Backyard conservation: bringing conservation from the countryside to your backyard |
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Page 24 - Good planning can put you a step ahead of unwanted insects, weeds, and diseases. Healthy, vigorous plants minimize pest damage. Regular monitoring of your lawn or garden is the best way to stay on top of potential plant health and pest problems. If you see minimal damage, it is often easiest to just tolerate it and continue monitoring. If pests begin to cause serious damage, there are a number of treatment methods. Preventing pests • Plant disease and pest-resistant species.
Page 18 - Composting speeds the process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria and other decomposing micro-organisms. The final product, humus or compost, looks and feels like fertile garden soil. This dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling stuff works wonders on all kinds of soil and provides vital nutrients to help plants grow and look better.
Page 18 - Cold composting works well if you're short on time or have litde yard waste. Keep weeds and diseased plants out of the mix. Add yard waste as it accumulates.
Page 25 - Ground beedes feed primarily on caterpillars that attack trees and shrubs. Chemical controls If the methods listed above fail to solve your pest problem, use chemicals of low toxicity and rapid decomposition. Always read the label, follow directions, wear protective clothing, and spot-spray. Some of these chemicals are: • Pesticidal soaps for aphids, scale crawlers, whiteflies, and thrips.
Page 18 - If there is not a good supply of nitrogen-rich material, a handful of general lawn fertilizer will help the nitrogen-carbon ratio. Moisture is provided by rain, but you may need to water or cover the pile to keep it damp.
Page 18 - ... vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, livestock manure, sawdust, and shredded paper. Avoid using diseased plants, meat scraps that may attract animals, and dog or cat manure which can carry disease.
Page 18 - Moisture is provided by rain, but you may need to water or cover the pile to keep it damp. Be careful not to saturate the pile. Oxygen is supplied by turning or mixing the pile. More turning yields faster decomposition.
Page 24 - Plant flowers, herbs, and vegetables together and change the location of annuals every year to prevent buildup of certain pests.
Page 2 - About 70 percent of that land is privately owned, and care of that land is in the hands of those who live and work on it. Most of that land, 1.4 billion acres, is managed by farmers and ranchers. More than 92 million acres of land — an area the size of California — is privately developed and much of it is tended by homeowners.
Page 10 - ... and other wildlife. Dead trees provide homes to more than 400 species of birds, mammals and amphibians. Fish, plants and fungi also benefit from dead and dying trees. Consider leaving standing dead and dying trees in your yard unless they pose a human safety or property hazard, and use old logs and stumps in gardens and landscaping. ATTRACTING...