Organic Fertilizer Recipe:

4 parts seedmeal or fishmeal, 1 part lime or dolomite, 1 part rock phosphate or ½ part bonemeal. Mix in a large bucket. Mix well. Avoid breathing in the dust. This can be placed directly beneath seeds or seedlings. The best time to fertilize is in the fall, preferably in November.

Non-toxic Fungicide Recipe:

For powdery mildew on roses, use 1 teaspoon baking soda, a few drops of dishwashing liquid and 1 quart of water. Apply weekly to roses as leaves are emerging in spring. Also, destroy any diseased leaves that fall off and keep stems free of leaves to one foot above the ground. This really works!

Compost

Composting can reduce by half the volume of material sent to landfills. Food and yard scraps placed in a special bin break down in a few weeks into a beneficial garden soil. It's easy and your garden and houseplants will love it.

You can turn kitchen wastes into rich compost.

Newspapers

Chop newspapers with a lawnmower or shredder and add to the compost. Spread it as a mulch to smother weeds. Use as an insulation in a cold frame in times of frost.