1. Are the plants or seeds I am buying organic?
   Typically garden centers will clearly identify which plant materials and seeds are organic. Organically grown plants are identified with a USDA Organic seal of approval on their tag. Organic seeds usually have both the USDA seal of approval and the name of the certification agency. Typically only vegetables and herbs are offered as organically certified plants. Organic seeds should be quite readily available at the garden center and via mail order or the internet.
   
   If you plan to start your seeds indoors before you plant them in the garden, it is good to start out with a potting soil designed for starting seeds. Black Gold® Seedling Mix is an OMRI Listed mix ideal for starting an organic garden right. The seedling mix combines fine perlite with a fine grade of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss to create an ideal environment for starting seeds organically. Once the seedlings are transplanted into individual pots you can begin using an organic fertilizer.
   
   Sometimes you are not able to find organic plants. When this happens it is best to buy traditionally grown plants that look healthy, have no spray residue (often a white tint on the foliage) and do not visibly have a controlled release fertilizer (typically yellow, green or tan balls the size of a pepper corn; do not mistake perlite (white and soft), pumice (white and hard) or rice hulls (tan and pliable) for the fertilizer balls) in the growing media. If you are planting with a non-organic plant, you should try to minimize the amount of soil used you transfer when you transplant the plant, this only applies if there is loose soil in the pot. Sun Gro®, the manufacturer of Black Gold®, is the largest producer of OMRI Listed mixes for professional greenhouse growers.
   
   
2. Where am I going to grow my organic garden?
   If you intend to plant an organic garden in garden soil, then you need to think about the garden’s history. Have you used chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or other traditional chemical gardening practices in this garden location? If so, you need to make a decision on whether this is the best location for your organic garden, or if another location might be better. Organic farmers have to purge their soil of chemical inputs before they can produce certified organic products. You will likewise need to go through the same process, by adjusting your garden practices in your new organic garden from that day forward. Primarily that means you need to use only OMRI Listed and natural & organic products in your developing organic garden. A great way to enrich your garden soil is with a selection of Black Gold® amendments. Black Gold® Garden Compost is OMRI Listed and is a great choice for acidic to neutral garden soils. Black Gold® Peat Moss and Black Gold® Peat Moss Plus are also OMRI Listed and are top choices when gardeners desire a soil amendment for a neutral to alkaline soil.
   
   Other natural and organic garden amendment choices in the Black Gold® product line include Black Gold® Planting Mix and Black Gold® Soil Conditioner. The planting mix works well in a wide variety of gardens and the soil conditioner is wonderful in breaking up clay soil and adding organic matter to sandy soils. But the one secret ingredient you don’t want to go without is Black Gold® Worm Castings. These OMRI Listed wonders increase microbial activity of the soil, making minerals and nutrients more available to plants. For information on how much of the garden amendments you need to incorporate in the soil, head to the amendment calculator at www.blackgold.bz.
   
   
3. What kind of fertilizer should I use?
   In addition to adding a garden amendment to your garden soil, it is also important to incorporate a natural and organic fertilizer. Black Gold® Natural & Organic fertilizers come in a variety of formulations to fit the specific type of plants you have in your garden. It is important to understand that organic fertilizers do not react in the same way as traditional chemical fertilizers. Other than Black Gold® Blood Meal, most meal or pellet-based organic fertilizers are naturally slow-release. This means that if you want to give new transplants a boost you should consider using a liquid fish-based fertilizer. It is important to remember that for new planting you should incorporate the garden amendment and fertilizer at a six inch depth, or into soil you removed for transplanting into an existing planting. For more specific details please refer to the back label of your Black Gold® fertilizer box.
   
   
4. Do I want to container garden organically?
   If you intend to container garden, organic gardening can be a lot easier. If you intend to reuse a container you have previously used, you will need to wash it just like you would hand wash a cooking dish with natural and organic soap and water, and then soaked in a ten percent bleach solution for an hour, then rinse. After your container is ready to plant, you will need to decide which Black Gold® OMRI Listed potting soils you plan to use. Black Gold® Natural & Organic is an all purpose organic potting soil. The mix works well with indoor containers (including houseplants), outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Black Gold® Waterhold Cocoblend was specifically designed for containers that have a higher potential to dry out due to increased exposure to sun and wind. The secret to Black Gold® Waterhold Cocoblend is that we combine peat moss and coconut coir pith to give the potting soil an increased ability to retain moisture. After planting (you can follow the directions outlined in question 2) you will need to use a Black Gold® fertilizer to keep your plant healthy and productive. Refer to the instructions on the back of your Black Gold® fertilizer box for details on how much and how often to apply the fertilizer to your container or basket.
   
   
5. What is the organic way to deal with pests?
   The best way to avoid insects and disease problems with your garden is to grow resistant or tolerant varieties. That option is not always possible. The next best option is to mechanically control the pest problem (spray with water; physically remove the caterpillar, etc.); but once again that option is not always possible. The last option is to use an OMRI Listed product to control your pests or disease problem. It is important to follow the directions outlined on the product. If your problem cannot be solved by the above options, it might be best to just remove the infected plant.
   
   We hope this article will help you in your efforts to create an organic garden at your home. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask us  or participate in the Black Gold® blog.

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