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"Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, waterbugs, tadpoles, frogs & turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, hickory nuts, trees to climb, animals to pet, hayfields, pine cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets – and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of his education." -Luther Burbank 1849 - 1926

Articles about natural and organic living options with sustainable lawn care, organic gardening, organic foods, organic farming and healthy homes for babies, kids and adults.

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Solutions For Green We also publish California Green Solutions and a series of blogs about solutions.

NOTE: If you sell green or sustainable products please send information about your products and your URL to Carolyn for story consideration. We love to tell our readers about helpful organic, energy saving and eco-friendly solutions. Carolyn (at) SolutionsForGreen.com

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california native plants are poppies for wildflowers and native plant ecosystem

organic foods, organic landscaping, organic farming and organic products for babies, kids and adults.

Earthworms Suppress Plant Diseases & Support Quality Vegetable Production

by Carolyn Allen Earthworms are a solution -- not an incidental extra in the web of life. Your solutions can be putting earthworms to work for you not only in your garden, but in your yard, your flower beds, and in agriculture.

Sustainable farmers have understood for years that the density of earthworms is one of the most reliable indicators of soil health, but they have not known why.

Earthworm Research Shows Suppression of Pathogens

Research at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has provided compelling evidence that the humble earthworm plays a significant role in suppressing several common soil-borne plant pathogens.

Earthworm densities have been regarded as reliable indicators of soil health, but their role in suppression of plant disease has not received much attention.

Earthworms in Greenhouses

A greenhouse study was carried out with asparagus, eggplant, and tomatoes grown in pots infected with common Fusarium and Verticillium species known to cause serious plant diseases in these crops. In the pots that also contained earthworms, plant weights increased 60% to 80%, and estimates of disease severity declined 50% to 70%.

In general, plant weights were increased 60 to 80% and estimates of disease were reduced 50 to 70% when soils were augmented with earthworms.

The author speculates that the disease-suppressive benefits of earthworms are brought about by their impact on soil microbiological activity, and that “…strategies to increase earthworm densities in soil should suppress soilborne diseases.”

Source: Wade H. Elmer, “Influence of Earthworm Activity on Soil Microbes and Soilborne Diseases of Vegetables,” Plant Disease, Vol. 93: 175-179, February 2009

NOTE to my readers: We provide resource links to help you protect and nurture your natural resources. Tip: when you contact suppliers in person, online, by phone or email...please ask them about alternatives that are sustainable, green, or habitat-healthy. By asking, we advocate for better protection of our natural resources. Thank you, Carolyn.

If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed;
if in terms of ten years, plant trees;
if in terms of 100 years, teach the people."
- Confucius

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Backyard landscaping ideas, organic farming, backyard landscaping ideas, free landscaping ideas, and pine trees with pinecones and wooded and natural area wildlife

PS: The nature drawings are by Carolyn, our editor. "Enjoy!"

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Options for healthful living with organic foods, organic landscaping, organic farming and organic products for babies, kids and adults.
Published by California Green Solutions