The word guano originated from the Quichua language of the Inca civilization and means "the droppings of sea birds". It is a misnomer to refer to bat dung as guano. As the word is used today, guano describes both bat and sea bird manure. The most famous guano was that used by the Inca. The guano would collect on the rainless islands and coast of Peru. Atmospheric conditions insured a minimal loss of nutrients. There is very little leaching of valuable material, nor is there a considerable loss of nitrogenous matter. For this the Inca would guard and regulate the treasured soil enricher. Access to the guano deposits were restricted to chosen caretakers. Disrupting the rookeries could result in punishment by death.
Guano became a very important part of the development of agriculture in these United States. During the peak of the guano era, drastic steps were taken to maintain a supply for the U.S. farmer. "On August 18, 1856, Congress passed an act to authorize protection to be given to citizens of the United States who may discover guano, under which any citizen of the United States was authorized to take possession of and occupy any unclaimed island, rock or key containing guano. The discoverers of such islands were entitled to exclusive rights to the deposits thereon, but the guano could only be removed for the use of the citizens of the United States."Nutrients in guano are as different as there are a variety of producers, food sources and environmental constraints. Sea birds eat strictly small fish and are not scavengers. Bat guano is available from one species that thrives on fruit, while another feasts on insects. Guano can be fresh, semi-fossilized or fossilized and will be a factor, among others, on the nutrient content when used.
Guano is provided in the ready to use condition, thoroughly aged to the vintage state of a good natural fertilizer. Guano can be used inside or outdoors for all living plants. Guano supplies fast and slow release nutrients to the biological system. Apply the pure guano in smaller amounts than ordinary barnyard or poultry manure. Applied as a top dressing and worked into the soil or mixed with water and applied, guano will have a dramatic influence. Hydroponic growers, in contrast to normal fertilization, are finding that guano and water are a natural alternative to chemical solutions. Use nitrogen guano for growth, phosphorus guano for budding and all guano for your plants general health and well being. Guano can be blended with topsoil before laying sod or grass seed and while planting trees and shrubs. Add guano to your container growing mix for a supercharged potting soil.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
GUANO The 100% Natural Organic Soil Amendment
Sunday, August 12, 2007
hobby or project to fill that time? Well, you should consider gardening. Gardening is extremely stress relieving, will give you plenty to think about (all those beatiful plants, shrubs, flowers and trees to pick out!) and will be very rewarding in the long run. There is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the end results of a great fruit and vegetable garden, a flower garden, or beautifying your lawn with trees, shrubs and decor. Your neighbors will love it as well as the wildlife! So I say, while the weather is still nice outside, it's time to plant!
More To This Than I Thought!
I've done a little research and apparently there is more to gardening and astrology than I thought. In fact there is an ancient tradition of assigning plants to planets. In the 17the century English herbalist and astrologer, Nicoloas Culpeper applied his knowledge of this to English plants.
On the site www.starwaves.co.uk/astrologygardens.html astrologer Jean Elliot will help you design a permanent astrology garden. There are large and small designs and you can have your own birth chart on the ground. There are even joint birth charts for couples in the shape of a chart wheel.
If you want to create something interesting, meaningful and a conversation piece in your yard you should give it a try!
Vegetable, Fruit & Herb Gardens
Are you looking to enrich the taste and vitamin source of your foods? Nothing is better than home grown produce and with a little know how and attentive gardening you can produce your very own tomatoes, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, strawberries and more. Enjoy the rich flavor and wide variety of homegrown vegetables and then you can spice up your life and your health with your own herb garden as well. Grow herbs in pots or in the garden for cooking, drying and more. Reap the tastes of angelica, thyme and others. You will love the tasty meals and deserts you will create from the rich products of your very own vegetable, fruit and herb garden!Gardening Workshops
How To Pick Gardening Sheers
Regardless of where you live, how big or small the job or if you are a do-it-yourself gardener or a professional gardener, there are always specific gardening tools you will need for those jobs in the yard. 
For your top quality gardening needs you will want durability that ensures these cutting tools will remain sharp use after use. This may mean not always looking for the most inexpensive deals on gardening tools and supplies as a few more dollars spent may be well worth it.
Gardening Tips For Summer
Regardless of what types of plants or trees you have in your gardening area there are some tips you should follow for summer. For example, citrus trees should not be pruned for fruit to produce. These trees are susceptible to both frost damage in winter and sunburn in the summer so keep those low lying branches in tack. Gardening advice for modern roses is major pruning should be done in January or February, old garden roses flower on old wood so you should prune after spring around May. Conifers should be pruned when dormant in winter months. If you have ornamental grass cut back 4-6 inches in winter and leave alone in the summer. If you have barrel cactus in your gardening area that have bloomed in the spring there is no need to remove those dried, spent flowers in summer as they will fall off naturally.Your Kids and Gardening
Get your kids outdoors with you to help out with planting and gardening. They will really love the whole experience!
And here's why...most kids love digging in the dirt and getting dirty, planting seeds is easy and watering the soil is something that would be a great 'chore' for them to do, especially when they can watch their creations come to life. It is an educational experience for them that could also turn out to be a lifetime hobby.
There are some great children's kits you can buy to provide them with thei
r very own sized tools. Some include a mini trowel, hoe, rake, pots and saucers, spray bottle, seeds, gloves and more! It will definately be worth it for them and you!
Little kay in his Garden
April Shower's Bring Colorful Life, You Know!
Hopefully you live in an area where spring weather is here and you are not still suffering through the aftermath of winter storms. But if you live where signs of spring are starting to pop up all around you, you are in luck!
If you started planting your flowers, plants or trees in March you might already be benefitting from Spring's April Showers which can make your hard efforts already blossom into wonderful bouquets of beauty. If you still need to dig those flowerbeds and give your lawn a good dose of weed and feed it's not too late to benefit from the seasons great moist weather.
Break out your gardening gloves, shovel, rake, hoe and mulch and get started. Whatever you decide to plant you will soon reap the rewards of a gorgeous garden that will last all summer and into the fall and longer!
Garden Tools 2
Radius Grip™ Garden Tools
Available Individually Or As A Set Of Four. These ultra-light garden tools are tougher than iron. The ergonomic design of Radius Grip™ Garden Tools maximizes power and comfort and minimizes hand and wrist stress. These ultra-light, one-piece aluminum/magnesium garden utensils are built to tackle tough jobs year after year. Comfort-cushion grips on each; spade has depth indicators on blade. Buy them individually or as a complete set of four.   Trowel Cultivator Weeder Spade |
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Garden Gloves
Know That Gardening Dirt Is Sometimes More Than Dirty
Here are some more advice and gardening tips for you to be aware of. First off, know that bacteria causes tetanus and is commonly found in soil and manure. These bacteria can easily find its way into your system through a cut on your body while gardening. Make sure your tetanus vaccine is up to date. A more dangerous hazard of gardening however is the chance of a deadly pathogen entering your body from a consumer-grade fertilizer. Although rare, you can get E. coli contamination from your home gardening through manure. Avoid this by wearing gloves, cleaning your tools after gardening, washing thoroughly everything you are going to eat as well as washing your hands very well.
Wrap your hands in a soft, impenetrable shield.
Available Colors
Light Blue
Black
Sizes
Unisex sizes small, medium or large
| Makes hose winding effortless and easy on your back. No-Hassle Hose Management Systems These commercial-grade tools are your best defense against the kinks, tangles and lifting of routine watering. Heavy-duty Hose Cart holds up to 250' of hose with a smooth-turning spool that makes winding effortless. Four 8" pneumatic tires keep it rolling over the rough spots. 5' leader hose included. Solid brass fittings and top-quality construction. Mount our Hose Reel on the side of your house for easy access and storage. Made of 13-gauge steel with sturdy brass and galvanized fittings, it holds up to 100' of hose. 7' leader hose. Both have 90° brass swivels that prevent hose damage. Easy assembly. It is a relyable garden tool to keep. |
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Friday, August 10, 2007
Garden Tools
Growing urban health: Community gardening in South-East Toronto
| Abstract |
This article describes results from an investigation of the health impacts of community gardening, using
However, as you consider gardening as an option to a good health,
Bellow are some of the garden tools you may need. Just a few, anyway.
(Curtesy: Plow & Heart)
The right tools make yard cleanup easy! This garden tool is one of the simple to use materials you need in your garden. Fill the Yard Cleanup Bag with loads of yard waste – even rocks and dirt – it’s freestanding to make filling easy. A triple-layer bottom gives it strength; handles at the rim and base make dragging and dumping a breeze. Durable, contractor-grade polypropylene with sturdy webbing handles. It makes your clean up easier and stress free. Holds 6.8 cu. ft. |
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Garden Tarp
| Heavy-Duty, Contractor-Grade Materials It's as easy as this: Pile leaves, grass clippings, hedge trimming and weeds on the Garden Tarp, grab the corner handles and drag it to your compost heap. Durable, contractor-grade polypropylene with sturdy webbing handles. With this tool you will feel the excitment of working happylly in your garden. Size Garden Tarp 78" x 78" |
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Double Rake
| No more stooping to pick up leaves - just grab and lift! This garden tool is specially Designed For Easy Leaf Cleanup The Leaf Glutton makes leaf cleanup easy for just about anyone, with no bending or stooping. Just grab a pile of leaves and lift! Rakes can be separated so two people can rake at once. Use the specially designed top to tamp leaves down into bags. Solid wood handles with comfort grips. Size 72"H Perm-A-Mulch |
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Reduce Yard Work With Maintenance-Free Mulch It looks like ordinary wood-chip mulch, but it’s actually bonded recycled tire rubber. With this exciting garden tool, this American-made Perm-A-Mulch® looks remarkably like natural bark mulch, and eliminates trimming, weeding and re-mulching for years. Made of recycled tires, so it will last for years, the rubber Tree Rings and flexible Border prevent weeds from growing while allowing water, air and nutrients to pass right through. Cut center hole to fit tree trunk. |
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Now With A Thicker, Weatherproof Pad On Both Sides The sturdy steel frame and locking spring-loaded catches offer a comfortable seat and a safe, secure kneeler. This garden tool makes it easier to privent stains on your garden wears especially the ones picked from kneelings. Now a thicker, weatherproof foam pad on both sides makes the job much easier. Folds for easy portability and storage. Imported. Size 19-1/4" x 24-1/2"H |
Kneeler/Seat
Our Kneeler/Seat Lends A Helping Hand Up and Down Move through gardening and household chores with ease. Sturdy steel frame and locking spring-loaded catches offer a comfortable seat and a safe, secure kneeler. Thick foam padding on both sides makes the job much easier. Folds for easy portability and storage. Imported. Size 19-1/2" x 22-1/2"H Folds to 5" thick Foam padding is 3/4" thick  |
Scoot-N-Do
Now With A Handy Metal Mesh Tray For Tools With its soft pneumatic tires and swiveling tractor seat, the Scoot-N-Do Caddy lets you garden with fewer ups and downs and less strain on your back. Plus, it now has a handy metal mesh tray to keep tools close at hand. Rugged one-inch steel tubing frame has a powder-coat finish. Size 32" x 15" x 19"H |
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Vegetable
Vegetable is a culinary term which generally refers to an edible part of a plant. The definition is traditional rather than scientific and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective. All parts of herbaceous plants eaten as food by humans, whole or in part, are normally considered vegetables. Mushrooms, though belonging to the biological kingdom fungi, are also commonly considered vegetables. In general, vegetables are thought of as being savory, and not sweet, although there are many exceptions. Nuts, grains, herbs, spices and culinary fruits (see below) are normally not considered vegetables.
Fruit, vegetable
Since “vegetable” is not a botanical term, there is no contradiction in referring to a plant part as a fruit while also being considered a vegetable (see diagram). Given this general rule of thumb, vegetables can also include leaves (lettuce), stems (asparagus), roots (carrots), flowers (broccoli), bulbs (garlic), seeds (peas and beans) and botanical fruits such as cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and capsicums. Botanically, fruits are reproductive organs (ripened ovaries containing one or many seeds), while vegetables are vegetative organs which sustain the plant.
The question "is it a fruit, or is it a vegetable?" has even found its way into the United States Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously in Nix v. Hedden, 1893, that a tomato is a vegetable for the purposes of 1883 Tariff Act, although botanically, a tomato is a fruit.
The distinction between fruits and vegetables is not just semantic. In Judaism, where religious Jewish people recite a blessing before eating food, and each food group has a separate blessing, defining a food as a fruit or vegetable will affect which blessing is chosen.
Commercial production of vegetables is a branch of horticulture called olericulture.
Etymology
Vegetable is also used as a literary term for any plant: vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom.[1] It comes from Latin vegetabilis (animated) and from vegetare (enliven), which is derived from vegetus (active), in reference to the process of a plant growing. This in turn derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *weg- or *wog-, which is also the source of the English wake, meaning "not sleep". The word vegetable was first recorded in print in English in the 14th century. The meaning of "plant grown for food" was not established until the 18th century. [2]
In the diet
Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways as part of main meals and as snacks. The nutrient content of different types varies considerably. With the exception of pulses, vegetables provide little protein and fat.[3][4] Vegetables contain water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, fat-soluble vitamins including vitamin A and vitamin D, and also contain carbohydrates and minerals.
Color
The green color of leafy vegetables is due to the presence of the green pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is affected by pH and changes to olive green in acid conditions, and bright green in alkaline conditions. Some of the acids are released in steam during cooking, particularly if cooked without a cover.
The yellow/orange colors of fruits and vegetables are due to the presence of carotenoids, which are also affected by normal cooking processes or changes in pH.
The red/blue coloring of some fruits and vegetables (e.g. blackberries and red cabbage) are due to anthocyanins, which are sensitive to changes in pH. When pH is neutral, the pigments are purple, when acidic, red, and when alkaline, blue. These pigments are very water soluble.
Storage
Many root and non-root vegetables that grow underground can be stored through winter in a root cellar or other similarly cool, dark and dry place to prevent mold, greening and sprouting. Care should be taken in understanding the properties and vulnerabilities of the particular roots to be stored. These vegetables can last through to early spring and be nearly as nutritious as when fresh.
During storage, leafy vegetables lose moisture and vitamin C degrades rapidly. They should be stored for as short a time as possible in a cool place, in a container or plastic bag.
Vegetable garden
A vegetable garden (also known as a vegetable patch or vegetable plot) is a garden that exists to grow vegetables and other plants useful for human consumption, in contrast to a flower garden that exists for aesthetic purposes. It is a small-scale form of vegetable growing. A vegetable garden typically includes a compost heap and several plots or divided areas of land, intended to grow one or two types of plant in each plot. Many families have home kitchen and vegetable gardens that they use to make food. In World War II, people had gardens called 'Victory Gardens' which provided food to families and thus freed up resources for the war effort.
With the increased interest in organic and sustainable living, many people are turning to vegetable gardening as a supplement to their family's diet. Food is grown in your own backyard, uses up little if any fuel for shipping, and the grower can be sure of what exactly was used to grow it.
There are many types of vegetable gardens. Potagers, a garden in which vegetables, herbs and flowers are grown together, has become more popular than the more traditional rows or blocks.
Seed catalogs are a major resource of home gardeners, with Pine Tree, Territorial and Burpee being among the countless options. There are also specialty seed catalogs available, such as Totally Tomatoes and The Vermont Bean and Seed Company. A very diverse range of Asian vegetable seed can be obtained from Evergreen Seeds through their website.
Vegetable growing
Vegetable farming is the growing of vegetables for human consumption. Traditionally it was done in the soil in small rows or blocks, often primarily for consumption on the farm, with the excess sold in nearby towns. Later, farms on the edge of large communities could specialize in vegetable production, with the short distance allowing the farmer to get his produce to market while still fresh. The three sisters method used by Native Americans grew squash, beans and corn together so that the plants enhanced each other's growth. Planting in long rows allows machinery to cultivate the fields, increasing efficiency and output; however, the diversity of vegetables crops require a number of techniques to be used to optimize the growth of each type of plant. Some farms, therefore, specialize in one vegetable; but, others grow a large variety. Due to the needs to market vegetables while fresh, vegetable gardening has high labor demands. Some farms avoid this by running u-pick operations where the customers pick their own produce. The development of ripening technologies and refrigeration has reduced the problems with getting produce to market in good condition.
Over the past 100 years a new technique has emerged--raised bed gardening, which has increased yields from small plots of soil without the need for commercial, energy intensive fertilizers. Modern hydroponic farming produces very high yields in greenhouses without using any soil, but expends much more energy.
Several economic models exist for vegetable farms: farms may grow large quantites of a few vegetables and sell them in bulk to major markets or middlemen, which requires large growing operations; farms may produce for local customers, which requires a larger distribution effort; farms may produce a variety of vegetables for sale through on-farm stalls, local farmer's markets, u-pick operations. This is quite different from commoditity farm products like wheat and maize which do not have the ripeness problems and are sold off in bulk to the local granary. Large cities often have a central produce market which handles vegetables in a commodity-like manner, and manages distribution to most supermarkets and restaurants.
In America, vegetable farms are in some regions known as truck farms; "truck" is a noun for which its more common meaning overshadows its historically separate use as a term for "vegetables grown for market". Such farms are sometimes called muck farms, after the dark black soil in which vegetables grow well.
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