like the majority of people online, chances are that you have at least thought about building your own ecommerce website. The reason most people don’t get past the actual “thinking” process is because they believe there is too much technical expertise involved or

the cost of building an ecommerce website is too high.

The truth of the matter is, the only real costs involved are reliable web hosting, a domain name, a keyword research tool (like Wordtracker) and the time and effort you decide to commit.

Let’s go through the steps involved in building a successful ecommerce website.

First and foremost, is your site concept or theme. Think of a hobby or passion you have that you know a lot about, or would be interested in learning more about. It could be gardening, cycling, fishing, comic books, dieting, fitness, shopping, or anything else you may have an interest in.

Become an expert on your chosen theme. If you are passionate about your concept, then you probably know more about it than most other people. Combining your own knowledge about your chosen theme with doing research on the internet will make you an expert in no time!

Think about how you can monetize your site’s theme. It could be through promoting related affiliate programs, Google Adsense, selling your own ebooks, or any number of monetization models.

To get high ranking in the search engines, you need to find the best keywords relating to your site concept. These are the bread and butter of your ecommerce website. To find the best keywords (the ones with high demand and low supply), type your seed keyword (site concept) into Wordtracker.

You will receive a list of hundreds of keywords related to your site concept, with the supply and demand data for each keyword phrase. Pick out the best keywords and use them as your site blueprint. You will then begin creating pages of content for your site revolving around the keywords you have chosen. Use one keyword phrase for each page you create, and be sure to liberally insert the keyword phrase throughout your page.

You will probably need to experiment a little to find the right keyword density for your web pages, but once you do, you will start to receive high search engine rankings and hordes of organic, targeted traffic to your site!

Creating the content for your site may seem a little overwhelming at first, but if you think of it as talking to a friend about your passion or hobby, it will become much easier over time.

Register a domain name related to your site concept. There are hundreds of domain registrars on the internet, and most of them charge about ten dollars (or less) a year to register a domain name. Make a list of possible domain names and type them into whichever registrar you decide to use, until you find one that is available.

Avoid using free webhosting for your ecommerce website. Not only will it lower your credibility, but you won’t be able to use your own domain name. You can find reliable web hosting for less than ten dollars per month.

After you create each web page, submit your page to each of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo and Windows Live), then resubmit them about once a month until you get indexed. Be careful not to over submit.

You can find out if your page has been indexed by typing the url of the page into the search engines. You can also get free hit counters from several different sources to keep track of the traffic you are receiving.

It will take some time, patience and persistence on your part, but once the traffic and profits start rolling in, it will make the effort all worthwhile.

Blair Gwilt
http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/internet-real-estate-creating-an-ecommerce-website-97650.html

Technorati Tags: Affiliate Programs, Blueprint, Bread And Butter, Comic Books, Doing Research, Domain Name, Ebooks, Ecommerce Website, Fitness Shopping, Google, Internet Ecommerce, Internet Real Estate, Keyword Phrase, Keyword Research Tool, Passion, Search Engines, Supply And Demand, Technical Expertise, Truth Of The Matter, Wordtracker

For successful gardening you need to have the right texture of soil which will provide the correct amounts of moisture and nutrients to give you healthy, luscious plants. In addition, you can face problems if the soil is too acidic or too alkaline for the plants you are growing. However, there are some guidelines you can follow. Using a pH meter or soil test kit you can find out about your soil and then you will be in a position to rectify any problems.

The soil can be tested and given a pH value; this is a unit for measuring the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. The soil is classed as acidic if the pH level is in the range of 1-7, neutral with a pH of 7 or alkaline with a pH of 7-14. It is important to know the pH of the soil as this affects the supply of major and minor nutrients to the plants, without which they will not flourish. If the pH level is low then all the important elements – nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur – are in short supply. When the pH is high the nutrients which are unavailable to the plants are phosphorus, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Most plants perform best in a neutral soil with a pH of around 6-7 so your aim should be to get to this level.

Test kits are easy to use and are available at garden centers and nurseries or you can have your soil tested at your local agricultural extension office. It is advisable to test soil samples from different parts of the garden as these can differ, for example, some builders rubble may have been left in the soil in a particular spot which could increase the alkalinity. If you need to lower the acidity of the soil then you should add some lime (calcium carbonate or dolomite), limestone or wood ash. To reduce the alkalinity of the soil you can add sulfur along with organic materials like peat moss, mulches or well rotted sawdust. When changing the composition of the soil you need to take it slowly and aim for the change to take place over a couple of years.

Although many plants grow best in a neutral soil there are several plants that thrive well in acidic soils such as azaleas rhododendrons, daphnes, ericas, and heathers. For those of you with alkaline soils then the plants to grow include gypsophila, scabiosa, anemones, lilacs and carnations. The consistency of the soil may also play a part in the quality of the plants, fruit and vegetables that you grow. There are generally three types of soil: sandy, clay and loam which are all made up of mineral particles which vary in size, shape and composition. You can identify your soil by its feel in your hand when it is moist.

Sandy soil does not stick together, feeling coarse and gritty. It is made up of particles of rock with large spaces in between allowing water and nutrients to drain away often before they have been absorbed by the plants. On the other hand, it does have good aeration and is easy to cultivate. Clearly this type of soil needs improving to ensure that the plants can get the nutrients that they required for proper growth. The addition of animal manure, leaf mould or garden compost will do wonders to improve sandy soil. This will need to be an ongoing practice as organic materials break down over time.

Clay soil sticks together, feeling plastic and sticky. It is made up of fine dense particles which retain too much water making it “heavy” and difficult to cultivate. In hot weather the soil can become very hard and the surface becomes cracked. For good plant growth the addition of large quantities of organic matter such as compost or leaf litter will help with drainage and give good aeration.

Loam sticks together and is friable but not gritty. It is made up of coarse and fine particles, giving good aeration and drainage which is ideal for a great variety of plants. Aeration is important because it allows a good intake of air round the root system, a major plus for abundant, healthy plants.

Once you have achieved a loamy soil in your backyard it is necessary to continue adding organic matter on a regular basis to keep it in good condition and maintain nutrients. If you follow the information given here you will be well on the way to achieving the great, healthy harvests that you desire.

Colin
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-improve-your-garden-soil-745964.html

Like any thing you can think of, whether it be people, pets or plants, their basic needs must be met to ensure a happy, healthy life.

Plants, of course, are alive, and so have both general and specific needs, depending upon the variety of plant in question.

In this article, we’ll learn about the different parts of plants – root, stem, leaf and flower – and how they work together.

Roots

Most often overlooked and neglected, the root system of any plant plays a critical role in overall plant growth, health and vigor.

The root system is responsible for supplying a plant with water, vitamins and minerals, all necessary ingredients that promote and maintain healthy vigorous growth. As the nutrients around the plant are consumed, the roots will continue to grow out and down, searching for new sources of food and water.

Gardening Tip: Adding a granular or slow-release fertilizer to the soil before you plant will ensure a steady supply of nutrients throughout a plant’s growing season, especially important for vegetables and flowering plants.

Gardening Tip: Growth above ground mirrors growth below ground. For example, if your bell pepper plant is 1 foot tall and 1 foot wide, its root system is 1 foot deep and 1 or more feet wide.

Gardening Tip: Always follow the directions for any gardening product (fertilizer or pest controls). Although if you’re not sure, using less is always safer than using too much. Using the right amount however, will help ensure consistent results.

Roots and Soil

As you may have guessed, the type of soil in your garden plays an important role in overall plant health and vigor.

In general, most plants like a loose, well-drained soil with lots of organic material. Organic material can be peat moss, shredded bark, composted or decomposed plant material, some form of manure (generally cow manure), or even worm casings or rice hulls to name a few.

Potting soil is usually some combination of the above list and may have little or no actual “dirt” in it. Organic material helps to maintain moisture content levels in the soil and helps to prevent soil compaction.

Stem

The stem, stalk or trunk is the “super highway” of the plant. It starts at ground level and supplies the food and water from the roots to the leaves and flowers or fruit.

Leaves

The leaves of a plant take the food and water from the roots through the stem and with the help of sunlight will turn the water and nutrients into energy. That energy is then sent back through the stem to the entire plant, including right back down to the roots. Natures example of Solar Energy at work.

Flowers

The flower or fruit of a plant is responsible for the reproduction of the plant. Whether it’s strawberries, lemons, tomatoes, pansies or pine-cones, their sole purpose in life is to reproduce more of their own kind.

Humans have found over time that various plants either taste good, have a nice scent or are pleasant to look at and have therefore selected out of millions of varieties just a few types to cultivate.

The Gardening Tips and Advice found throughout Your Healthy Gardens are written with the beginning gardener in mind. However, as time passes and the seasons change more and more detail will be added to help any home gardener improve their gardening skills.

Bill Watson
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-on-how-plants-grow-54244.html

Organic gardening is a method of gardening in harmony with nature. It can be done with a minimal amount of cost by using methods of recycling organic matter that you already have on hand and the propagation of heirloom plants that are in your yard..

Saving money gardening takes planning. It is very easy to let the costs get out of hand when you purchase plants and other supplies for a garden, whether it be for a vegetable garden, flower bed and even landscaping. Once you put a plan together you just have to stick with it. The biggest mistake that is made is to many plants and supplies are purchased before a garden is planned out. It is very easy to go to a garden center and see all the plants that you want to plant, then come home to find out there isn’t enough room to plant them.

Methods like the propagation of existing plants in your own yard is a big way to save on landscape plants, recycling organic household along with yard waste is a great way to improve the soil in your gardens and supply nutrients to your plants.

Growing heirloom plants that are open pollinated is also away that you can save by collection and storing your own seeds for the following years to come. Having your own seeds on hand will also give you the ability to grow your own transplants and save on the cost of purchasing plants every year. Starting your own transplants isn’t that hard to do and the seeds can be started in containers that you already have around your house, egg cartons are great to use for starting your transplants in.

Planning your garden is the best way to garden on a budget.

John Yazo
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/organic-gardening-tips-you-should-know-to-garden-on-a-budget-746104.html

Every day, more and more news is coming out on just how damaged the environment has actually become. We are finally awakening to the fact that we have severely damaged our planet and we are looking for ways to live better and not deplete our precious natural resources.

One simple way to help the planet is by planting trees. Trees have a natural ability to convert carbon dioxide that is present in the air, into oxygen. Another way to help is to conserve water so there is enough water for all humans, plants and animals.

Here in lies a paradox. How can we achieve a balance between giving plants very little water while trying to conserve it, yet giving those plants enough water to survive?

Scientists are hard at work trying to develop plants that are genetically engineered to require little water to grow, but we can also do our part. One way is through a gray water rerouting system.

What is Gray Water?

Water that is generated from our baths, dishwashing, hand washing and laundry is called gray water. Black water is water that is generated from our toilets. It is estimated that an average family of four, generates nearly three thousand gallons of gray water weekly. This water is wasted down the drain and could be reused.

The gray water that is discarded does contain soaps and detergents and often bleach. These soaps and detergents do contain certain minerals that can actually help plants, but the gray water also contains chemicals that may harm plans and the soil. Bleach is especially dangerous as it damages the roots and can actually stay in the soil for a long time.

It is possible to reroute the gray water that is now going down the drain and reroute it to your garden. This is done through a series of treatment tubes and a filtration system. This will help the environment by permitting more plant life to grow and you are conserving water by reusing water that would have gone to waste.

The following tips will help you get started to use gray water for your garden.

If you are planning to use gray water to water your garden, then take note of the following tips before you start. Check with a local plumbing supply house or repair shop to see what products are available to reroute gray water.

Drip irrigation systems that direct gray water directly to the plants are available. These types of units are very efficient as they direct water to the root system of the plants where it is needed and best absorbed.

Most gray water does not require treatment, but a filter on the system will help keep dust or debris that may harm delicate plants, out of the water. Your plumbing supply will be able to assist you on how to treat the water. A stop at your local gardening supply center or landscaping professional will be able to give you information on whether or not you can use gray water on the plants you have in your garden.

Most gray water contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, all of which benefit plants. These chemicals are found in organic soaps and shampoos. Check the labels on the products you purchase and look for natural or organic products. Avoid products that contain toxic chemicals and bleaches. If you notice that your plants are suffering damage from the gray water, stop using it and consult a horticulturist or gardener.

Research is needed before you can use gray water. Every garden is different and has different plants with different growing conditions. If your passion is gardenias, you may not want a gray water recycling system as gardenias to not like soap products, and can damage them severely.

If all this sounds expensive and beyond your ability, remember that you can still recycle gray water by keeping a bucket handy whenever you do your laundry, wash your dishes, or take a bath. If you use organic soaps, you can use this otherwise discarded water on your plants.

Beverly Saltonstall
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-on-using-gray-water-for-your-garden-714154.html

Wherever you look it seems that people are going green. They may try and drive using electric cars, or use natural methods of fertilizer or compost. There are even gardeners who use only organic products and tools in their garden. These organic gardeners will need gardening supplies that are a little different from that of your ordinary gardener. Basically they will need an organic gardening supply to continue with their gardening efforts.

As an organic gardener you will of course need a shovel, a spade and a spading fork to dig the soil in your garden and prepare it for planting. Then to take out the weeds and the rocks that are littering your new bed you need a hoe, a scuffle hoe with its forward pointing blade that you scuffle in front of you as you weed your garden, and cut the weeds at the surface. A pry bar is very good item even for organic gardeners to use in their organic gardening supply. With a pry bar you can dig up those rocks and boulders that sometimes seem to litter the surface of your garden.

There is always some pruning to be done in the garden. Rose bushes need to be cut back, especially if you want lots of big, beautiful flowers. A pair of good quality gardening shears or even a lopping shears can cut those large prickly rose stems cleanly without causing any disease causing breaks.

These however are the conventional gardening supplies that any gardener can use. For an organic gardener there are a few different items that need to be added to their organic gardening supply. Whereas the normal gardener has the choice of using chemical enhanced fertilizers the organic gardener can use bat guano or even worm castings.

With these organic fertilizers all that is needed is a couple of applications per month. Worm castings are the tunnels that are created as worms move through the soil. This movement not only breaks and loosens the soil, it also adds fertilizing nutrients to the soil. Organic fertilizers like these help to increase the growth and health of plants within your garden. Therefore they are an essential organic gardening supply item.

Gardening is said to be like painting. The gardener’s canvas is the ground and the paint brushes are the tools that gardeners use. Whether you are a conventional gardener or an organic gardener many of the tools that you will use are the same. However the organic gardener has special items in their organic gardening supply. These items change the looks, taste and smell of the plants that benefit from them.

Organic gardening is 100% all natural and great for the environment. Why don’t you switch to organic gardening and see the difference it makes to your life!

Alan Moore
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/supplies-55751.html