Most likely, you have seen organic foods in your local grocery store or read about them in a newspaper. You may already be aware of which foods come organically. They are usually packaged differently and often are marked up considerably. Keep reading to learn how you can grow organic produce from the comfort of your own home.
If you are interested in sustainable organic gardening, consider keeping part of your property undeveloped so that wildlife can flourish there. Certain wildlife can be good for an organic garden; birds and insects can help your plants reproduce and be as healthy as they can be!
If you choose to use organic methods to care for your houseplants, you should bear in mind that certain plants require more sunlight than others. If you live somewhere without strong natural sunlight, you might want to look into growing plants that thrive in lower-light environments. You can also try using artificial lighting to help.
Keep your gardening tools close by to maximize gardening efficiency. Keep the tools in a big bucket, or store them in strong pockets in your pants. Keep your gloves, pruning shears, a hand spade and your other tools handy to quickly and easily do your garden maintenance.
Your seeds, once they begin sprouting, don’t need the same amount of warmth as they did before. Locate your plants further from your heat source as they mature. Uncover your containers; the plastic wrap traps humidity, so you need to remove it to stop your plants from overheating. To know when it is time for this, keep a careful eye on your seeds.
Coat your flower beds with a few inches of an organic mulch. A thick layer of mulch will prevent weeds, reduce watering needs and fertilize your garden. Mulch also completes your garden, giving it a finished appearance.
You should work efficiently, instead of working hard in your garden, to simplify things. Don’t waste time searching for lost tools. Prepare them all ahead of time and have them handy before you need to garden, and then put them back in their place when done. You can keep your garden tools in a tool belt, or in your pockets. Another good idea is to keep them all in a bucket that you carry around with you.
Pine makes a much better mulch than you might think. Some plants are highly acidic, and like soil that is acidic too. If you have some of these plants, then pine needles are an easy way to add acid to their bed. Spread the needles over the beds in a layer that is approximately 2-inches deep. Over time, the needles will begin to decay, supplying the soil with acid as they do.
Put coffee ground into your soil. Coffee beans are loaded with nitrogen, which offers nourishment for plants. Using coffee grounds or any other source of nitrogen contributes to the growth of taller, fuller blooms.
The space you leave in between your plants is an important measurement when it comes to gardening. As plants grow and spread out, you will not always know how much space will be required. Proper spacing is important not just to accommodate the plants’ sizes but also for air circulation. Plan your organic garden while keeping this in mind, and space your seeds accordingly, when planting.
Would you like to kill those obnoxious weeds naturally? Put down old newspapers in several layers for controlling weeds. Without exposure to the sun, weeds cannot thrive. If the weeds have already sprouted, you can place the newspapers over them and they will die due to lack of sunlight. Because newspapers decompose well with the passage of time, they make great additions to compost. It can look more attractive by adding a mulch layer.
One unusual tip in organic gardening, is to “pet” your seedlings often. Use your hands or a piece of cardboard and lightly ruffle the seedling about one or two times a day. Although this method may seem counterproductive, it actually helps the seeds to grow quicker and stronger.
Keep slugs out of your organic garden naturally, using a beer trap. Place a container in the ground so that the lip is even with the soil surface. Pour beer into the container to within an inch of the jar lip. Slugs will be attracted by the beer and fall into the jar.
Growing your garden at home might not be the most convenient thing for you, but you will save a lot of money and always have the confidence that what you’re eating and feeding your family is as fresh and as healthy as possible. Use the tips you’ve learned here and get started on your garden today.