Organic Gardening and Organic Fertilizers are Safe if Used Correctly
By Laura Fox With the recent scare to the nations spinach crop one must take the proper precautions to avoid infection from E. coli when using manure as a fertilizer. There is no reason to sacrifice the health benefits of organic gardening if one adheres to the correct procedures. Root crops and leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce are most susceptible to E. coli infection when manure is applied directly to the soil. Because of this, manure should never be applied directly to a garden. Only composted manure should be applied for organic gardening and farming benefits. While it may be easier to use un-composted manure, the extra effort to compost it outweighs the serious health risks associated with raw manure. If you choose to use manure in your compost you must ensure you do it correctly or you will run the risk of infection. The compost must be mixed regularly to be sure there is proper aeration to the pile and so that the entire heap has reached the required temperature. The temperature must reach at least 140 F during two five day heating cycles. A thermometer must be used to properly measure the temperature, do not estimate. The compost must be mixed between cycles. The compost should be allowed to sit for a few months before it is applied to your garden. Waiting this extra period of time will allow the beneficial bacteria to effectively kill any harmful bacterial. Never use dog, pig, or cat manure as they may have parasites that can remain infectious to people. Because commercially processed manure reaches much higher composting temperatures than homemade compost, it is considerably safer to use. Therefore it should be considered a best practice to make your home composts without manure. If you feel the need to add manure to your garden, commercially processed manure is the safest bet. When you are adding composted manure to the garden, it is best to mix it into the soil before you plant and not leave it on the surface. This way the manure will not have direct contact with the plants leaves. It is recommended that you apply composted manure at least 120 days before any crop harvest. While manure certainly can help your garden grow, the proper precautions must always be adhered to. After all manure is animal waste, so caution is needed. To get started with organic vegetable gardening, and enjoy the all of organic gardenings health benefits Laura Fox has provided a free report at her site http://www.organicgardeningmagic.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Fox http://EzineArticles.com/?Organic-Gardening-and-Organic-Fertilizers-are-Safe-if-Used-Correctly&id=320780 canadian online pharmacy valium order diazepam confirmation e-mail pax shopping valium buy valium in the uk buy valium online
