7 super easy things to do ..and brand your self an organic gardener.

Did you know that you can use orange peels to kill ants? Or how about Epsom salt to grow healthier tomatoes? You are sitting on a gold mine of resources in your kitchen that can be re-purposed or recycled to benefit your garden. The best part is that you are eliminating the use of dangerous chemicals, while saving money, and not harming the environment.

1)Natural Herbicide Vinegar is a great substitute for the toxic and persistent glyphosate. Add a little dish soap with pure vinegar in a spray bottle and apply during the heat of the day. If you find that your kitchen vinegar just won’t cut the tough weeds, you can purchase a horticultural grade vinegar with a higher concentration of acetic acid and apply it the same way.

2)Natural Pest Control Cayenne Pepper or red chili pepper; if you are using whole peppers combine a half cup chopped peppers and two cups of water in a blender and pour the liquid into a spray bottle, add a tbsp. of liquid soap to help the spray “stick” to the plants. If you are using the powder form of pepper, substitute 2 tbsp for the half cup. Remember that this is not a selective pesticide, meaning it can harm beneficial insects too, so be sure and only use it if you have a major problem.

3)Natural Fertilizer #1 Don’t put down that vinegar just yet. If your acid loving plants, like azaleas or gardenias are looking a little yellow, mix 2 tbsp of vinegar to 1 quart of water and pour at the base of the plant. Repeating this process every two weeks should turn that yellow to green.

4) Natural Fertilizer #2 Epsom salt is a natural mineral, discovered in the well water of Epsom, England, and has been used for hundreds of years. It is magnesium sulfate which stimulates root growth in plants, especially tomatoes. Add a teaspoon to the hole when planting and presto, super tomatoes. The magnesium is critical for seed germination and the production of chlorophyll, fruit, and nuts. Magnesium helps strengthen cell walls and improves plants’ uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. As an added bonus, a little pinch will also deter squirrels from digging up bulbs in your flower garden.

5)Ant Killer #1 Don’t spray or pour those broad spectrum pesticides all over the place, these are particularly persistent and harmful to humans and animals, as well as all insects, beneficial and not. Simply boil some water and dump on the mound, the ants die instantly. Be sure to boil enough water so you can keep pouring until you reach the queen.

6)Ant Killer #2 Don’t put those orange peels in the compost pile just yet. Throw equal parts orange peels and water into the blender and puree. Voila, instant ant killer, that won’t kill you.

7) Slug and snail deterrent Don’t dump out that last bit of coffee that you didn’t finish, throw it in a spray bottle and spray your plants to naturally deter slugs and snails. Also, you can make a slug “fence” around the garden with the grounds. This is a double bonus because as the coffee grounds deter slugs, they are also a great addition to soil and earthworms love them!

The mutant fruits of Fukushima.

With all the reports of raised levels of radiation, not only in Japan, but in the US as well, one would do well to steer clear of vegetables and fruits sourced from Japan. Reports out of Japan are showing some freakish floral and plant reactions to the radiation leakage spawned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster that occurred in early 2011.

This is what happens when we try to play god...man i wouldnt wana eat these abominations but im sure that our government would have no quams importing these to feed our public at cheaper rates.whats even more suprising is the fact that our government is going ahead with the kudankulam nuclear plant after looking at these results!!!

The Secret Life Of Plants:- A book review.

This unusual book is one of my favorites. The ideas in it are so challenging that it took me a long time to get through it when I first read it some years ago. I had to stop frequently to reread and think about the ideas. It basically asks questions about the meaning of animate life. What is “alive” and how does it differ from “not alive?” It delves into the controversial idea that plants can “feel,” but that is just the beginning of what you learn about plants in this book. Can your kindly thoughts directed at a plant make it grow faster? There is a large body of evidence that says yes to this. The authors have developed a cult following since publishing this book in 1973 and they have written other books together and individually that deal with alternate history or speculative science. The Secret Life of Plants discusses unorthodox ways of increasing the yield from seeds, including strange ways to irradiate fields (with radio waves, sound, etc.) and how to find natural resources by dowsing, an ancient practice known to the Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and others. Dowsing involved pointing a stick or “divining rod” at the earth and waiting for it to indicate (by pointing downward) where some desired substance (water, oil, etc.) can be found. That is amazing enough, but some dowsers have dispensed with going outside and instead point their rod at a map. Astonishing as it may seem, here is one account from the book concerning Henry Gross, an American dowser: “Sitting at his kitchen table, he pinpointed on a map of the British-governed island of Bermuda, on which no source of water had been found, just those spots where he said drilling would produce it. To everyone’s amazement, Gross was correct.” Is there an unknown energy field that pervades everything (the ether or the orgone)? How does life get started and how is it connected to the spirit? What is the connection between plants and man? Can plants transmute one element into another? A man named Kervran who you will meet in this book says they can. You’ll learn about radionics which holds that all matter, animate or inanimate, radiates and absorbs energy. This energy can transfer positive or negative thoughts and feelings to an object. This is how someone’s negative -- or positive -- thoughts can lodge in an object and affect the energy level of whoever has the object. You learn of the work of people like Jagada Chandra Bose and Luther Burbank who investigated the mystery of life through studying plants. In many ways, plants behave much like animals. They are alive in much the same way, but they are rooted to one spot and have no power of speech to communicate with humans. But there are people who have made connections with them, even traveled mystically through the stems and cells of plants, becoming one with them. Isn’t all life unified? Why shouldn’t we be able to communicate with plants? You will learn a new respect for soil and never, ever think of it as “dirt” again. Soil is the stuff of life that nourishes plants and you learn that it can be self-renewing. Modern farming ruins the soil with chemicals rather than encouraging natural enrichment. The book contains much detail about the composition of healthy soil and how to keep it healthy. The food chain is an interesting aspect of physical life and why and how it exists is an open question for the seeker. If you are a vegetarian out of compassion for animals, how do you deal with the information that plants too have feelings? Why is our world set up so that some live at the expense of others? Consider the following quote from Luther Burbank (who Paramahansa Yogananda, a close friend, considered a “saint” -- this was from a speech in which Burbank promised to “tell all” about how he could be so successful at creating new species of plants): “In pursuing the study of any of the universal and everlasting laws of nature, whether relating to the life, growth, structure and movement of a giant planet, the tiniest plant or the psychological movements of the human brain, some conditions are necessary before we can become one of nature’s interpreters or the creator of any valuable work for the world. Preconceived notions, dogmas, and all personal prejudice and bias must be laid aside. Listen patiently, quietly and reverently to the lessons, one by one, which Mother Nature has to teach, shedding light on that which before was a mystery, so that all who will may see or know. She conveys her truths only to those who are passive and receptive.” Can matter be created out of nothing? Do matter and energy interchange naturally in ways we don’t understand? What is radiation and how does it affect plant life? Why and how does dowsing work? This book deals with these matters and raises many questions, along with suggesting provocative answers. Much of the information here might be termed pseudo-science but the people whose ideas are presented here were not crackpots or crazies. This book is not new -- my copy has 1972 on it -- and the ideas are still controversial. But I think it is well worth reading. Investigations into the ery meaning of “alive” are surely relevant to the Big Question of who we really are

8 super foods that u can grow in your garden!!!!

You can easily grow superfoods in your garden and quickly prepare and serve them in minutes. Superfoods are high in nutritional value and provide important chemical compounds—called phytochemicals—that fight disease and improve health. Superfoods have been around for thousands of years, but the term has gained popularity over the past two decades. Superfoods from the garden include blueberries, broccoli, kale, spinach, tomatoes, walnuts, and more. Other superfoods include salmon, soy, green tea, turkey, and yogurt. Superfoods, among other benefits, can lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and improve your mood and emotional well-being. Most superfoods can be eaten raw out of hand though you may find a few tastier with just a bit of preparation—such as steaming or stir-frying. But, in the end, superfoods require very little kitchen time.

8) Asparagus. Asparagus can be eaten raw, parboiled, steamed, boiled, roasted, and grilled. This perennial is one of the earliest crops in spring. Asparagus is a natural diuretic. Asparagus is high in potassium and vitamin B12, important for cell repair and maintenance. New research has also shown that B12 can boost the auditory system. People with low levels have a 39 percent increased risk of hearing loss.

7)Basil and Mint. Use basil fresh or dried to add a mild, sweet flavor to soups, salads, stews, fish, meat, and sauces. Use mint fresh or dried to flavor vegetables and add fresh mint to cold and hot soups and beverages. Basil and mint aid digestion and diminish inflammation. Basil and mint are also strong sources of luteolin, which many boost the immune system.

6)Mulberries. Grow them in a sunny location in sandy, well-drained that can stay moist. Allow 4 feet between plants. Choose rabbit-eye varieties where winters are not very cold. mulberries rank among the top disease-fighting foods; blueberries contain anthocyanin an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that fights Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, and heart disease. A diet high in mulberries may reduce a woman’s risk of heart attack by 33 percent and stave off memory loss by several years.

5)Carrots. Serve carrots raw or cooked. Allow 30 days for sweet baby carrots and 50 to 80 days to reach full size and maturity. Recent studies say one carrot a day can cut the rate of lung cancer in half (first, stop smoking). Carrots are high in carotenoids, antioxidant compounds, associated with a decrease in bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, and larynex and esophageal cancer. Carrots are an excellent source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that work together to protect eye health. Three medium carrots contain 60 mg of calcium, 586 mg of potassium, and 30,000 IUs of vitamin A

4)Pomegranates. This fruit grows on a small tree or shrub. Pomegranates are long-lived but sensitive to frost in fall and spring and do not mature well in cool climates. Propagate pomegranates from cuttings. Pomegranates contain high levels of antioxidants that help keep the cardiovascular system healthy. One 17-ounce glass of pomegranate juice every day will lower blood pressure. The antioxidant capacity of pomegranate juice is two to three times that of green tea.

3)Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes are grown from rooted cuttings called “slips.” From transplanting sweet potatoes are ready for harvest in about 100 days. Serve sweet potatoes cooked; boiled and mashed sweet potatoes will be extra smooth. Sweet potatoes contain vitamins A and B6 and potassium that helps protect the immune system and regulate blood pressure. When eaten with the skins, sweet potatoes have more fiber than a cup of oatmeal.

2)Strawberries. Check the variety you purchase; June-bearing strawberries produce one crop a year in late spring or early summer; ever-bearing strawberries peak in early summer and then continue to bear through autumn. Strawberries contain chemicals found to protect cells against cervical and breast cancer; phytochemicals in strawberries can inhibit steps in tumor initiation. Compounds in strawberries may protect the brain from short-term memory loss. Strawberries contain anthocyanins that can inhibit pain and inflammation signals associated with arthritis.

1)Thyme. Known as the “blending’ herb because it pulls flavors together. Use leaves with slow-cooked beef, pork, poultry, seafood, soups, stews, and in bouquet garni. Thyme in tincture form can be used to fight bacteria; thyme’s fragrant oil called thymol is a powerful antiseptic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agent. Use thyme to aid digestion and dislodge mucus coating of the intestinal track.

Sogestu School Flower Exhibition( mumbai) jan 2013/14