Instead of chemicals in your soil and on your food, why not try organic gardening?Begin with just a few pots or plants or small area, or get wild and turn your whole yard into a garden!
Actually, if it’s your first garden, it’s better to start small. Gardeners have a tendency to plantmore than they can reasonably care for – everything looks so great in the catalogs!Raising a garden is a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work.A month or two into the gardening season you'd likely wish you hadn't planted quite so much.It's much better to start small and work your way up to a bigger garden as you gain experience!
On Location…
Like the real estate agents are fond of saying, “It’s all about location, location, location.Some plants thrive in the shade, but they're usually flowers. Vegetables usually need a lot of sunshine.Plentiful sunshine is one thing you can't provide artifically, even if you had a bunch of artificial lights. With the price of electricity, it would hardly be practical.
Practically speaking, you just can't have any kind of garden without ample sunshine.To get the best results, 6 hours of sun are necessary for your garden plot or where you place your pots of plants.It's helpful to locate the organic garden close to the house to make it easy to get to, but sometimes shade from trees or the house make it impracticle.Having a garden close to the house is nice, but sunshine is more important.
Not only do you need ample sunshine for the garden location, but plants can't sit in water, so it must drain well.Good soil is a big help, but if needed, you can always add soil amendments.
Down and Dirty
Adding compost will help your soil no matter what type it is.Organic materials and natural fertilizers can improve the sil and help plants grow.Most roots of vegetables are found in the top 6 inches of soil, so double digging or tilling the materials into the soil will put them where the plants can easily reach them.
Time to Plant
Seed catalogs and nurseries are brimming with all types of vegetables.You should not only choose vegetables you and your family will enoy eating, but be careful to choose plants that will grow well in your area.For example, some long season crops like sweet potatoes wouldn't do well up north, while a cool climate crop like peas might not do well in the deep south.
Putting a mulch of organic material around your vegetables helps conserve water, adds humus and nutrients, as well as discouraging weeds from growing.That will both improve your soil and help your plants do better!
Don’t Let Them Bug You
Where there’s lovely young plants, there’s bugs looking for a meal.Bugs and caterpillars can be hand picked off plants, or dislodged with a spray of plain or soapy water..
Not all bugs are bad, and some are even beneficial such as ladybugs, green lacewings, praying mantis, spiders and wasps since they eat 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.
Don't be unrealistic and expect every vegetable you grow to be 100% perfect.Store bought vegetables may look perfect, but taste blah. Your organically grown vegetable may not look perfect, but it will taste a whole lot better.Problem spots can be cut away from the food before eating it.
No Freeloading Weeds Please!
Weeds have been defined as “a plant growing in the wrong place.That tells the story. If it’s not something you planted, consider it a weed and pull it up or till it under.Use whatever means you wish, just get them out of the garden.Extra plants take needed nutrients and water from your vegetable plants.
Get Gardening!
If you have a good location for your garden, fertile soil, plants that do well in your area, and keep the garden free of weeds and bad bugs, you've got the right ingredients for a super organic garden. Growing an organic garden is a wonderful way to put great tasting food in your diet.So have fun growing your own organic vegetables!
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