The best-selling book on “popular mycology,” Mycelium Running, would be a useful reference book in every home, especially to anyone involved in farming (or gardening), forest management and environmental cleanup. The second half of the book is an instruction manual on growing delectable mushrooms for food and medicine.

Mycelium Running is filled to the brim with useful tips on things such as using mushrooms to improve soils and boost productivity in forestry and farming (gardening) with decreased use of expensive fertilizers and pesticides; filtering waste-water (mycofiltration); and clean up toxic waste from the land (mycoremediation).

A detailed description of Mycofiltration, the use of mushrooms to filter waste water, is given in one section of the book. It lists recommended mushroom species and materials to use in creating the mycofiltration bed, as well as dimensions, depth, layers, etc. Mycofiltration beds like this can be effectively used for both industrial waste water and farm runoff.

An added benefit of using mycofiltration beds on farms include the production of delicious food mushrooms, which sprout out of these beds. And every 2-3 years, the material in the bed can be dug out and used as a rich fertilizer on the fields of the farm.

Bird baths are a picturesque addition to your garden, patio or yard. However, if they aren’t maintained properly, they can become an eyesore. If algae and scum are taking over your bird bath, forget about washing it with harsh chemicals or bleach solutions. There are environmentally friendly solutions to keep your bird bath clean and your feathered friends happy and safe.

The easiest way to keep green algae from building up in your bird bath is to use an all-natural product that prevents scum from forming. These environmentally friendly products won’t harm birds and they also won’t require constant maintenance.

Bioverse makes a Birdbath Water Cleaner that uses beneficial bacteria and enzymes to prevent stains, mineral deposits and organic build-up. The product reduces the excess nutrients in the water that causes the problems.

For best results, you should typically start with a clean bird bath. First, empty the bird bath. Rather than use a bleach solution, which can be harmful if not thoroughly cleaned from the bird bath, try using a scrub brush (or sponge), water and some elbow grease. A couple tablespoons of vinegar with some water may also help. There are also soy-based cleaning products available that will remove stains, if desired. Mild detergent can be used, but even that can cause problems for sensitive birds, so it is best to avoid it if possible.

Now that spring is fully blooming and temps across the entire country are getting hotter, it is time to think about lawn care, and more importantly, fertilization! But do you want to go natural or organic? Do you know what that really means? After all, organically treated lawns look much better when they are treated properly! Bet you didn’t know that!

Naturally fertilized lawns do develop and show results slower. But that’s just fine by me! The reason is because organic fertilizers release their nutrients when temps are hotter, whereas synthetic fertilizers release nitrogen into the soil from water. The good news is that organics feed the lawn slowly over time, thus giving it long term strength.

Don’t worry though, because anyone who is in the lawn care business knows that organically treated lawns look much better in the long haul. This is because the slow release of nutrients helps the lawn to recover and build slowly, over time, which makes it stronger. Synthetically treated lawns, however, tend to green up fast and fade even faster. It’s like a sugar rush that only lasts for a short time and fades in a crash!

History reveals that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is a big evidence of a hydroponic garden. Moreover, the Aztec Indians in the now Mexico had a system of growing crops on rafts. These rafts are in shallow lakes that you can still see in floating gardens near Mexico City. Therefore, history shows the great significance of hydroponic system of growing plants even in ancient times.

Developments with hydroponics did not however take place in Europe until 1699 when Woodward discovered it. He found out that he can grow plants in a solution of water to which soil had been added.

On the other hand, Liebig, a German scientist, originated using nutrient solutions to study the nutritional requirements of plants in the 1850’s. It was then followed by Sachs in 1860. Knop also did some studies of nutrient elements in water solutions in 1861. They grew plants in nutrients-rich solutions with mineral salts. This does away with the soil as a main requirement for growing crops.

Many researches on the nutritional requirements of plants extended through even until the 1870’s. By 1925, practical applications of hydroponics were being introduced for the vast development in the greenhouse industry.