A few questions that I have been asked recently:
What is a good all purpose insecticide besides Sevin?
Sevin is great on turf because it kills above ground (ants,
ticks, chinch bugs, sod webworms, mosquitoes, fleas and many more) and below
ground (grubs and mole crickets) insects. For above ground insects in turf
areas consider a product containing bifenthrin (Bifen, Bug Blaster), and for
below ground insects use Grubz Out for long term control.
Sevin has been a go to product for a long time in gardens
(as a dust and as a liquid). There are many general insecticides that you could
replace it with in the garden. Neem Py is a natural product that is broad
spectrum and works on insects as well as certain diseases (fungi). Insecticidal
Soaps are also good for the garden. Vegetables Plus also has a very extensive
label. Viper dust is a good replacement for Sevin dust. Always read,
understand, and follow product labels.
What is a good soil to compost ratio in a large raised
garden?
The ratio of compost to soil depends on the native soil and
the compost you are working with in your garden. If you have a tight, heavy
clay soil, you would start with one part cotton burr compost to four parts
clay. If you have basic loamy soil, you would use one part cotton burr compost
to two parts soil. If your soil is real sandy, use one part cotton burr compost
to one part sand. On athletic fields we mix four parts sand with one part
cotton burr compost (often called 80:20 mix). Try to let your garden rest for
thirty days after amending (not necessary with cotton burr compost since it is
already fully composted, but still a good idea).
What is a good all purpose organic fertilizer?
You know I have to recommend a soil test. You could use the
best fertilizer in the world; however, if you are missing one part of the plant
nutrient puzzle, your crop will not reach its potential.
We have a lot of customers at Possum’s use Flower Bed
Amendment as a top dress fertilizer. With its blend of composted cotton burrs,
composted cattle manure, feather meal, cottonseed meal, and alfalfa meal it
would certainly have something in it to get your plants growing happily. The
cotton burrs will also condition your soil and last for up to two years!
Something a little more conventional would be Bradfield
Organics 3-1-5. These products are alfalfa based with other natural ingredients
including humates (condition soil, make nutrients available), molasses (feeds
microorganisms), and sulfate of potash. They are proven performers in the
Lowcountry. Sustane and Espoma make other good organic products, so take a soil
test and see which one will work best for you. I like using a mix of different
organic products on my yard, so I get the different benefits each one has to
offer. SeaHume will make all fertilizers work better by adding biostimulants
and minor nutrients.
Using Neptune’s Harvest fish, seaweed, and fish and seaweed
blend as a spray or a drench will also help increase your yield.
Thank you for your questions and keep them coming!
