The claycure

It probably comes as no surprise to the majority of vegetable gardeners that insects exceed people by a factor of many millions. While many insects are beneficial to certain plants, gardeners are all too familiar with the devastation caused by a variety of tiny crawly pests. Nature provides numerous non-toxic methods for discouraging and managing vexing insects. Six simple actions can assist a gardener in reducing pest problems without the use of hazardous chemicals. Increase the pleasantness of your outdoor party or garden patio by growing citronella grass across the yard. Citronella grass, when planted beneath windows or near the door, can help stop other flying insects from entering your home. Citronella grass is not to be confused with lemongrass. Lemongrass thrives in heat and can reach a height of four feet in a single season. As a member of the Cymbopogon plant family, this tall grass also contains citronella oil, making it a natural mosquito repellent. This resilient species is...

The thought of dumping seeds of wild flowers or trees into a depressed area in the hopes that it will miraculously transform into a blooming meadow or woodland is appealing. Seeds, after all, are dispersed in nature by chance. For those who aren't as obsessed, here's Seed Bomb 101: Seed bombs such as BLOOM BUGS are seed-filled balls made of compost and clay (or papier Mache in some cases). Seeds can blow in the wind, attach to an animal's body, fall to the ground, or be eaten by animals and expelled in another spot. Seed dispersal is the term for this process. The majority of people are unaware that just a small fraction of seeds produced by a plant mature to adulthood. Many seed bomb tutorials such as BLOOM BUGS recommend using a variety of seeds and a large number of seeds per seed bomb. This means that even if the seed bomb worked perfectly, there would be six to a dozen or more seedlings of various varieties sprouting in roughly an inch of green space. Clay and organic...