Question
Hey Charlotte,

I've read your post and am quite intrigued.  Can you elaborat a little more on organic fertalizers?  What to look for and possibly where to find it?  

Answer
Hi Rob;
If you live in Texas, check to see if you have a Calloways nursery near you. They have a good line of organics.
Most nurseries, and especially the larger ones carry more organic products now that so many people are going to organics.
I read a Miracle Gro advertisement yesterday, and they have organic potting soil, and orgnic fertilizers now.
I bought a bag of organic fertilizer a couple of years ago, but haven't used it yet.
I put sugar every spring and fall, and so far, there is no need for a fertilizer. My grass is thick and dark green.
You can go to a feed store and buy alfalfa meal.
That adds a lot of nutrients to the soil.
You can either make a tea and pour it on the ground or foilage feed with it in a sprayer, or you can add the alfalfa mean to soil you are putting down or in your containers, or just throw it on top of the soil and water it in.
It doesn't take a lot.
I bought a 40 pound bag, and have made tea several times for my container plants, and threw it on the grass, and I haven't used it all yet. It is cheaper than I thought it would be.
I have treated about 4500 sq.ft with it thrown down , and made tea twice. Still have at least 1/3th of it left.
To make the tea, you add 1 cup alfalfa meal to 5 gallons water, let it set overnight, stir it well, and if you are going to use it in a sprayer, drain it through cheesecloth first, to get out the oarticles that can clog your dsprayer.
I pour about 1 qt of the tea on the soil in my larger potted plants, about 14 to 17 inch pots, and a pint of it on smaller pots of house plants.
Alfalfa tea is good for flowering plants. It makes them produce more and larger blooms.
Of course it add nutrients for any plant, whether or not it blooms.
I can't tell you anything about spreader settings, because I haven't used one in over 40 years.
I could never get a good, even coverage with them, and I got tired pushing it around.
Broadcasting by hand, I can see exactly where I have gone, and get a good even application, so even when I used chemical fertilizers, I just wore rubber gloves, and broadcast it by hand.
I haven't put anything on my lawn for 8 years, except sugar. 1 pound per 250 sq.ft. and water it in well. I do it when spring feeding and fall feedings are done, but you can put it on anytime. No matter how much you put, it won't burn the grass like chemicals will.
some say put molasses in water and spray it on, some say beer.
All those things are good, because of the sugar in them.
You can use dry molasses, but the sugar works better, I think, is easier to use, and I just pick it up when I grocery shop.
I use only
Imperial brand sugar on my table and in cooking, but i buy the cheapest brand they have for the lawn.
Dem lil microbes aren't gourmets. LOL
Grow some rosemary, basil, and lavender for insect repellant in the house.
a 1 inch piece of rosemary on each pantry and cabinet shelf, one about 3 inches long under each appliance. You can toss a little in the corners of closets if you want. that will chase any roaches in your house out, and keep anymore from coming in.
Basil helps with some insects, fleas, etc.
I am just learning about which ones basil keeps out. I grow it as well as other herbs for cooking.
Labender helps keep houseflies out, as well as some other insects. I use lavender oil to make bath salts and carpet dust.
Put Epsom Salts in a bowl, add whatever scent you want ( I use my chloe' cologne to make matching bath salts), use food coloring, tose little liquid ones you buy in seta at the grocery store in the spice dept, to color the salts like the scent you are using.
A few drops will do it.
Lavender for instance, put about 2 quarts Epsom Salts, about 1/2 teaspoon full of lavender oil ( get it at health food stores), a few drops of the colors to make it lavender color, and mix it well. I mix it all in a big jar, and shake the begeebers out of it, till the color and oil is well blended. Then put it in pretty bottles or jars, and set them on my vanity. I search garage sales for pretty jars with lids, and decanters, with stoppers.
Make some for your wife, and surprise her.
For carpet dust, put the Epsom Salts in a blender or food processor, and whirr it until it is very fine, so it won't cut the carpet fibers, then scent it, and keep it in a glass container.
Make the epsom Salts finer first, before you put in the scent. If you put in the scent when you put it in the food processor or blender, unless the container is glass, you will have to wash it many times to get the scent out of the pklastic, and it will flavor anything you put in there, as long as the scent is in there.
You want to store the bath salts or carpet dust in glass containers, as plastic zip lock bags allows the scent to evaporate in a few days.
The scent of lavender also helps you relax at bedtime, and get a better night's rest.
A couple drops of lavender oil, rubben between your hands and rubbed on a stuffed toy, will put a fussy baby to sleep in a jiff.

Can't think of anything else right now. Write me any questions you have.
I just love sharing the organic things I learn.
Charlotte