Instead of chemicals in your soil and on your food, why not try organic gardening?A good start is a few plants in pots or tucked in your flower beds, or a small garden area, or you can get really ambitious and turn your whole yard into a garden!
Actually, if it’s your first garden, it’s better to start small.Gardeners want to plant everything they see in those wonderful garden catalogs, so it’s easy to plant way more than the gardener can reasonably take care of! But even though gardening is a lot of fun and a satisfying pastime, 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 better to start small with your first garden, and make biggers ones as you get more experience!
On Location…
Like the real estate agents are fond of saying, “It’s all about location, location, location.Though some plants will grow in the shade, most vegetables need sunshine.Ther right amount of sunshine is one thing you can’t provide artificially. Even electrical lights wouldn’t really do the trick, and one could hardly call that practical anyway.
Gardens need sunshine to do well.Best results are obtained by putting your pots of plants or garden area in a location with at least 6 hours of sun daily.Locating the garden close to the house is handy, but shade from trees or the house itself may prevent you from using such a location.The need for sunshine trumps the need for easy access.
Plants can’t sit in water, so besides ample sunshine, a garden location should 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.To improve the soil so plants will grow better, you can also use natural fertilizers and organic materials.Double digging or tilling materials into the soil will easily mix them in where roots can reach them since most vegetable roots are in the top 6 inches of soil.
Time to Plant
Seed catalogs and nurseries are brimming with all types of vegetables.Not only should you choose vegetalbes you and your family will actually eat, but your plants should also be ones that will grow well in your climate.Cool weather crops like peas, for instance, woudn’t do well in the heat of a southern summer, while a slow maturing crop like peanuts need a longer summer than most northern locations can provide.
Mulching your vegetables with organic material helps conserve water, adds humus and nutrients as well as discourage weeds from growing.It’s a fantastic way to help your plants by improving garden soil and keeping weeds at bay!
Don’t Let Them Bug You
Where there’s lovely young plants, there’s bugs looking for a meal.A spray of plain or soapy water will dislodge bugs from plants, or they can be hand picked to remove them..
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.
Be realistic. Don’t expect your vegetable to look absoultey perfect.Vegetables don’t have to be 100% perfect to taste good.Before eating the food, just cut away any problem areas.
Weeds Be Gone!
Weeds have been defined as “a plant growing in the wrong place.That’s a pretty good definition. If it’s not something you planted, consider it a weed and pull it up or till it under.Whatever it takes, keep the weeds out of your garden.There is only so much water and nutrients in the soil to go around, and weeds steal some your vegetable plants could be using.
Get Gardening!
Keeping the garden weed and bug free, placing it in a good location with fertile soil, and planting the right vegetables are all the right ingredients for a super organic garden. Growing an organic garden is a wonderful way to put great tasting food in your diet.Enjoy growing your own organic vegetables!
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