Articles

View

According to John: Gardens are for People

John and Bob are huge proponents of gardening and gardens to make our lives better. Historically, no one advocated that sentiment better than well known landscape architect Thomas Church. He is best known for his focus on residential gardens which earned him widespread credit for being the creator of the modern California garden. His influence is felt well beyond California and epitomized by the title of his classic book “Gardens are for People”, which was originally published in 1955 and then reprinted several times after that. His focus on the needs and comfort of people and useful living spaces has been a concept we find inspirational and practical. [caption id="attachment_647" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Stanford University Student Union, design by: Thomas Church"][/caption] In “Gardens are for People,” Church elegantly dedicated an entire chapter to “garden terraces where you will use them.” He explained that the nature of these outdoor rooms should be determined by their use. “If it’s for shelling the peas it should be sheltered from the wind, if it’s for sleeping it should be quiet and if it’s for drinking, it should be level.” Level for drinking, I have found that to be great advice. Gardens that have spaces for the morning paper or coffee, talking to neighbors, waiting for a ride, tasting your home grown fruits and vegetables, special meals, or just restful enjoyment can dramatically improve the scope and use of our gardens. Gardens are for people and we believe the initial focus of garden design should be on making sure our needs for shelter, activity, shade, comfort, beauty, resource and cost conservation, links with nature, and maintenance provisions should be addressed with careful consideration. In doing so, we elevate the value of our gardens, our property and the opportunity for life fulfilling moments.

Read more

According to John: The myth of gypsum to improve your soil

During my travels around the country, visiting retail nurseries, I have been surprised at the lack of products offered that genuinely improve soil. Many times, nursery personnel indicate to me that they recommend and sell gypsum to customers that want a solution for hard, terrible soil. Gypsum is a very soft mineral, composed of hydrated calcium sulfate, often used in drywall and plaster and has, historically, been used as a soil amendment. My friend, radio gardening host John Bagnasco, after being asked on the air about using gypsum to improve soil, asked the caller “Do you like popcorn?” After receiving an affirmative answer he said, “Using gypsum to change your soil is like using a match to pop your popcorn: it will work but it will take about a hundred years.” Actually, John was being charitable; gypsum is generally not appropriate for most urban soils around the country. The one exception is heavy, clay, salty soil and even then, the benefits, when gypsum is used alone, are frustratingly slow. The real miracle workers in changing every kind of problem soil are provided by nature; these are the beneficial soil microbes of all kinds. Favorable bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes can change soil more effectively, efficiently and permanently than any other system. However, nature’s miracle workers are sensitive to damage by synthetic fertilizers and most garden chemicals. That is why many of our soils never get better, year after year. They remain hard, sandy, alkaline or acidic and lifeless. Traditional gardening techniques damage soil life with salty fertilizer and destructive fungicides and other chemicals. Some amendments, like gypsum, are ineffective and take too long to have any positive impact. My best recommendation is to build your soil life with organic amendments that feed plants and the soil. Good quality compost is full of beneficial soil life along with food and attractants for microbes. Our John & Bob’s GrowGreen System mimics the ingredients and benefits of high quality compost with a lot less work. John & Bob’s OPTIMIZE, PENETRATE, MAXIMIZE and NOURISH work together in a simple, effective, economical and comprehensive way to fundamentally improve problem soil. If you don’t want to wait a hundred years for productive soil, focus on infusing your soil with beneficial microbes, food for microbes and attractants for microbes. High quality compost and compost-based additives work much better than gypsum and should begin to produce soil improvement within two months. Improvements will be ongoing and cumulative as long as lively amendments continue to be added. Life in our soil is a natural phenomenon and an incredible ally as we work to be productive, healthy gardeners.

Read more

How can I eradicate harmful nematodes and wire worms?

Question: I am having a hard time with nematodes and wire worms in my mother’s garden. I have heard so many home remedies, including; cover with black plastic for a full growing season, plant cereal grasses, plant marigolds, will your product work on nematodes? Stan Answer: Stan, Yours is an interesting question which I discuss frequently because it illustrates the significance and uniqueness of our entire line of products. You mention a lot of natural remedies that don't work; what's worse is a long history of toxic chemicals that don't work. Many gardeners that have destructive nematodes end up stopping gardening because of a lack of solutions. The best, most permanent and simplest way to eradicate bad nematodes is with good nematodes which are way stronger than bad nematodes. Good nematodes are part of healthy biologic life in soil and they require healthy amounts of beneficial bacteria, fungi and protozoa, as a food source, to be present in the soil. Our system is all about building complex, beneficial life in the soil. Traditional chemical fertilizers and many pesticides/fungicides damage life in the soil and that life that is your only hope for building up a good population of beneficial nematodes which will get rid of your bad nematodes. All of our products are important to build life in your soil-OPTIMIZE, MAXIMIZE, PENETRATE, and NOURISH Biosol. We have some scientific tests on our website that were done using the NOURISH-Biosol specifically to eradicate bad nematodes. The product is referred to in the test as mycelium from bacteria and fungi, which is what the NOURISH-Biosol is made from. My recommendation is to use our products regularly with an emphasis on the NOURISH-Biosol and use good quality compost as a top dressing. Refrain from using synthetic products that damage microbial soil life. You won't eradicate the problem in a week or two, but with repeat applications every 4-6 months, you should see steady progress and eradication after 2-3 years. Thank You for your interest! Best, John

Read more

How can I fix my brown, patchy lawn?

Question: Since the heat of the summer started up this month in Arizona, we have had problems with big brown and dried out patches in our lawn, with other parts of the lawn being green. We have applied the same amount of water we always have and part of the lawn looks dead. Would the John and Bob's Soil Optimizer help restore the brown, dead looking patches of my lawn? Teresa Answer: Teresa, It depends on the cause of the big brown spots. Frequently, cool season grass (fescue, bluegrass, rye grass, etc) in warm climates like yours are subject to fungal disease that matches your description of your problem. The best way to prevent and defeat these fungal diseases is by building the beneficial fungi and other microbiological life in your soil. This is the focus of our products---not only OPTIMIZE, but MAXIMIZE, PENETRATE and NOURISH Biosol will build your soil with beneficial microbes that are way stronger than the weaker bad fungi that cause turf disease. John & Bob's GrowGreen Smart Soil Solutions will improve everything about your soil and allow your plants and lawn to be pest and disease-free because those little soil microbes are nature's mechanism to prevent pest and disease. Unfortunately, traditional synthetic fertilizers damage nature's mechanism (beneficial soil micro-biology) for preventing fungal disease, aphid, rust and every other pest and disease that plague home gardeners. The other possible cause of the brown spots is poor irrigation coverage. John

Read more

How can I get rid of lawn pests?

Question: Every time we walk on the lawn so many bugs raise up out of the lawn. We’d like to know if there is an organic approach to control of these pests which are also damaging the lawn. Answer:Mary, Whitefly is fairly easily controlled by building the microbial life in your soil. It is not well understood that all pests and disease can be prevented or defeated by mechanisms of nature. The natural mechanism for whitefly and almost every other pest and disease is life in your soil (beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, etc.). That is exactly what our GrowGreen System will do for your soil and your turf. Thank you for your interest! John

Read more

How can I repair my alkaline soil?

Question: My soil is really alkaline -- too much so, my plants turn yellow. What product or products do you suggest to adjust the PH? Lisa Answer: Lisa, The best way to dramatically and permanently lower ph is with complex microbial soil life-- beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa and good nematodes. John & Bob's GrowGreen Smart Soil Solution Kit called Nature's Gardening Kit has OPTIMIZE-Soil Optimizer, MAXIMIZE-Microbes & Minerals, PENETRATE-Liquid Biotiller, and NOURISH Biosol and using all four is the best approach. If your ph is 8.5 or less, then you can apply them all at once. If it is more than 8.5, then you should apply the OPTIMIZE and NOURISH Biosol only and leach your soil to lower the ph a little. The reason is the live organisms in the other two products will die if they are place into extremely salty soil. This treatment will be very effective and then continue applications every 6 months. John

Read more

How can I restore my poorly-drained soil?

Question: I have heavy sticky clay soil here in Williamsburg, VA and my yard has standing water for several days after a rain and then soft muddy areas. Will your product quickly assist in drainage and can it be applied at any time of year? Thanks, Rick Answer: Rick, Our products will go to work immediately and start improving everything about your soil (tilth, porosity, workability, moisture retention, etc.). Our universal formula that works on all soils everywhere involves the use of soil microbes, attractants for microbes and food for microbes. Complex soil life is the fastest, most permanent and most convenient way to fundamentally change your soil. You ask if we can improve your soil "quickly" and that depends on your definition of "quickly." There will be gradual, steady improvement with our recommended every 6 month applications. You will see minor improvement after 2 months and then the changes continue as long as you apply every 6 months. After 1 year the changes should be more than minor, particularly regarding water penetration and plant health. I think you will be impressed, but it is not magic---it is gradual and takes a little time. Thank you for your interest! John

Read more

How can I suppress my weeds?

Question:Do you have a lawn product to suppress weeds? Thanks, John. Answer: John, get the lawn as healthy as possible w/ the proper soil composition; this does a great job of weed suppression. I recommend our OPTIMIZE, MAXIMIZE and Biosol NOURISH. There has been very interesting research indicating the proper relationship between calcium and magnesium (6 to 1) is the key to naturally suppressing weeds in turf. Our products are formulated to achieve that 6 to 1 ratio. Thank you, John

Read more

How do we apply your product?

Question: Hi - just got our stuff. Is there a chart or instructions on what to put down first, 2nd, etc -- the play book for the lifeless soil would be really helpful. Thanks, Christie. Answer: Christie, You can apply products in any order and at any interval. It's great to apply all at the same time, but if you want to wait in between applying each product, that's fine too. It is OK to mix all the granular products (OPTIMIZE, NOURISH Biosol, MAXIMIZE) together and apply all at once. If you do this, you need to apply all that you mix, it can only be stored if the products are kept separate, just as they came from us. My preference would be to apply all the dry products first and then apply the PENETRATE last. After you apply the PENETRATE don't disturb the soil for several days. But that isn't essential, just a slight preference on my part. Thank You, John

Read more

How long will it take to repair my clay soil?

Question: I have a clay soil (So Cal.) and want to know how many applications typically does it takes to penetrate to a depth of one foot and achieve a noticeable softening? Jeff Answer: Jeff, I would use the PENETRATE and MAXIMIZE and NOURISH with it for fastest and best results. I seem to get changes in layers about 3" at a time and those incremental changes occur about every 6-12 months. Make sure you are growing something in the area also. Plant growth is an important part of changing the soil. John

Read more

Is John and Bob's good for my cirtus?

Question: Do your products contain all the minerals necessary to successfully grow citrus trees? Thanks, James. Answer: James, Our products produce great results on citrus. Our approach is a little different in that the John & Bob's system does have significant amounts of minerals which positively impact plant performance, but even more important is that the minerals feed complex microbiological life in the soil which will benefit citrus in every way----max. sugar content and abundance of fruit, resistance to pests and disease, minimize watering, etc. John

Read more

What’s in your products?

Question: What’s in your products? Specifically, I know that the run-off on nitrogen and phosphate is bad for water. I really want to get my lawn looking better. I don't care about the typical beautiful lawn, because that takes too much water and I won't use products that are not environmentally friendly but, I need fertilizer. My soil is hard from lack of rain. I have sand at the sides of my house but the rest of the lawn is hard. I live in Norman, OK, if that tells you anything. Coleen Answer: Coleen, Our concept is we use nature's mechanism (beneficial soil microbes) for building soil that can create its own nutrients and can prevent or defeat every pest and disease. Its soil microbes that will grab and use natural nitrogen and phosphorous and potassium and not allow it to be leached through the soil. All the products are concentrated and convenient and contain the effective components of very high quality compost, which include either beneficial soil microbes, food for microbes or attractants for microbes. Our plant based organic fertilizer is unique in its source and effectiveness---it not only feeds plants as effectively as a synthetic, but is great at building the soil. I think you'd be impressed with the improvements in your Oklahoma soil when our soil improvement program is used. Thanks for your interest! John

Read more

Will this work for my roses and lawn?

Question: Please let me know what I can use on my roses for fertilizer and soil conditioner and I do not see how to order grass fertilizer. Thank you, Joan. Answer: Joan, A fantastic combination for roses is OPTIMIZE-Soil Optimizer, MAXIMIZE-Microbes & Minerals, and NOURISH-Biosol--you'll be amazed by the results. We use out NOURISH-Biosol organic fertilizer for lawn and for vegetables and trees, plants, etc. It is the best fertilizer I have ever used and it not only will feed your grass, but it builds the soil in amazing ways at the same time. Best Regards, John

Read more

Will your products work on my pine trees?

Question: I live on 4.5 acres of clay land. We have 205 pine trees (various types) as well as about 100 different types of hardwoods (birch, maples, etc.). What do you have available to fertilize our pine trees. Currently we use fertilize stakes which are very hard to get into our clay soil. Katrina Answer: Katrina, We have an organic fertilizer that will feed your trees and your soil. It is made from the mycelium (bloom) of beneficial, cultured fungi and bacteria. It's very unique and tremendously effective--the best organic fertilizer I've ever used and it is called NOURISH Biosol. I recommend about 1-2 cups per tree-- just broadcast over the top of the root zone with no chance of burning. You don't mention if there are any pest, disease, or vitality issues with the trees. If they are all healthy, then the organic fertilizer would be sufficient, if not, then you should consider also applying our OPTIMIZE-Soil Optimizer and our MAXIMIZE-Microbes & Minerals. If you have further questions, please let me know. Thank you, John

Read more