Having an organic garden is a great way to have access to healthy foods whenever you want them, which will ultimately lead to a healthier diet. Consider your garden an investment of your time and hard work. You probably do not know how to go about growing an organic garden on your own.
Involve the whole family in your gardening hobby; children find growing things to be very interesting. Children will benefit from the fresh air while bonding with you in your efforts to provide healthier food alternatives for them.
If sustainability and organic gardening are appealing to you, leave a portion of the property you own undeveloped to give wildlife a place to thrive. Your cultivated garden spaces will benefit from the various insects and wildlife that will inhabit and pollinate the undeveloped space.
Easily and quickly prepare your ground for a garden of perennials. Turn over the soil in your garden so it will be soft and easy to plant before spreading wood chips around your garden. After a few weeks, you can then dig into the turf and plant the perennials of your choosing.
After your seeds begin to sprout, it is not as important to keep them warm. Take your plants out of the heat once they start to grow. Also take any plastic films off of your containers, so you can keep the warmth and humidity out. Check on your seeds periodically to make sure you know when to remove the films.
You can stop mud from being tracked into your house by covering your dirty gardening shoes with plastic bags. This allows you to work steadily and without distractions, making you a happier and more productive gardener.
Leave plenty of growing space when you plant your garden. As plants grow and spread out, you will not always know how much space will be required. Space is necessary not only for physical growth but also to help keep air circulation flowing within your garden. Plot out all of these considerations before putting that first seed in the ground.
Grass Clippings
When creating a compost pile, use dried plant materials and green plants in equal parts. Grass clippings, vegetable and fruit leftovers, and grass clippings are all examples of green plant material. Dried material includes straw, shredded paper, and cardboard. Certain substances will undermine your composting efforts and cancel out any benefits; these include meat, charcoal, ash or plants that have diseases or fungal growths.
Lightly ruffle your seeds by hand or with cardboard, twice daily in your organic garden. This will make your plants grow faster and they will get bigger than they would have without this practice.
Create raised beds with stone, brick or untreated wood. If using wood, make sure it’s naturally rot resistant and untreated. Cypress, locust and cedar are all great examples of what woods to use when building a raised bed. Using untreated wood is especially important for veggie gardens, because chemicals from treated wood could leach into the soil, affecting your food. If you’re using treated lumber, line it with a barrier, or some plastic.
Plant your own garlic with organic methods. The best time to plant garlic is either early spring or in the fall. Plant garlic in moist soil with good drainage. Plant them two inches into the soil with the ends up, and leave four inches between each clove. Green garlic shoots can be cut as they grow, and used in place of chives or scallions. When the bulbs begin turning brown on top, they are ready for harvesting. Allow the sun to dry out the bulbs for a few days until the skin gets hard. Store the bulbs separately or tied in loose bunches in a cool place.
Always give your garden the benefit of looking beneath the upper portions of a plant. If you’re buying some tomato seedlings to use in your garden, keep a look out for starts that are lush and green, but have poor root systems. The lush starts remain on the baby plants for several weeks, crippling their growth until the starts are gone.
If you are interested in using organic gardening techniques to plant perennials, you will be pleased to know that it is very easy. Cut into your turf using a spade and then cover the exposed portion with lots of wood chips. You’ll be able to dig into your new garden to plant out perennials within a few weeks.
Organic Gardening
Organic gardening requires work, effort and research. It is also true that in order to see results, that you have to keep at it. If you keep the tips provided here in mind, you can find your way to organic gardening success. Enjoy your harvest!