SC Organic Growing Conference Placeholder

I taught two classes at last Saturday’s SC Organic Growing Conference — one on farmscaping and the other on southern passalong plants for permaculturists. I promised everyone to put the handouts online, which is still on my todo list. Being me, I got sidetracked reading some new studies and expanding my farmscaping spreadsheet so the official blog post with the…

How to Spray Milk to Prevent Powdery Mildew Disease

In the humid south we can usually expect plant diseases to start showing up in June and July. Some of them are difficult to manage at all, but powdery mildew (PM) has a surprisingly effective organic solution… milk! I know, milk… it seems like one of these too-good-to-be-true crank organic remedies, right? The September 1999 issue of Crop Protection reported…

How to Make Your Own Slow-Release Fertilizer

Note 6/14/12: Appalachian Feet recommends fertilizers as a way to improve soil in new gardens and planting areas. For established plantings and beds we recommend more sustainable fertility like hugelkultur, plant nutrient accumulators, biochar, cover crops, and livestock manures. Thoroughly exasperated at the bank-breaking prices of tiny organic, slow-release fertilizer packages, I decided it was surely cheaper to make my…