• Keep Southern California Gardens Well Watered in August
    Friday, July 28, 2017 at 10:29 AM


  • August is the hottest month of the year in southern California so it's important to keep vegetables, flowers and trees well watered especially as they continue to flower and produce.


    Be Water Smart:  Use a drip irrigation system to water plants and trees. There is no point in watering leaves. Water longer, deeper and less often instead of applying a quick daily spray.


    Plant Cool Season Vegetables in Pots: Wait until the end of the month and then plant cool season vegetable seeds in pots. These include broccoli, brussel sprouts cabbage, celery, kale, chard, onions and shallots. You can plant them in the ground, but the soil must be kept moist and receive some shade during the day. Radishes, carrots and beet seeds can go directly into the garden.


    Plant Cool Season Flowers: Plant fall annuals including calendula, cineraria, dianthus, delphiniums, Iceland poppies, pansies, snapdragon and stock later in August. They'll give your garden color for the next several months.


    Mow Weekly: Lawns grow quickly during summer. Make sure grass blades remain at least an inch long after mowing. Longer blades protect the soil from heat and water evaporation.


    Time For Indoor Plant Maintenance: Wash dust from indoor plant leaves with warm water. Remove dead leaves. Repot plants with potting soil. If the plants are too big to repot, add potting mix to existing soil.


    Get Rid of Aphids on Rose Bushes Naturally: Techniques to remove aphids depend on the level of infestation. First, try using a strong stream of water from a garden hose to knock off the insects. If they return, bath each leave with mild soap and water. Aphids like to hide in cool, dark places. Remove concentrated limbs from the center of the bush to encourage air circulation. Also, remove dead flowers. They are another hiding place for aphids.


    Soak Your Compost Pile: If you maintain your own compost pile, give it a good soaking several times during August. Summer heat tends to dry out compost piles. Watering will encourage the organic materials to decompose. Cover the pile after each soaking to keep the pile moist longer.


    For more gardening tips, go to www.agromin.com.

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  • Agromin is SEEAG's "Farmer of the Season"
    Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 11:54 AM



  • Agromin's CEO Bill Camarillo was recently featured as the "Farmer of the Season" by Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG). He was interviewed by Mary Maranville, SEEAG's CEO.

    Bill had the opportunity to tell the Agromin story—from its humble beginnings to a company that now employs 150 workers. In the video, he explains how organics recycling helps reduce CO2 and methane emissions by diverting organic material from landfills and putting it back into the soil--and how farmers reap the benefits because the soil they use to grow their crops is now richer with nature-made nutrients. Bill also discusses how food waste recycling offers new opportunities to create biofuel and compost.

    The video is a quick overview of the organics recycling process for those not familiar with how it works. Thank you SEEAG for putting this together!

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  • Costa Mesa High and Middle Schoolers Share Love of Gardening
    Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 3:38 PM




  • Students from Costa Mesa High School and Middle School are learning how to grow life-sustaining plants while being environmentally conscious. Their garden club maintains four raised beds--one bed is designated as a butterfly and hummingbird bed, another is a vegetable bed, and the other two are currently alfalfa cover crops which will be converted to more fruit/vegetable space as the program expands. Its Monarch butterfly community is already on its third generation.

    Agromin was happy to supply compost to the club garden in March to bring the soil up to optimum levels for planting and growing. The garden has come a long way!

    The school still needs an irrigation system and storage sheds for equipment. Donations can be made to Costa Mesa ASB, Garden Club and sent to 2650 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

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