Smart Farming Solutions

The South East usually experiences drought conditions in the spring. This year is no different. Wild fires are currently raging near Myrtle Beach and Central Florida. Lake levels are also rapidly going down. Yes, we are definitely experiencing drought conditions.
So how do you maintain a nice green lawn when water restrictions allow you to water your yard only once or twice a week?
Simple, it’s called Hydretain. Hydretain is a liquid humectant which attracts moisture from the air and soil and holds it around the root zone for the plant to uptake. It forms a protective film, preventing percolation or evaporation. Hydretain is not a wetting agent like soap, which only improves water penetration in the soil. It truly retains moisture.
Golf courses in certain parts of the country, where water is expensive, are saving hundred of thousands of dollars each year by applying Hydretain. It cuts water usage by ½ to 2/3 and its effectiveness lasts up to six months. In addition, it aerates the soil and provides a carbon source for beneficial bacteria.
For home use, Hydretain is sold in a hose-end sprayer and in gallon jugs. I use it not only on my lawn but on my potted plants.
If you want to have the healthiest looking yard in the neighborhood, you should consider Hydretain. It’s affordable and it will save you money.

It's been hot, dry and very windy the last few days. Take a look at the celery plants on the left. Which one do you suppose received Hydretain?

Labels: drought, Hydretain, lawn maintenance, soil moisture

What pathogen is attacking these young bean plants? A fungus? Some kind of microscopic insect?

Nope, just too much concentration of Super Boost. I use very little fertilizer in my vegetable garden. On occasion, I apply Super Boost foliarly after stressful environmental events. We just had a cold front zip through Florida, dropping temperatures from the high eighties one day to the low forties the next, with 30 to 40 miles an hour winds.

Super Boost is a mixture of chelated micro nutrients, seaweed extracts and fulvic acid. The chelate is glucoheptenate, which additionally provides food for microorganism. Plants under stress tend to respond well to this cocktail. In this case I exceeded the recommended mixture of Super Boost with water.

Interestingly, the bean leaves were the only ones to show spotting. The cucumbers, tomatoes, corn and squash showed no sign of damage. Fortunately, the beans will be fine. It’s not the first time I have been overzealous with soil and plant stimulants.

Labels: chelated nutrients, environmental stress, Super Boost

Diatomaceous Earth or D.E. is a white amorphous silica powder derived from fossilized remains of Diatoms (hard shelled algae) found in fresh and salt water deposits. D.E. is commonly used in pool filters due to its microscopic porosity, which captures dirt and algae.
In addition, D.E. is also used as an insecticide by organic growers and for grain storage. In fact, a number of tests have shown it to be more effective than Malathion in grain storage, particularly over the long term.
Diatom shells are covered with sharp spines which will penetrate the flesh of the insect, causing fluid to escape, dehydrating it. In addition, it absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of the insect’s exoskeleton, also causing them to dehydrate. Although pest control is not immediate, (it may take a few days), it is the ideal insecticide because it is non toxic to humans and animals and it provides residual protection. As long as the powder remains on the plant, it protects it.
Pesticide quality D.E. should be 97% amorphous silica, which by the way does not cause silicosis.
One of my colleagues, who is also one of the largest organic vegetable grower in Florida, uses it extensively with great results. This speaks volume of D.E. considering the bug pressures we encounter in Florida’s hot climate.
If you grow vegetables in your garden, you may want to consider D.E. to protect your plants.

Labels: insecticide, organic gardening, organic insecticide, organic pesticide