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Organic Gardening Secrets
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Instead of chemicals in your soil and on your food, why not try organic gardening?You can go all out and make your whole yard into a garden, or start small with a few pots, plants or small garden area!
Actually, if it’s your first garden, it’s better to start small.Gardening catalogs have so many wonderful selections, gardeners have a tendency to plant more than they can possibly care for easily! 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 a lot easier on your sanity and back to start small, then work up to bigger gardens as you gain experience!
On Location…
Like the real estate agents are fond of saying, “It’s all about location, location, location.There are plants that will grow in the shade, but these are mostly flowers. Vegetables generally 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.
Gardens need sunshine to do well.To get the best results, 6 hours of sun are necessary for your garden plot or where you place your pots of plants.Whenever possible, it’s good to locate the organic garden close to the house for easy access, but sometimes it’s impossible because of too much shade from the house or trees.Sunshine has top priority.
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.Roots can reach materials tilled or incorporated into the soil by double digging 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.
To help conserve water, add humus and nutrients, as well as discourage weeds from growing, a mulch of organic material works well.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.One option is to hand pick caterpillars and other bugs off plants. Spraying the plant with plain or soapy water will also help dislodge bugs..
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.A vegetable doesn’t have to be totally perfect to taste wonderful.Any problem spots can be cut off before eating it.
Eradicate The Weeds!
A weed is really just “a plant growing in the wrong place.That tells it like it is.When something comes up you didn’t plant, consider it a weed and pull it up or till it under.Employ whatever method you desire, but just be sure to get the weeds out of your organic garden.Your vegetables need the nutrients and water those extra plants are hogging.
Ready, Set, Garden!
The right ingredients for a great organic garden include a good location, fertile soil, the right plants for your climate, and keeping the garden free of weeds and bad bugs. 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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