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 the half your yard!
Actually, if it’s your first garden, it’s better to start small.Everything looks so wonderful in catalogs that gardeners have a tendency to plant more than they can reasonably care for!Growing lots of yummy vegetables is a worth ambition and can be 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 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.While some plants grow in the shade, generally speaking, vegetables needs a whole lot of sun to do well. 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.
Any garden, organic or otherwise, need sunshine.Your garden area or pots of plants should be placed where they'll get at least 6 hours of sun each day for best results.It's nice to have the garden close to the house so you can get to it easily, but shade from trees or the house itself may make that impracticle.Having a garden close to the house is nice, but sunshine is more important.
Besides ample sunshine, a garden location must drain well so 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.To improve the soil so plants will grow better, you can also use natural fertilizers and organic materials.Tilling or double digging will easily mix materials into the soil where the roots can reach it 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.You need to choose vegetables that will do well in your climate, besides choosing what you like to eat.Long season crops like sweet potatoes, for instance, wouldn't do so well in the far north, while a cool climate crop like peas wouldn't last in the heat of a southern summer.
Mulching your vegetables with organic material helps conserve water, adds humus and nutrients as well as discourage weeds from growing.It's a good way to improve your garden soil and help your plants grow better!
Don’t Let Them Bug You
Where there’s lovely young plants, there’s bugs looking for a meal.Spraying plants with plain or soapy water will dislodge bugs, or hand picking caterpillars and other bad bugs off plants is another option..
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.Taste is what's important, and a vegetable doesn't have to be perfect looking to taste good.Problem areas can be excised before eating the food.
Say Goodbye To Weeds!
Really, a weed is nothing more than "a plant growing in the wrong place.” That pretty much sums it up.If something grows you didn't plant, consider it a weed and get rid ot if. However you do it, get it out of the garden.Don't let those extra plants steal water and needed nutrients from your vegetable plants.
All Set To Garden!
The right ingredients for the garden are a good location, fertile soil, the right plants, and keeping the garden weed and bug free. 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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