It hardly seems possible, but some of the roses here in Portland, Oregon (aka the City of Roses) are already starting to leaf out…and it’s only February! With spring right around the corner, the Portland Rose Society is holding free pruning events to answer questions about growing beautiful, healthy blooms and to demonstrate proper pruning…
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It’s great to see how composting is trending on social media. Suddenly, compost is “cool” again. (Figuratively, that is. Learn how to turn up the heat on your compost pile by reading our previous blog post, “Bring On the Heat: Why Volcanic Basalt is a Composter’s Best Friend.”) However, no amount of organic compost will…
We take it for granted that the fresh produce we buy in the grocery store is going to be good for us—but it might surprise us to find out that it is NOT all that it is cracked up to be. (Of course, fresh produce will ALWAYS be better for our health than the processed…
As proficient as plants are, they can’t make the minerals that are essential to human health and nutrition. And while compost is pretty cool, no amount of organic matter can make up for mineral deficiencies in the soil. Minerals that are missing from the soil are minerals that are missing from the fruits and vegetables…
Why remineralize? Here are 15 good reasons to remineralize the soil: Provides micronutrients (trace elements) that are essential to plant health Is fast acting and long lasting, available to plant roots when they need them Regenerates soil while feeding beneficial soil microbes Contributes to increased growth and vigor of all plants Leads to more nutritious fruits…
Here in Oregon, we are blessed with an abundance of natural beauty both large and small. Take the giant, Miocene-era blocks of volcanic basalt that make up much of the Western Cascades and serve as the source of our all-natural Remineralizing Soil Booster. In a more urban setting, the Lan Su Chinese Garden in downtown…
Happy New Year! Did you resolve to lose weight by eating less? If yes, you are not alone. Eating less food (and making healthier food choices) is one of the top resolutions that people make year after year. Maybe you resolved to feed your pets less, too. According to veterinarians, more than half of the…
The weather is cold and blustery, which means that soup season is officially here. Nothing beats a bowl of hot soup to feed the stomach and nourish the soul—except perhaps a loaf of hearty, home-baked bread. Sure, bread gets a lot of bad press these days (too many carbohydrates! too much sugar!) … but there…
As one year winds down, we begin to think about the year that lies ahead—and how we can make things better. If you are like many people, your New Year’s resolutions may include a promise to start eating healthier. After all, it is one of the most popular resolutions year after year. For many, this means eating less…
At its most basic, hydroponic gardening refers to the practice of growing plants without soil. Given the massive degradation of our earth’s soils over the past century (which requires ever-increasing amounts of fertilizer to produce even moderate yields), it’s not surprising that more and more growers are turning to hydroponics to produce the crops that…