Archive for March, 2010

All Birdhouses Are Safe Aren’t They?

If you’re reading this you care about birds. You want to attract them to your yard. You want them to raise a family or two there and you want to hear their lively calls and antics at the feeder or the birdbath. You’re probably shopping for a birdhouse and you’re confused at which one to buy because there’s just so many on the web. Fancy ones, plain ones, high priced ones, and cheap ones. They all do the same job right? Just pick one and put it up and enjoy the birds. If you do that and don’t look a bit deeper into just what went into the birdhouse you’ve selected you may just be dooming the very birds you want to enjoy.

“Silent Spring” was published in 1962. If you’re a bird lover you probably know about it and know that it’s been credited with starting the modern environmental movement. It was a book that was vilified by the chemical industry and some scientists alike. What we now know with 20/20 hindsight is that some birds were severely affected by DDT when it was used as a crop pesticide. The eggshells of eagles, ospreys, and falcons were found to get very thin when the birds were in contact with DDT. Nesting parents actually crushed their eggs because they could not stand the weight of the parent the shells were so thin. This is great history but does it have anything to do with the birdhouse you want to purchase? You bet!

If you’re looking for a birdhouse, once you’ve made your choice ask yourself one important question. Does the birdhouse contain any paint, preservative chemicals or adhesives in its construction? Remember, your birdhouse will be in the summer heat, maybe even direct sun. If the birdhouse is treated chemically or even painted this can release fumes into the home. It’s a small confined space inside your birdhouse and the birds will be breathing these fumes constantly. Ever been in a room where new carpeting was just installed? You want your birds living in a similar environment?

I was amazed when I read this fact sheet titled, “INORGANIC ARSENICAL PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD (including CCA, ACA, and ACZA)“. Read it for yourself. It’s only a year old. These are common wood preservatives and may be in the birdhouse you’re about to purchase. Is this the environment you want young developing birds living and growing in? It’s not what I want for birds in my backyard.

So you’ve found the house you want and you’re sure it contains no chemicals paints or adhesives. Your birds will love it. Probably. But please consider one more thing before you make your purchase. Was the home built in the US where we have environmental protection laws or was it built in another country where the laws are much more lax or even missing? Was the wood harvested as a renewable resource with replacement plantings or was an area clear cut and the wood in your birdhouse used because there was no other profitable way to use it? You want to provide a safe home for the birds in your yard. Please make a purchase with the environment in mind as well.

Worried about chemicals used in your birdhouse? Shop at Wolf Mountain Birdhouses where you can find a chemical free birdhouse for the specific bird you want to attract to your yard.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 29 2010 | Landscaping | No Comments »

The Very Useful Fungus For The Plants

One essential overlooked by aspiring growers is the need for a certain fungus which grows on the roots of these plants. This organism, called mycorrhiza, lives on the roots of all the plants I have mentioned, in a symbiotic relationship. This means that the fungus is not a parasite, but contributes to the welfare of the host plant, and in turn is sheltered and fed by it.

Just how they feed the plant is not clearly understood. We know that an azalea grown from seed in sphagnum moss produces root hairs like other plants. When transplanted to soil it loses these root hairs. Experts believe that the inycorrhizae function as root hairs and help dissolve soil chemicals so they can be used by the host.

An even more obscure phase of acid soil plant nutrition is their need for hormones from outside the plant itself. Most broad-leaved evergreens belong to what is known as the forest floor group. That is, they live in light shade on forest floors. There is considerable evidence that such plants do not manufacture enough of their own hormones for normal growth. I suspect they extract these from decaying plant material that originated in sunshine. Certainly, the use of hormone compounds like Transplantonc produces a much greater response in plants of this group than in plants growing in full sun.

Since fungi survive only in the presence of abundant organic matter, we know that one way to insure survival is to mix in at least 25 per cent humus, peat, compost, etc., when making the bed.

To wrap up the culture of acid soil plants in a single, oversimplified statement, we might say that it is largely the culture of mycorrhizae. What is good for the fungus is good for the plant. True, we find wild plants in nature growing under conditions which favor mycorrhizal activity. Practically all of them have rather shallow roots covered with a mulch of fallen leaves, and grow in sections where high humidity and mist keep the soil constantly moist, yet where drainage is so sharp that moisture never stands.

Knowing more helps you make better decisions, like on the topic of care of peace lily plant. Visit us at http://www.plant-care.com/drooping-peace-lily-spathiphyllum.html.

Tags: , , ,

March 25 2010 | Gardening | No Comments »

Next »