Gardening - political?

[pinkytoe]

More and more, I think I live in a strange place. On our local Facebook gardening group page, a heated discussion popped up over gardening and landscaping methods. When a poster started talking about what weed killers and fertilizers to buy for the season, another recommended that he try more natural methods. She talked about pollinators, compost, permaculture ideas etc. The offended guy then stated "you must be a Democrat". How ridiculousness our division has become...still scratching my head over this one.

[Teacher Terry]

That’s weird.

[iris lilies]

I have been in the midst of these political discussions for years. The non-science based crowd likes to shun ”harsh chemicals” ut cannot name the harsh chemicals other than the Beast Roundup, of course. they just cry and shake about “cancer.” And when I ask for a list of chemicals not to be used, interest disapates.

I have shared with ya’ll about how one of them poured salt solution all over a patio for 3 years. noxious! I guess that is fine with me since I doubt that ground will ever be farmed in my lifetime, but woe to the gardener who does take it up at some point in the future. Isnt there some bible story about salting the land of the enemy?

Note I did not accuse them of voting the Democratic ticket. But, well. Umm.

.

[bae]

I run one of the most profitable agricultural enterprises in the county.

Our operations are organic, salmon-safe, whale-safe, and half-a-dozen other fancy certifications. (We don't do bio-dynamic farming, because IMO, that is basically homeopathy for dirt.) Some "nasty chemicals" do get used, but it's all within the bounds of what is permitted, and the "nastiness" is actually helpful.

The way we operate increases our yields, reduces our costs, improves the soil, protects the watershed, improves our local ecosystem, and allows for a diversity of other agricultural operations on the land we aren't using for our primary crops. It *also* allows us to nearly triple the price of our product, because PNW hipsters will pay that kind of money to feel good about themselves. Which allows us to pay a living wage to our workers.

I'm pretty much a conservative, this isn't a political issue.

[ToomuchStuff]

I run one of the most profitable agricultural enterprises in the county.

Our operations are organic, salmon-safe, whale-safe, and half-a-dozen other fancy certifications. (We don't do bio-dynamic farming, because IMO, that is basically homeopathy for dirt.) Some "nasty chemicals" do get used, but it's all within the bounds of what is permitted, and the "nastiness" is actually helpful.

The way we operate increases our yields, reduces our costs, improves the soil, protects the watershed, improves our local ecosystem, and allows for a diversity of other agricultural operations on the land we aren't using for our primary crops. It *also* allows us to nearly triple the price of our product, because PNW hipsters will pay that kind of money to feel good about themselves. Which allows us to pay a living wage to our workers.

I'm pretty much a conservative, this isn't a political issue.


Salmon and whale safe, because your on dry land? Did you try for those certs on porpoise?

When it comes to chemical's, much of the issue IMHE is due to people not following the directions (it says use X, well then I will triple that, etc).

[bae]

Salmon and whale safe, because your on dry land? Did you try for those certs on porpoise?


There is a stream at the bottom side of our fields that runs to the sea (we are on a small island), salmon use it, and killing the salmon with runoff through poor farming practices would be bad. Allowing pollutants to run the several miles out to sea, and kill off the eel grass beds there would be horrible too - the small fish that the salmon eat spawn in those eel grass beds.

And the whales here, the driving force behind our economy, eat the salmon.

So, we protect that stream.

[iris lilies]

I run one of the most profitable agricultural enterprises in the county.

Our operations are organic, salmon-safe, whale-safe, and half-a-dozen other fancy certifications. (We don't do bio-dynamic farming, because IMO, that is basically homeopathy for dirt.) Some "nasty chemicals" do get used, but it's all within the bounds of what is permitted, and the "nastiness" is actually helpful.

The way we operate increases our yields, reduces our costs, improves the soil, protects the watershed, improves our local ecosystem, and allows for a diversity of other agricultural operations on the land we aren't using for our primary crops. It *also* allows us to nearly triple the price of our product, because PNW hipsters will pay that kind of money to feel good about themselves. Which allows us to pay a living wage to our workers.

I'm pretty much a conservative, this isn't a political issue.

True conservatives work to, well, conserve. Conserve resources. Reduce, Reuse and recycle. I always liked the term crunchy conservative and there was a poster here who used that as her name. Usually DH and I are mistaken for crunchy conservatives, but we are not. We use “harsh chemicals” when we deem them nexessary.

I do not use most chemicals because I am too cheap. I prefer to amend the soil with compost. Lilies much prefer that, iris are not too picky about soil quality.

I dont generally use chemical fertilizers and last year I won these horticultural competitions:

1) Best in show in the Greater st. louis Iris Society show as well as Sweepstakes winner with 27 blue ribbons, running ip against the former President of the
American Iris Society

2) best in show with a lily over 400 horticultural entries at a regional National Garden
club show

But also, I had a bed of lilies that had been declinging over several years, so I shot them up with Miracle Grow and that made them green. But that is not a long term solution, so I made a nice new bed for them in fresh crumbly compost laced soil.

I will conserve my time by using Roundup on sidewalks and patios when necessary. I will generally not use Roundup in my home flower gardens in normal years, but I use it on big areas.

The leading edge trend around here now is to NOT clean up garden debris in the fall. We are to leave our old, dead, plant material for critters to dine on the seeds and use as shelter. This practice causes much consternation amoung those who consider themselves organic.

These people who do not clean ip their beds are out organic-ing the organic people. I enjoy the politics of this, I must say. It seems like a holier than thou competition.

[pinkytoe]

It is interesting how gardening culture varies from region to region. Back "home" we left leaf litter etc alone during the winter to blanket and nourish the soil during winter. In my gardening volunteer work here, we had to rake up all the leaves around everything in late fall, send those to the composting place and then throw chopped up city tree mulch everywhere instead. Somehow, that doesn't make sense to me. I kind of like the idea of Back to Eden gardening (minus the religious talk) where you mimic the forest floor and leave everything there to decompose slowly. I guess with fussy plants clean is better but I don't even attempt to grow needy stuff.

[Teacher Terry]

In Wisconsin we left the leaves. Here we have to rake them due to AstroTurf.

[razz]

This thread is giving me a chuckle. Gardening becoming political? I prefer to use no chemicals or anything beyond compost and mulch. Does that make me a libertarian or what other option?

[iris lilies]

This thread is giving me a chuckle. Gardening becoming political? I prefer to use no chemicals or anything beyond compost and mulch. Does that make me a libertarian or what other option?
It makes you a crunchy conservative unless you scold and nag your neighbors who may make different choices and then that makes you a scolding nagging person of (probably) liberal persuasion because you want to legislate everything and everyone. If you keep your opinions to yourself then that is cool.

[Alan]

It makes you a crunchy conservative unless you scold and nag your neighbors who may make different choices and then that makes you a scolding nagging person of (probably almost certainly) liberal persuasion because you want to legislate everything and everyone. If you keep your opinions to yourself then that is cool.Fixed it for ya.

[iris lilies]

Fixed it for ya.
I accept that edit.

[catherine]

Well, DH, the Mary Matalin of us, is the Roundup guy, and I, the James Carville, fight with him every year about its use. I usually give in when it comes to doing the cracks n driveways, but not on the patio. I'm the social warrior fighting for the moss and the dandelions and he's all for efficiency, expediency, and growth, so maybe it is a little political.

[razz]

Gardening must be political. I had no idea who Matalin or Carville were so had to look them up. Interesting couple.

[NewGig]

I try to not use anything but compost on my veggie garden every year. Used to use chopped alfalfa for nitrogen,but can’t find it any more. I weed with my hands. I will add organic potting soil, because my veggie garden sits atop about 2’ of sand, our septic field, which leaches out the nutrients about every 3 years.

When we moved in here, a shovel of dirt looked like an angel food cake with chocolate glaze, lots of white sand and very little top soil.

[Tybee]

Independent voter here and just put some compost on the plants and will cover them with hay.

It has already been 38 degrees here three mornings in a row.