Showing posts with label organic garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic garden. Show all posts
Tips on Organic Gardening
Instead of chemicals in your soil and on your food, why not try organic gardening? You can start with just a few plants in pots or a small patch, or you can go whole hog and dig up half your yard!
Actually, if it’s your first garden, it’s better to start small. Gardeners have a tendency to plant more than they can reasonably care for – everything looks so great in the catalogs! But even though gardening is a lot of fun and a satisfying pastime, it’s also a lot of work. Half way through the growing season you may wish you’d been a little more moderate in your planting. It’s better to work your way up to that huge garden!
On Location…
Like the real estate agents are fond of saying, “It’s all about location, location, location.” Some plants will grow in the shade, but for most vegetables you need sunshine. An ample amount of sunshine is one thing you can’t provide artificially, unless you’re planning on a huge bank of portable lights out in your garden, and with the price of electricity these days, that’s a definite no-no.
Practically speaking, any garden, organic or otherwise, needs sunshine. Put your pots or garden plot where the plants will get at least 6 hours of sun a day for best results. While it’s nice to locate the garden close to the house for easy access, shade from the house or trees may not make that possible. Sunshine has priority over easy access.
Be sure your garden location not only gets ample sunshine, but drains well so the plants don’t sit in water. Fertile soil is a big plus, but if that’s lacking, you can always add soil amendments.
Down and Dirty
Adding compost will help your soil no matter what type it is. You can also use natural fertilizers and organic materials to improve the soil and help the plants grow. Most vegetable roots are in the top 6 inches of soil, so tilling or double digging will easily mix the materials into the soil where the roots can reach it.
Time to Plant
Seed catalogs and nurseries are brimming with all types of vegetables. Besides taking into account what you and your family like to eat, choose vegetables that will do well in your climate. For instance, some long season crops like sweet potatoes wouldn’t do well up north, while cool climate crops might not fare so well in the deep south.
Mulching your vegetables with organic material helps conserve water, adds humus and nutrients as well as discourages weeds from growing. It’s a great way to improve your garden soil and plants!
Don’t Let Them Bug You
Where there’s lovely young plants, there’s bugs looking for a meal. Hand picking caterpillars or other bugs off is one option, or spraying the plant with soapy water, or even plain water, will dislodge the bugs. There are also some organic products made for bug control.
Not all bugs are bad, and some are even beneficial. Bugs such as green lacewings, ladybugs, praying mantis, spiders and wasps eat the insects that try to eat your vegetables.
Companion planting with insect repellant plants such as marigolds or nasturtiums can also help keep bugs away from your garden.
It also helps to learn to live with a certain amount of imperfections. The vegetable doesn’t have to be perfect to taste good. You can cut off any problem spots before eating it.
Destroy Those Weeds!
Weeds have been defined as “a plant growing in the wrong place.” That pretty much sums it up. If it’s not something you planted, consider it a weed and hoe it out, pull it up, or till it under. However you do it, get it out of the garden. Those extra plants steal nutrients and water needed for your vegetable plants.
Ready, Set, Garden!
A good location, fertile soil, the right plants, and working to keep the garden weed and bug free are the right ingredients for a great garden. Growing an organic garden is a wonderful way to put superior tasting food in your diet. So get out there and get your garden growing!
With over 40 years experience as writer, gardener, photographer, cook and more!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-on-organic-gardening-545867.html
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Where to Start With Organic Gardening?
For many organic growers, farming or gardening is a passion. We feel a connection to the Earth and believe it has become a moral duty to protect her and provide for her. Aside from the apparently spiritual affiliation, it's just plain fun to be out in the sun playing in the dirt and watching things grow - something I never dreamed I would be doing until my wife Pamela introduced me to organic gardening as a way to help feed our menagerie of exotic pets and help distract me from my hectic business life.
Those who take up organic gardening often have no idea to where to buy supplies, for example. They don't know what products they need for soil nourishment or pest control. They may not know how much water to supply, or how to go about composting kitchen scraps for their gardens. They need more than a few organic garden tips and ideas. Many will need hand-helding through their first steps in organic gardening.
Imagine growing a beautiful garden or orchids,, or other plants and be the envy of all your neighbours out there :)
Here are a few tips just to get you started in the right direction with organic gardening:
- Firstly, you need to choose what you will grow and decide how much you will need to plant based on your needs or goals in sales. Without knowing what you want to put in your soil, you can't start organic gardening.
- Second, you need to keep the soil healthy. Healthy soil produces healthy plants. Healthy plants, like healthy humans, are better able to withstand disease.
- Use ladybugs. Yes, ladybugs (or ladybirds as they are also called). These beautiful little red insects with shiny black spots control aphids naturally and totally. You can order them from several organic garden places on the Internet. Until they arrive, spray every part of aphid-infested plants with well diluted soapy water and then rinse with clear water.
- You will also need to know how to make compost. Make compost the lazy way, by layering leaves, lawn clippings, and kitchen waste. Then simply leave it until it's ready. Nature's recyclers will take organic matter no matter how it is presented and turn it into rich, nice dark compost.
These were just a few tips that took from Organic Gardening, my "bible" for organic gardening.
An avid organic gardener Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcia_Gallik |  |
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7 Organic Gardening Benefits
The one thing I always get asked about Organic Gardening is, what's the difference between Organic Gardening and Regular Gardening?
Organic Gardening is growing Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
So what are the benefits?
1. No pesticide, herbicide, fungicide residues on food.
As I said earlier organic gardening does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. This leads to foods that are much healthier.
Although we are told that when used according to the manufactures suggested directions chemical fertilizers and pesticides are safe. It has been proven that these chemicals can cause cancer and other diseases.
2. Less chlorine chemistry into our environment.
When chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used it is also a hazard to our environment. These chemicals run off and get into our drinking water.
This is also transferred into the animals that we eat and so it is always much better to buy organic meats also.
3. No synthetic fertilizer residuals built into plants
Organic Fruits and Vegetables do not have synthetic fertilizers instead organic farmers use compost and other trace minerals in there soils.
These trace minerals are then transferred into the fruits and vegetables making them healthier for your body.
It has been reported that non-organic produce can contain enough poison chemicals to be dangerous for small children.
4. No genetically engineered organisms or varieties.
Organic gardening is 100% natural no organisms or varieties are added to the soil.
5. Intense, realistic flavors.
Organic fruits and Vegetables simply taste better. They are juicer, colorful and again healthier. Usually traditionally grown fruits and vegetables are dry and flavorless because they lack the trace minerals that are added to the soils in organic gardens. Many times dyes and food colorings are
added to make these vegetables look better.
6. Higher vitamin content
7. Higher mineral content and greater mineral variety.
Because the soil in an organic garden has a greater variety of living organisms and trace minerals the foods are naturally higher in vitamins and minerals.
I just revealed to you all this great information about
Organic Gardening. Go ahead and apply my tips, Start your
own organic garden today, it’s for your personal success.
Glen Barnhardt is the worlds #1 organic gardening consultant. Get FREE insider access to his opt-in list, private blog and members only forum to learn how to grow your own organic garden.
http://www.BestOrganicGardeningSecrets.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glen_Barnhardt
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