Organic Gardening

Steven Wynbrandt sticks his hand deep beneath the layers of straw that blanket his enormous compost heap and pulls out a fistful of black gold, sweet and earthy. “Look at this soil,” Wynbrandt says with excitement as his fingers open, revealing his secret recipe for compost: decomposed dairy cow manure, alfalfa, yarrow, camomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian flowers. “I'm an alchemist.” PHOTOS: The Wynbrandt backyard As further proof that compost is to gardening these days what grass-fed beef and gluten-free gourmet foods are to the world of food, the Wynbrandt compost heap photographed by the Los Angeles Times would later sell through word of mouth for $1 a pound.

In my Spreecast with organic gardener Christy Wilhelmi, author of the new book "Gardening for Geeks," I learned a lot: that white mildew can be treated with lactic acid, that you should never buy tall vegetable seedlings at the nursery and that volunteer tomatoes -- the ones that sprout up unplanned, perhaps from last year's fallen fruit -- are better than anything you plant intentionally. In other words, she shared a few things not detailed in "Gardening for Geeks," which carries the breath-defying subtitle, "DIY Tests, Gadgets and Techniques That Utilize Microbiology, Mathematics and Ecology to Exponentially Maximize the Yield of Your Garden.

In my Spreecast with organic gardener Christy Wilhelmi, author of the new book "Gardening for Geeks," I learned a lot: that white mildew can be treated with lactic acid, that you should never buy tall vegetable seedlings at the nursery and that volunteer tomatoes -- the ones that sprout up unplanned, perhaps from last year's fallen fruit -- are better than anything you plant intentionally. In other words, she shared a few things not detailed in "Gardening for Geeks," which carries the breath-defying subtitle, "DIY Tests, Gadgets and Techniques That Utilize Microbiology, Mathematics and Ecology to Exponentially Maximize the Yield of Your Garden.

Despite its irreverent title, there's much sense to Christy Wilhelmi's charming new book, "Gardening for Geeks: DIY Tests, Gadgets and Techniques That Utilize Microbiology, Mathematics and Ecology to Exponentially Maximize the Yield of Your Garden. " As someone who grows most of her own food, Wilhelmi knows that aphids will attack your Swiss chard. Or that beloved pets will dig up your veggies -- by the roots. And because some of us buy plant packs, not heirloom seeds, she can give advice on how to pick the best ones.

Dr. Carrie Teasdale follows a time-honored gardening tradition: She doesn't plant vegetables until blue jays and other migratory birds come home. "That gives me the signal," said Teasdale, 40, president of the newly formed California Organic Club, which is based in Fullerton and has 90 members. What's more, the vegetables and fruit she grows by that method may have cured her allergies, Teasdale said. "I don't have allergies anymore," said the semi-retired Fullerton family-practice physician who plants and cares for her own organic garden.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Organic Gardening did what specialty magazines often do to mark an anniversary. It commissioned a study. Called "Gardening in America," the survey, conducted last year by National Family Opinion Research, concluded that more than half (54%) of America's estimated 60.5 million outdoor gardeners plan to garden organically or minimize their use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the next year.

Vegetables are those ubiquitous objects that conjure up a wide variety of thoughts and emotions--from the dread of children to adults' hope for a fountain of youth or a cure for their ailments. They have been a motivation for genetic research and a boon to the petrochemical industry. They are the inspiration of cartoon characters such as Popeye.

Today, Earthwatch has two lifestyle ideas for the environmentally minded. One is for the indoor-type of environmentalist, the other for the outdoor-type. Reese Martin, a Ventura resident who works for The Gas Co., keeps up with environmental business news via his computer at his office in Oxnard.

1. Most insects are bad news and should be eliminated from the garden in order to preserve plant health. 2. Organic gardening can be less expensive than going the chemical route. 3. When a food package reads "certified organically grown," you can be assured that the food was grown organically. 4. Organic pesticides are all natural and therefore nontoxic and completely safe. 5.

Natural gardening is taking root in Southern California. Described by one advocate as "simply using what might naturally occur in the garden," it rules out most man-made chemicals and is therefore similar to organic gardening. But while organic gardening may seem a bit like wizardry, with its often elaborate procedures and concoctions, natural gardening concentrates on simple, even obvious, solutions to garden problems: Does the soil lack nutrients? Add manure or compost.

Steven Wynbrandt sticks his hand deep beneath the layers of straw that blanket his enormous compost heap and pulls out a fistful of black gold, sweet and earthy. “Look at this soil,” Wynbrandt says with excitement as his fingers open, revealing his secret recipe for compost: decomposed dairy cow manure, alfalfa, yarrow, camomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian flowers. “I'm an alchemist.” PHOTOS: The Wynbrandt backyard As further proof that compost is to gardening these days what grass-fed beef and gluten-free gourmet foods are to the world of food, the Wynbrandt compost heap photographed by the Los Angeles Times would later sell through word of mouth for $1 a pound.

Actors Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott have flown the coop in Malibu, selling their 1.73-acre fowl-friendly property for $2.3 million. The 2,300-square-foot renovated house features century-old oak floors, three bedrooms and 21/2 bathrooms. Custom-built sliding doors lead to multiple decks, an outdoor fireplace and sitting areas. There is a chicken coop, a horse corral, an organic garden and fruit trees on the gated lot. Spelling, 39, played Donna Martin in "Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990-2000)

One of the rarest and most sought-after fruits, the Australian finger lime, has started showing up in significant quantities at the Santa Monica farmers market, creating a minor sensation. The fruit's appearance is enough to excite wonder: from the outside it looks like a little gherkin, but when sliced in half, the round, pearlescent juice vesicles ooze out of the fruit, like citrus caviar. The clean, fresh, tart lime-lemon taste is enticing enough, but the texture, crunchy and juicy, like citrus Pop Rocks, is even more prepossessing.

At least for one day, the students at Fremont Elementary School in Long Beach could be heard chanting, "Salad! Salad! Salad!" before lunch Tuesday. Maybe it helped that they had an audience, including their principal, the Long Beach mayor, a congresswoman, a county supervisor and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. And maybe it helps that teachers and food services staff, parents and a volunteer chef had all worked to put the salad bar in place and will help keep it going.

What's a fair without rickety roller coasters and pie-baking competitions? How about wind power technology, Segway test rides and the nation's fastest vegetable oil-powered car. That's what attendees found at last weekend's Green Solutions Expo at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, the latest in a string of fairs focused more on the environment and eco-friendly innovation than on hog races, arts and crafts shows and deep-fried nostalgia....

Actor Bruce Davison and his wife, Michele, have put their remodeled Sherman Oaks home up for sale at $1.8 million. Originally built in 1959, the updated house has a two-story atrium entry, a media room, an exercise room, six bedrooms and five bedrooms in more than 5,200 square feet. A second floor in-law apartment has its own kitchen and entrance. The gated property, with a swimming pool, a spa, a gazebo and an organic garden, is on a cul-de-sac. The actor has owned the home since 1986 and oversaw the addition of the second floor, which was completed in 2003.

The Atwater Village home of Rebecca Rudolph and Colin Thompson will be included in the Dec. 6 Eastside Eco-Tour. Participants can drive to Silver Lake and Los Feliz homes and gardens that demonstrate sustainable practices such as water conservation, energy efficiency and organic gardening. The homes will be open noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For a map: farmfeliz.org/EastsideEcoTour.

An overwhelming majority of Americans say they would buy organically grown food if it cost the same as fruits and vegetables treated with pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and nearly half would pay more, according to a new survey. The strong preference for chemical-free fruits and vegetables showed up in a survey conducted even before the recent scare over poisoned grapes from Chile and apples treated with Alar. The Louis Harris Poll conducted for Organic Gardening magazine found that 84.