Dallas Morning News – August 17, 2017
DIRT DOCTOR RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS FOR HEALTHY GARDENS, PEOPLE AND PETS
Lava sand and dry molasses
Where can I find the products that you recommend?
That’s my most common question. Most people want successful gardening and landscaping without being around toxic products. It’s actually not very bright wanting to be around toxic stuff. In close second place are questions about the Basic Organic Program and how to use the products. Although the terms and changes in timing can be a bit confusing at first, the truth is that the organic program is simpler and saves time and money. Whether you shop at hardware stores, farm stores, garden centers or on-line, the products are available at quality retailers through their normal distribution companies. If the products you need are not in the stores, ask the retailers to help. Here’s a rundown of the main products in the program I recommend.
Corn gluten meal powder – the natural weed and feed fertilizer.
Granular form of corn gluten meal.
Fertilizers
– Black Kow is bagged compost for bed preparation and topdressing. Info can be found at blackkow.com. Corn gluten meal, the natural “weed and feed” fertilizer is widely available under several brand names. Espoma is a line of dry and liquid organic fertilizers and soil amendments. Information can be found at espoma.com. Garrett Juice is the liquid fertilizer, soil drench and foliar feeding product that can be made at home from the formula we always provide in my books and on dirdoctor.com. For those who don’t do home brews, commercial versions of the mix are widely available under the Good Natured and Medina labels.
Organic fertilizer use the same spreaders as the synthetic products.
Rock Minerals
– Lava sand and Azomite Mineral Products (azomite.com).
Microbe Stimulators/Sugars
– Dry molasses for fire ant control and bed preparation and whole ground cornmeal for disease control and bed preparation are both widely available in retail stores.
The best organic fertilizers are clean smelling and not dusty.
Pest Control
– AgraLawn Crabgrass Killer (agralawn.com). PureGro for weed, insect and disease control (puregrousa.com). Hydrogen peroxide for disease and algae control (widely available). Medina orange oil for insect control. (medinaag.com). Natural diatomaceous earth for insect control and animal feeding (widely available). Spinosad for tough insect control (widely available). Summit Mosquito Control (summitchemical.com).
For details about the Basic Organic Program,
.