Posts Tagged: organic gardening

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30
May 11

Organic Home Gardening – Getting Started With the Basics

Have you ever thought about gardening organically at home, but weren’t sure where to start?

Many gardeners would love to garden without all the chemicals and sprays, but worry that organic home gardening is difficult and time consuming. Not so! It can be a straightforward and easy way to garden. And it’s also cheaper as you no longer have all those chemicals and sprays to buy.

In this article we’ll look at the basics of organic gardening – they keys to getting a good foundation so your plants have the best possible chance of success. We’ll look at how to prepare your soil, and see how easy it actually is to understand and improve your soil from the outset. We’ll also have a quick look at the bugs in your garden, and how you can protect your plants from the bad ones, and encourage the good ones.

Organic gardening may require a little more time and understanding from you as a gardener, however the rewards and satisfaction are huge. Read on to find out the basics you need to know.

The main things to know about organic gardening:

Soil:
Your soil is the lifeblood of your plants, and time spent now (boring as it is!) will really help you later. Firstly, you need to understand what type of soil you have. Most soils fall along a continuum from sandy to clay, and all can be improved by digging in rich organic matter. It also helps to know the acidity of your soil and the easiest way to find out is using a pH testing kit from your local garden center. These are very simply to use and will let you know if your soil is acid, alkaline, or just right. Ideally you want your soil to be just slightly acid – between 6.0 and 7.0 pH is ideal – and there are a number of organic ways we can achieve this. If you need to improve the pH of your soil then your garden center is your best place to start, as they will understand the soil types in your region.

Once you start gardening then feeding your soil twice a year with organic fertilizers and compost will help keep your soil in great condition.

Plants:
If growing from seed then you can find a huge range of organic seeds available these days. It’s also best to try to find plants that are naturally disease resistant – they will often say so on the packet. Heritage seeds can be ideal, and also provide another point of interest in your garden. If you’re growing vegetables, then only plant vegetables that you will eat! This will help to keep you interested in your garden and reduce waste.

Finally, work out a crop rotation plan to help maintain the health of your soil. A 4 year rotation plan is ideal.

Pest Control:
Pests are a constant menace in the garden and tend to worry organic gardeners in particular. However there are a range of pest control methods available. These can include companion planting, manually removing the bugs – either from the plant or the planet, depending on how annoyed you are with them – and there are also a range of homemade organic sprays and teas which can be very effective. A simple spray of dishwashing detergent (only a few drops), water and neem oil is great for aphids, whitefly and other pests.

But remember that your garden needs the good insects such as ladybugs and hoverflies, so be careful when you spray.

Fertilizers and soil conditioning:
Homemade fertilizers and compost are a great way to feed your soil and also reduce your household waste – all your green waste can go into your compost bin and worm farm. Generally, depending on your climate, homemade compost will be ready to use after 3 to 4 months. It will smell sweet and be crumbly in your hand.

Fertilizers can also be animal-based if you have a local friendly farmer with a ready supply of the main ingredient, however if you are using animal manure make sure it is completely rotted and decomposed before you add to your garden.

Equipment:
The only other equipment you may want to consider when gardening organically is a compost bin or worm farm. You can buy these from your garden centre or make one yourself. Just ensure that your bins are easy to reach from the house on a clean path, otherwise you are less likely to add your green waste.

And now you’re ready to plant! I wish you happy, healthy and successful gardening.

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10
May 11

Why Organic Gardening is So Amazing

Organic gardening is amazing, because you do it with the use of no harmful chemicals and get wonderful results. You can make your own compost out of your kitchen and yard scraps to use to feed your garden areas. This makes your garden all natural and keeps you from having to use chemical fertilizers that will run off and ruin the ground water.

Organic Garden Composting:

Natural compost breaks down slowly to feed your garden areas. Over time you can have some very rich soil. You just place several square inches of compost over the area you are planting. Work the soil and compost together real good. Then you are ready for planting.

After your plants start growing you can fertilize them by using some compost tea. This is simply water that has had some compost sitting in it long enough for it to dissolve some and release the nutrients into the water. Then you can simply water the the plants.

Alternate Organic Fertilizers:

Another way of fertilizing gardens is through use of commercial organic fertilizers. These fertilizers are made up of natural substances like rock minerals, fish, seaweed, bone meal, blood meal, humus matter, and even composted chicken manure. Other things could be used too.

There are also the new bio-feeds which are microorganisms that can be added to the soil to feed you plants. These work to repair the soil from the damage it gets from being overly cultivated, and having the fertilizers that are chemically based used on it. Mycorrhyzal fungi are included in the microorganisms which help to reach into the soil to give the plant roots water and nutrients.

There are three main nutrients that the plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They all have their purpose on the plants. Let’s discover what each one is useful for:

1. Nitrogen is needed in high quantities for the plants to my proteins. The leafy vegetables of chard, kale, lettuce, cabbage, and rhubarb need more as do the potatoes. Then to have a high yield of pumpkin, marrow, cucumber, sweet corn, and melons you need to add plenty of nitrogen to the soil. The nitrogen is also great on spring lawns too for lush growth.

2. Phosphorus is needed for growth. All plants need this for their roots to grow properly. That is to say that soil which is deficient in phosphorus will produce plants with a week root system. The phosphorus can also increase the size of the leaves and still feed the roots unlike nitrogen. This is good to mix with K to feed root plants such as the beet, carrot, and radish. Bone meal and rock phosphate contain this nutrient.

3. Potassium or K as it is known to assist the plant in absorbing water and retaining it. It also ups the synthesis of protein from the nitrogen. This is why K is good not only for fruits, but also potatoes and all the root vegetables. Plants could produce more flowers and then fruit as opposed to leaves when they are given high amounts of K. Potassium (or K) helps the plants to have tougher vegetation that can stand up to the winter better and is more disease resistant. It is great for fall feeding of your plants and yards. This nutrient comes in seaweed meal, comfrey leaves, and ash.

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13
Feb 11

5 Main Steps to Growing an Organic Garden

Organic gardening is really easy once you get down the basics, you’ll only need remembering that what you use as products cannot contain chemicals and any pesticides. That’s the real secret behind it all!

So what are the 5 main steps for growing an organic garden?

  1. Check your soil. You need to test it to see how healthy it is. Go through different parts of your garden and make the test. You will then be able to decide which is the best place for growing an organic garden. After you took samples, send the soil to a lab, because they will be able to test it for you and give you accurate results. Based on these results, you can make any changes you need to have the best soil for growing an organic garden.
  2. Choose your seeds. You can find them at various gardening stores. The seeds will all depend on the type of garden you want to have.
  3. Weed the gardening area. This will ensure the soil to be kept at its best, in order be able to grow your organic garden.
  4. Plant the seeds and then water them. You need to water your soil regularly, but don’t overdo it, because that will simply wash away all the good stuff (nutrients) that should be the result of your organic garden. Learn to water the seeds with just the right amount of water.
  5. Finally buy or make your own fertilizer. There are various tutorials out there that teach you how exactly to mix your fertilizer to get best results. As for the times to use the fertilizer, you can use them best in spring and during the summer.

There are a few more aspects of growing an organic garden, but these are the basic principles, no matter whether you want to plant flowers, or vegetables. At times you might make mistakes, that is natural, but you will learn through trial and error, and you will quickly become better at it.

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5
Dec 10

Essential Oils For a Beautiful Garden

I became interested in essential oils because of love of good fragrance. Soon I learned that there was more to these oils than good clean smell.

*There are the amazing health benefits of these oils. These oils are the true essence of the plant and can help with things like headache, burns, upset stomach.

*Are you aware that there are oils that you can use in cooking. Try adding a drop of an herbal oil to that recipe instead of the herb in a bottle.

*My newest discovery – essential oils in the garden. Oils can help rid the garden of pests and weeds as well as make a healthy compost.

Spring is the time to rekindle our relationship with the garden. Whatever you’re growing it’s important, whenever possible, to keep harsh chemicals away from your plants. Harsh chemicals harm the environment and can be harmful to your family and pets.

Here are some tips that can help you grow a beautiful garden with green essential oils.

1. For an effective bug repellent, fill a 24-oz spray bottle with water and add 2 – 3 drops of oregano, basil or thyme essential oil. To add zip to this green bug repellent, blend a clove of garlic and add to the solution with 2-tsp. insecticidal soap (add soap last). Spray this solution on or near infected plants.

2. Apply cinnamon essential oil as an herbicide to get rid of weeds. Take care to apply only to the weeds.

3. If you grow lavender, add the cuttings to the compost heap. Its a wonderful compost material and soil amendment.

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15
Nov 10

Liquid Organic Gardening Fertilizer

Using Liquid Organic Gardening Fertilizer to Make Your Plants Shine!

For a new gardener, there are many things that can go wrong. Any hobby has a learning curve. However, with gardening, you are dealing with living things that respond to their environment. If you make a mistake, those little plants will let you know. Fertilizing can be a challenging aspect for new and old gardeners alike. It is even more head scratching for those who are determined to grow organic gardens. Organic fertilizer works slower than its chemical counterparts. However, it is more fool proof and better for the soil in the long run.

Most gardeners realize that chemical fertilizers show quicker results than organics. They promote very rapid top growth on your plant. While that can sometimes be necessary, it is often hard for the root system to keep up. This can lead to an imbalance in the plant, with not enough roots to support the aggressive foliage. Chemical fertilizers can also be so highly concentrated that they kill natural, healthy organisms in the surrounding soil. Organic fertilizer, on the other hand, not only feeds the growth of the plant, but actually builds the soil as well. Good soil is the foundation for good plant growth. Organic foods are also released more slowly, leading to a more natural and balanced plant growth.

When you are looking at organic gardening fertilizer, there are generally two categories. You can expect to find dry fertilizer and liquid organic gardening fertilizer. Dry organic fertilizers include things like bone and blood meal, and rock phosphate. These are usually worked into the soil around a plant and help build soil nutrients which are picked up by the roots. For a quicker and more direct feed, liquid fertilizers, such as fish emulsion or sea weed extract are common. These products can be used to feed the foliage directly. Many plants absorb a good deal of nutrients through their leaves, so spraying the liquid organic gardening fertilizer is a great way to give the plant a quick boost. Anything that the plant does not use quickly dissipates or soaks into the soil for further nutrients.

While most gardeners experience failures or bad growing seasons at one time or another, with the proper education and experience, you can greatly increase your chances of success. Understanding fertilizing and knowing how to properly apply a product can really make your organic garden shine.

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11
Oct 10

The Many Benefits of Organic Gardening

Saving money by growing your own vegetables, being able to eat healthier and feel better and preserving our environment from the harmful and toxic chemicals that seep no only into our vegetables but our soil, lakes and waterways not only harming our environment but wildlife as well.

Beginning and maintaining an Organic Vegetable Garden is simple and easy with a little know how.

I have to say it feels great to walk past the produce section in the store. I do stop and look at the prices, just out of curiosity. I cannot even believe the cost of vegetable these days. Maybe I’m just getting old and remembering the good ole days. OK so I’m not that old. $6.00 for a watermelon, $3.00 on sale! $2.00 for a pepper, $1.00 on sale! Tomatoes through the roof.

Let’s do some math – I can buy a pepper, on sale, for $1.00. I bought 2 organic pepper plants for $1.39 each, so I spent $3.15, I added the tax. So far it’s only the middle of July and I’ve gotten 8 peppers off my plant and there are still baby ones growing. My plants will last way into September producing vegetables for months to come. And all I do is water them once a day and pull out some straggling weeds.

You can even plant seeds, yes organic seeds. A package of seeds can cost any where from $1.00 up to $2.00 and you grow as many plants as you want. Don’t tell anyone, I just can’t grow from seeds, don’t know why! But my watermelon came up, the only seeds that sprouted and I have 4 watermelons already growing about 10 inches long.

By growing your own organic vegetables and creating an organic garden, you can save literally save hundreds of dollars every year.

Many recent studies have shown that many common pesticides used not only in your garden on your produce but in your home and on cotton fibers and other materials can cause many disorders and diseases including adult and child cancers, numerous neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders, asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriage, and child behavior disorders including learning disabilities, mental retardation, hyperactivity and ADD (attention deficit disorders) and the list goes on. Washing your vegetables does not get rid of the pesticides that have seeped inside.

The Benefits of Organic Gardening far outweigh the list above. By growing organic vegetables you can use natural insect repellients that you already have in your home such as dishwashing liquid, or even a beer for the slugs.

The harmful and toxic chemicals that we spray on our produce, also seeps into the ground effecting insects that are beneficial. These chemicals also find their way into our waterways, sewers, lakes and streams.

By seeping these chemicals also harm many fish, birds and animals that use the lakes and streams.

Case in point….We just had our annual termite inspection, I have termites, nasty little buggers in my crawlspace.?I have my organic garden on the outside wall of my home in the backyard. I was told by the exterminator, are ya ready, it is against the law for them to treat around the garden. The garden must be pulled out before they come! I guess that is an indication of how powerful these chemicals are.

Outside working on my organic garden is one of the most relaxing things for me to do. You are outside in the sunshine, soaking up some vitamin D along with those rays, very healthy. You are able to relax and get back to nature even in an urban environment.

Not to mention the pride you have for creating and recognizing the benefits of an organic garden. Your neighbors will be your new best friends, waiting for you to harvest your crops.

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30
Sep 10

Controlling Plant Pests Organically

Gardening has been done for generations without the use of these harmful chemicals and there is no reason why the same can’t be done today. Border planting and interplanting crops in specific combinations can help eliminate many varieties of insect pests in the garden. Here are just a few:

Marigolds rid the soil of nematodes and Mexican bean beetles. Grow marigolds where tomatoes and eggplant are to go next year. In the fall, dig in the plant residue or leave as a mulch through the winter. The factor that kills the worms is produced slowly in the roots of the plants and is gradually released into the soil. The good effect of interplanting marigolds may not show the first year.

Nasturtiums deter aphids, squash bugs and striped pumpkin beetles. Grow them between vegetable rows and around fruit trees.

Rosemary deters cabbage moth, bean beetles and carrot flies. Plant around your vegetable garden.

Sage deters cabbage moths and carrot flies. Plant with rosemary, cabbage and carrots. But keep away from cucumbers.

Chives keep Japanese beetles at a healthy distance from raspberries and grape vines.

Onions deter most pests.

Mint deters white cabbage moths and ants. Plant alongside members of the cabbage family.

Soybeans shield corn from clinch bugs. Plant in alternate rows with corn.

Garlic repels aphids from roses, fruit trees and cabbages. Plant the cloves near these flowers, fruits and vegetables.

There are also several homemade insecticides that are useful. Common plant oils, food stufs and household items can be very effective in the treatment of insect infestations. They can be used as sprays, dusts, bait or as rinses and baths.

To make a spray from plant oils, chop or grind the plant and add an equal amount of water. Strain, if necessary, and mix with emulsifiers such as fish oil and liquid soap. As oil tends to separate out, use the spraying solution as soon as possible. Some remedies you can make at home:

A strong soap and water solution sprayed on infected plants will rid them of aphid and mites.

Garlic oil spray is effective against onion flies, aphids, thrips and ermine moths. Onion and chive solutions are also effective.

Mineral oil applied to corn silk with an eye dropper when the silks have turned brown will eliminate corn earworms.

Table salt sprinkled on slugs and snails is lethal.

Hot pepper, salt and sour milk spray has proven effective on cabbage maggot.

Paper or tin collars placed around plant stems and forced down into the soil will prevent cutworm damage.

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20
Sep 10

A Gardening Guide From Beginning to Enjoyment

Gardening is the word of the day. It could be because of the economy, but mostly it is because people realize that their food supply is not what they would like it to be – pure, and wholesome. Gardening is consumers telling the large chemical companies – no thanks.

If you start with a blueprint for your garden, when it is time to take shovel to earth, you will be ready. Whatever your “plot” of garden might be, if you work with what you have you will have success. Take into account what your property’s natural beauty and areas are. You want to combine two very important aspects of gardening – beauty for the soul and utility for the body. If you have areas of “explosive” color and activity, then you can balance it with some quiet areas of solitude and peace.

A garden journal is a time saver and a future saver. It can be anything as simple as a shoe box with a tablet. Save your seed packets so that what works can be duplicated with the actual name of the plant you enjoyed so much, as well as the company or store where you purchased it. Write the dates that you planted and see if maybe it was too early because frost might have nipped some of your seedlings. Your box of plans, ideas, possibilities and hopes is a natural treasure and a gold mine. You can expand from what you have done, or scale back because maybe time was an issue with some work extensive plants. This is your primer to edit, delete, and add to. It is invaluable and a money saver. If something just did not work well in your area, then you don’t want to spend your money on similar plants that probably won’t do as well either.

Have assortment in mind as you select seeds and plants. It saves you from boredom when summer’s heat isn’t kind when you have to weed and feed. Diversity also keeps your garden safer from pests and diseases. It is also a safeguard – one very important word of advice. If you enjoy hot peppers, do not plant them near your bell peppers. Bees don’t really know the difference and your everyday bell peppers will be a trip into spice land. Believe me this is not something you want to surprise your dinner menu with.

If you live where winter comes with a vengence, don’t forget to plant evergreens around your garden area. They will protect your plot from winter’s wind and in the spring, your ground will be ready to go with a few touches. If winter has its way, and there is not enough snow cover, your little garden will look like a relative of the desert areas you see in movies.

Think “specialty” gardens that can be incorporated into your overall plans. If you have small children, then you might want a red wagon type garden of fast growing plants that a child can enjoy and find success with. Take any old red wagon with wheels and a handle for moving around. Drill some holes in the bottom for drainage and fill with good dirt. Plant cherry tomatoes, a few string beans, maybe a cucumber plant, and strawberries. These can delight your child from blossom to fruit and it will prove a true gardening experience. If your area is tight, then you can move your red wagon garden to more suitable spots or even bring it on a patio or other area.

Try a salad garden raised bed around your yard. In this specialty garden, plant a tomato plant or two, some varied lettuce seeds, as well as carrots and some herbs. Then when dinner time comes around, you can get instant salad mix and fresh is just the beginning of this meal time wonder.

In your “quiet” garden, try lavender, and some tea roses for scent and beauty. Pansies with their tiny faces are a joy to behold when you just want to sit and rest. There are plants just made to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. These will add quality to your “quiet” garden as you marvel at the beauty of nature and its wonder. Reading in this area is a summer time luxury.

Teen agers might enjoy a “pizza” garden. Here is where you grow your heirloom tomatoes with their vibrant flavor and diversity of color. Add oregano, thyme, and some parsley to add to your meat toppings. If your teens love onions, garlic, and even green peppers on their pizza, add a few of these plants. Even teenagers will enjoy “picking” up their pizza ingredients.

Whatever your family enjoys and finds fun eating, you can incorporate it into small garden plots. The first rule of gardening – enjoy it and diversify. While fruits and vegetables are the main course of any garden, don’t forget the flowers and decorative leaves for that dinner table centerpiece. In the fall, if you planned ahead and had your Halloween Garden in place, you can imagine the enjoyment of not ghosts and goblins but jack-o-lanterns right there at your finger tips, not to mention assorted gourds and squashes. There are even glow in the dark white pumpkins that shimmer in the moonlight. Gardening is fun, profitable, and a happy event. Enjoy. ă€¢rleen M. Kaptur April, 2009

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7
Apr 10

How to Grow Your Own Carrots

Have you ever tasted a fresh crisp carrot, just pulled from a vegetable garden and grown with organic methods? If you have, you’ll know it bears no resemblance to the dry woody versions you get in a grocery store. No wonder children don’t want to eat them. Our planting blog this week teaches you how to grow your own great tasting carrots.

Step 1. Prepare your soil

Carrots have a delicate root system in their early stages of growth and do not like hard compacted soil or heavy clay. The soil must be well aerated and soft, allowing roots to spread and help the tap root growth. The ideal soil is well drained sandy loam. Make sure you remove stones in the soil as this, in addition to heavily fertilised or rich soil, will cause forking of the carrots into more than one root.

To prepare the bed, loosen the soil to 8-10 inches (20-25cm) depth . Break up any large clods and avoid walking on the soil. You can then add organic matter such as very well rotted manure, compost, leaf mould (not eucalypt). One of the best ways to ensure your soil is OK for carrots is to practice crop rotation.

Do not keep growing only carrots in the same bed, as this will deplete the soil and increase the potential for soil borne diseases and pests that love carrots. It’s good to have carrots at the end of your crop rotation pattern. Carrots, being a root crop, would normally follow a fruiting crop. Make sure you follow a proper crop rotation and companion planting pattern

Step 2. Choose your plants

Put in about 30 plants per person and expect about 1 pound (0.45 kg) of carrots per foot (30cm) of row. For a small family sow a 10-foot (3m) row and follow it every 3 weeks with another row of the same size to give you a supply for summer.

Step 3. Follow correct planting methods

Carrots are generally a cool season crop, but this depends on your climate. Paid members of our site can use the localised planting calendar to find out ideal months and even days within the month, for planting carrots. Carrots can stand frost at either end of the prime growing season if you are subject to frost. Carrots germinate in about 14 days. Make sure you keep soil moist for the first week, but don’t overdo it.

Plant them directly into your garden, as their fragile root systems make them not really suitable for transplanting. Carrots are very small seeds and its best to sprinkle them lightly in a row and then cover the row with a thin layer (a thickness of no more than 2 times the carrot seed diameter) of compost or soil.

Step 4. Use these growing guidelines

You will very likely have too many carrots coming up and you will need to thin them out. Crowding will cause stunted roots, so make them no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. You may need to thin twice, say 2-3 weeks after the first thinning, but this time 3.5 inches (9cm apart). Carrots grow quite slowly; harvest time from your month of planting are on our web site planting calendar. Carrots do not compete well with weeds as they have quite dense roots close to the surface. To manage weeds, you can mulch between the carrots or hoe lightly.

Step 5. Control for pests and diseases

Larger creatures and rodents are often partial to carrots and you may need to protect the carrots with wire frames. In my experience, it is best to plant more than you need and expect to loose some to your local creatures. Many carrot diseases and pests are kept under control if you use good crop rotation and companion planting. Extensive information on dealing with carrot diseases and pests is provided in our paid member area, as well as rotation and companion planting information.

Peter Kearney
Experience the joys of food gardening
http://www.cityfoodgrowers.com

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17
Mar 10

Organic Container Gardening – The 7 Basic Elements You Need to Get Started

There are seven basic elements that is required when it comes to starting your organic container gardening: Plants, Water, Sunlight, Temperature, Nutrients or Fertilizers, Space, and Patience.

Plants are one of the seven basic elements of organic container gardening because it is what you will plant, grow, and harvest. Obviously, it is what organic gardening is all about. Choose plants that you want and desire to grow and harvest. Foodstuffs or big tall trees may all be grown and harvested using pots and containers. Determine what types of plants or crops you prefer and use them wisely.

Water is essential in your organic garden. Make sure to always keep the soil and the plants inside the container moist but never ever submerged them thoroughly in water as that could drown the plant.

Sunlight needs to be given every single day. Make sure to place the pots and containers in an area where there is sunlight. Remove them if it gets too hot as the heat may burn the leaves of the plant and dry the soil in the pot.

It is highly recommended to keep your container grown plants in a steady temperature of about 55 – 75 degrees Celsius. It helps plants keep their moisture and shine. The roots of container placed plants are more sensitive to temperature unlike their ground soil counterparts so make sure to always have a thermometer at hand to test the temperature of the organic garden.

Organic fertilizers such as manure or dung are the best nutrients to give to your plants. They contain no chemical substances that could hinder the flow of nutrients in the plant’s body. They could also be bought in your local gardening stores and shops.

Considering and planning out the space you will use is very vital. Organic container gardening requires not a very large space only enough space to let your plants grow taller. It really depends on the types of plants and crops you would like to grow. So analyze your plant’s growth and widen the space from there if needed to.

The last but definitely one of the most important elements is to be patient! Patience when engaging in gardening determines your success or failure. Do not give up and continue to move on forward. Care for your plants and they will most certainly give you a lot in return.

Melissa McKyler is a work at home mom and has been organic gardening for several years. She loves having fresh safely grown veggies to feed her family and enjoys sharing her knowledge about how to do that with others. For more information about Organic Container Gardening be sure to visit http://www.OrganicGardenAnswers.com

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