Sustainability

Installing a pond liner can be a straightforward task that can be done efficiently if a few important steps are followed. First consider the two types of high-quality liners: For a large agricultural or recreational pond a reinforced polyethylene liner will offer flexibility, puncture resistance, tear strength and will last 20-25 years when covered or 10-15 years exposed to the sun. For smaller landscape ponds EPDM Rubber liners are ideal for ornamental water gardens including waterfalls and streams. EPDM liners are UV stabilized for 20-25 years when exposed to the sun and natural looking. Secondly the excavation of the pond and the type of soil where the pond is to be built are critical steps to be planned carefully to guarantee success.

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Fall and winter are excellent seasons for starting the exciting process of making compost. Making your own garden soil is the best way to take responsibility for providing the highest-quality organic growing medium.

In the simplest terms, composting is an easy and affordable way to turn trash into treasure. By composting yard waste, unused parts or pieces of fruits and vegetables and other organic matter that otherwise would go into your garbage can and then into our overstuffed landfills, you can improve your soil and plants health at little or no cost. Compost can provide valuable nutrients while also bettering the structure of garden soil.

Whether you are composting at home or on the farm, the composting process is simple and straightforward. Try it and it will soon become a daily habit. Read on to learn all about the composting basics you need to help your plants and the environment thrive.

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Garden Sustainability with Drip Irrigation

Water is life. As such, it is a precious resource we all need to conserve and use with care. Although water is comparatively inexpensive in most places, it really is more precious than gold. Try going a day or even a few hours in your home or business without this life-giving fluid and you will understand why. Read More

Without beneficial insects and their ability to aid in plant pollination, 90 percent of all flowering plant species might disappear. Thirty percent of all plants in the world would not exist if it weren’t for pollinators. Your vegetable garden wouldn’t be as productive. We all need to do what we can to provide a beneficial habitat for them on our property. Pollinators are insects and other animals that move pollen from one flower to the next, fertilizing it and allowing it to reproduce via seed. Butterflies, bees, birds, bats, other insects, and even ants are some of the many pollinators that are so important. What can you and I do to help?

The type of fertilizer you use will affect the performance and quality of your finished product, choose the right fertilizer to maximize your gardens potential. Understandably, some of us may do nothing but hook up our drip system and plant. But here are some recommendations to help you develop a balanced long term approach critical for optimum growth and a spectacular garden.

For every three bites of food you take, one was pollinated by honey bees. Last winter, beekeepers reported losing over 40% of their hives. Bees are more than just the “canaries in the coal mine”, warning us of a frightening threat to our food. Bees are a critical link to the future of our food production.

You may have heard that pests, disease, and climate change are the main causes of the bee die off. A growing body of evidence points to one of the world’s most popular class of pesticides neonicotinoids. These “neonics” are designed to kill pest, but they don’t distinguish between harmful insects and beneficial ones, like bees. Neonics are used on over 140 commercial crops! As a result the bees that are needed to pollinate organic crops are on the brink of extinction.