Organic gardening is often very, very difficult to accomplish, however, with the right knowledge and skills anything is possible. With the accomplishment of growing an organic garden, the reward is well worth the time learning how. This article will provide you with the information you need to know about organic gardening.
Manage your garden hose to prevent frustration. Garden hoses, especially longer or heavy duty ones, can become unwieldy and annoying when you have to drag them around the garden, all twisted up. Invest in a portable hose reel or a stationary one, depending on your garden configuration, to more easily manage your garden hose and make storing it fast and easy.
Marigold flowers are quite the powerhouse in an organic garden. As their flowers and leaves decay, the marigold releases chemicals that attract frogs, repel snakes and kill nematode pests that attack many vegetable plants, including tomatoes. Look for ways to let the bright yellow marigold bring brilliant color and decoration to your garden, as it goes to work to protect the health of your plants.
Use a raised garden bed when planting your plants. Not only does it provide a minor defense against the common vegetable pests, raised garden beds are also warmer during the spring. The planter becomes warmer because it isn’t surrounded by several inches of isolating ground-soil. The warmer climate will result you being able to plant earlier.
Do not waste your time and energy carrying a hose that is hard to put away. Get a couple or hose reels to keep your hose neat. You can get a stationary hose reel to keep your hose on a wall, but you can also find portable hose reels if you want to carry your hose around your garden.
Use soap on your plants. Not much is worse than a bad aphid infestation. Your plants will look terrible, and eventually die, if the bugs continue to work on your plants. To get rid of them now, fill a spray bottle with dish soap and water. Spray thoroughly, and repeat as needed.
Also Read: How to Start a Nurturing Nursery Garden?
Know the benefits of composting. Composting is one of the best things you can do for your organic garden. Composting improves moisture levels, promotes fertility, and stimulates plant roots. You can start your own composting at home, and reduce your household waste, as well as get free food for your garden.
Location is very important to organic gardening. Your garden should be in an area that will get at least ten hours of sunlight during the summer. Prior to starting your garden, make sure that your location does not have any large obstructions that will cast shadows and block the sun. Plants need an adequate amount of sunlight to live.
Variety makes for a better compost pile. By using a wide variety of materials in your compost pile, you are providing a better pH balance, more nutrients and microbial organisms. Shred materials when possible, as smaller particles decompose much faster, but having a few larger materials in there helps to improve the aeration. For the best results, don’t add any more materials once the composting process has begun.
Planting cover crops is important to maintain a good quality soil. By protecting the soil with cover crops, it will be immune against weeds, be more fertile, have less water and wind erosion, and have better water drainage. Clover, fava beans, and buckwheat are all fantastic for cover cropping.
Use living matter to make the best compost. Though you may be tempted to start tossing everything into your compost pile, don’t do it. Remember your compost is not a trashcan. Put in plenty of grass clippings, fallen leaves, and kitchen garbage such as food scraps and old leftovers. This will make your compost process faster.
Short, low-lying weeds can be a headache in any organic garden. The best tactic for dealing with such intruders is to use a spade to cut them out at root level and bury them entirely under fresh soil. Dense, crawling weeds are too hard to pick out individually, but fortunately they are easily handled in bulk.
Use recycled plastic or paper cups to start your tomato plants in. Just put the seeds in the cup, and cover with soil. This will allow you to grow the plants in the best conditions, and it keeps a few cups out of the landfills too. When they are ready, transplant the tomatoes into your garden.
Get rid of nematodes such as roundworm or eelworm. These pests can cause malformed plants with stunted, yellowing leaves. In the worst cases, leaves will wilt in a single day and the roots will become infected. The best option is to plant resistant varieties of apple, bean, carrot, celery, cucumber or onion. Otherwise, increase the organic matter in your soil. Compost contains predacious fungi and fatty acids that are toxic to nematodes. Remember to disinfect any tools that you have used in infected soil.
When running your organic garden, you should use the “shovel method” to eliminate weeds. This method does not eliminate all of the weeds at one time because doing this is ineffective. This method uses a sharp spade to turn the weeds over and bury the leaves. When the leaves rot, the weeds will actually provide nourishment to the soil.
One thing that people don’t take advantage of enough, when trying to grow an organic garden, is planting trees. You should plant trees because they can increase in value, plus, they can save energy and money by keeping your house in the shade during the summer and letting light and warmth in your home during the winter.
Instead of an abrasive and caustic chemical fertilizer, opt for an organic compost that breaks down substances like fallen leaves, grass clippings, loose hay, small twigs, and scraps of uneaten vegetables and fruits from your home dinner table. Allowing these elements to mingle in a compost heap will break down these individual ingredients into a nourishing organic substance with an even consistency.
Stated previously in this article, the results of growing an organic garden are well worth the time spent learning how to properly grow and care for one. Although, without the proper information it is a daunting task. Now that you have read this information you have the right knowledge to begin your organic gardening journey.
