1.     Stop using all synthetic fertilizers, toxic pesticides and other chemicals that harm living organisms.  All high-nitrogen fertilizers are bad and nitrogen-only products are the worse. 

2.      Build soil health with aeration, compost, rock minerals, sugars and microorganism products.

3.      Use native plants and well-adapted introductions, water carefully, mulch bare soil and make wise decisions.

PLANTING

BED PREPARATION - Scrape away existing grass and weeds; add compost, lava sand, organic fertilizer, cornmeal, dry molasses and Flora-Stim and till into the native soil.  Excavation of natural soil and additional ingredients such as concrete sand, peat moss, foreign soil and pine bark should not be used. More compost is needed for food crops, shrubs and flowers than for turf, ground- cover. Add greensand to black and white soils and high-calcium lime to acid soils. Decomposed granite, rock phosphate and zeolite are effective for most all soils.

MAINTENANCE

FERTILIZING - Broadcast organic fertilizer to the entire site 2-3 times per year at 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Foliar feed all plants during the growing season, at least monthly with liquid humate or Garrett Juice Plus. High-nitrogen salt fertilizers and products that contain synthetic material must be eliminated. Bio-solid products should be avoided. Miracle-Gro, Peters, other soluble crystal-type products and Osmocote are not acceptable in an organic program.

MULCHING - Mulch bare soil around all shrubs, trees, ground covers and food crops with shredded native tree trimmings to protect the soil from sunlight, wind and rain, inhibit weed germination, decrease watering needs and mediate soil temperature. Other natural mulches can be used, but avoid Bermuda grass hay because of herbicide residue. Also avoid pine bark, cypress mulch, rubber products and chemically dyed wood products. Do not pile mulch on the stems of plants.                      

WATERING - Water only as needed. The organic program will reduce the frequency and volume of water needed. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water when watering pots. Use 1 ounce of liquid humate in acid soils. Garrett Juice can be used in either case. Be careful of drip irrigation systems because with those systems, it is difficult to avoid dry and water-logged spots. Watering from above with sprinklers is usually best.  It rains from above.

MOWING - Mow turf as needed and mulch clippings into the lawn to return nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Put occasional excess clippings in the compost pile.  Don’t ever let clippings leave the site. Do not use line trimmers around shrubs and trees. Buffalo grass lawns need less care than other grasses.

WEEDING - Hand pull large weeds and work on soil health for overall control. Mulch bare soil in beds.  Avoid all synthetic herbicides including Roundup, 2,4-D, MSMA, pre-emergents, broad-leaf treatments, soil sterilants and especially the SU (sulfonylurea) herbicides such as Manage and Oust.  Spray noxious weeds as needed with vinegar-based or fatty acid herbicides.

PRUNING - Do not “lift” or “gut” trees. Remove dead, diseased and conflicting limbs. Do not over-prune. Do not make flush cuts. Leave the branch collars intact.  Do not paint cuts.  All of this is artificial and hurts trees.

CONTROLLING INSECT PESTS - In general, control insect pests by encouraging beneficial insects and microbes and spraying with Garrett Juice Plus mixture.  Spray minor outbreaks with plant oil products including orange oil, garlic-pepper tea, and essential oils.  Avoid all pyrethrum products, especially those containing piperonyl butoxide (PBO), petroleum distillates and other contaminants. 

CONTROLLING DISEASES - Most diseases such as black spot, brown patch, powdery mildew and other fungal problems are controlled by prevention through soil improvement and avoidance of high nitrogen fertilizers and proper watering.  Outbreaks can be stopped with sprays of potassium bicarbonate, cornmeal juice, diluted milk or the commercial product Bio Wash. Viruses are controlled with 3% hydrogen peroxide. 

SOIL AMENDING - Apply compost, rock materials such as lava sand, granite, basalt or zeolite and dry molasses to all planting area.  Use products that introduce and/or stimulate    beneficial microbes in the soil.

TREATING SICK OR WEAK PLANTS – Drench the root zone with Garrett Juice Plus and New Plant THRIVE.