Tips for Organic Gardening

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Tips for Organic Gardening

Ready to grow your own organic garden but unsure of what is the best way to proceed?  Don’t worry, here are some wonderful organic gardening tips!  This collection of hints should provide you with practical advice that can be used in many settings.

1.  Plan your gardening accordingly to the weather.

If you live in an area where the ground freezes during the winter, do not plant anything before the last frost is expected.  If you live in a warmer area, take a break during the warmest months of summer to avoid wasting too much water.

2.  Be sure to weed your garden.

If you’re not careful, weeds can take over your beautiful garden, ruining it.  To do this, think about using white vinegar.  Use it instead of chemical solutions to kill weeds. So, use a spray solution of white vinegar if you are tired of pulling those weeds by hand.

3.  Grow wheat or cat grass.

To help avoid your cats from eating plants grow wheat or cat grass in the area around the plants that your cat is eating.

Another option is to protect your plants by using natural items such as peels from citrus fruit or even moth balls from your closet.

4.  Secure your garden from pests.

You will need to have some ladybugs around.  The ladybugs will protect your garden from harmful pests and will not do any damage to any of your plants; it is a completely beneficial relationship for both you and the ladybug.

5.  Harvest fruits and vegetables at their peek.

When you’re picking vegetables from your garden, choose to harvest them when they are at the peak of ripeness for the best flavor and the most nutrition.

It is best to pick vegetables and fruits in the early morning, because they are still full of moisture and nutrients.  With only a few exceptions, anything that you’re not going to use right away can then be preserved by chilling in the refrigerator.

Think carefully about how you are going to lay out your vegetable garden.  Unlike most other gardens, you want to consider practicality over aesthetics for your vegetables.  Some vegetables emit chemicals that can inhibit another’s growth; some tall vegetables might overshadow small vegetables, which might not allow them to grow and ripen.  Look at each vegetable plant’s properties and carefully consider where to put it in your garden.

6.  Water efficiently

Watering in the early in the morning is the most efficient time to water, and it will cut down on the water bill.  The heat and the sun makes the water evaporate before it soaks it in.  Watering closer to the ground will also minimize evaporation permitting your plants to receive the maximum amount of water.

7.  Prepare your plants for temperature change.

Remember, before you replant your flowers or vegetables outside in cooler weather, you need to get them ready for the change in temperature and light!

For a few weeks, move your plants to a colder spot with no light for a few hours.  Gradually increase the amount of time you leave your plants in the cold.  After a few weeks, your plants should be ready for the cooler outdoors.

8.  Know your soil.

Before you being planning and planting your garden, be sure to test the pH of the soil.  The acidity or alkalinity of the soil has a huge impact on the types of crops that can be successful on the plot.  Take readings from several different areas of the garden as pH can differ from spot to spot.  Adjust the soil or your plants as necessary based on what you find.

9.  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.

10.  Use a soaker hose.

When watering your garden, consider a soaker hose instead of using a hose or watering can.

If you turn the soaker hoses pressure onto low, you can leave your water on for hours which will allow a part of your garden to be slowly irrigated.  This can provide you with time to do other things.

11.  Use organic fertilizers

Most organic fertilizers will not harm the soft roots of plants, unlike, synthetic fertilizers.  A great way to use an organic fertilizer is to mix it with the top two inches of soil next to the plant.  This is called side-dressing, and it is usually worked into the soil during the growing season.

12.  Pull weeds by hand.

Although there are many organic weed killers available on the market, it is often best and a real money saver to pull weeds by hand.

If you keep up with it regularly, you can easily pull weeds before their roots are established.  Wear gloves and be sure to pull out both the foliage and roots.

13.  Plant tomato seedlings up to the first true leaves.

When planting your tomato seedlings in your organic garden, you should plant them up to the first true leaves, which will bury the stem.

The reason is because new roots will sprout on these buried stems.  The more roots there are in a seedling, the more fruit it will produce.

14.  Mulch soil with pine needles for acid loving plants.

When you are maintaining acid loving plants mulch your soil with pine needles every fall.  As the pine needles decompose over the winter months they will deposit their acid into the soil and give your acid loving botanicals what they need to thrive instead of relying on harsh chemical fertilizers.

15.  Hose reels are a vital piece of equipment for the organic garden.

You can use reels to keep hoses neat and prevent time-wasting tangles.  Untangling a hose is possibly the least enjoyable way to spend your gardening time.  This hassle is easily avoided by purchasing a reel will rid any unnecessary frustration.

16.  Another Component of Organic Gardening is using Hydroponics.

We have some personal experience with hydroponics  growing our salad vegetables throughout the winter.  We found it very satisfying and rewarding.

What is hydroponic gardening you might ask, well in simple terms hydroponics is a type of horticulture which involves growing plants, usually without soil, by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions in an artificial environment.  Aquatic plants may grow freely with their roots exposed to the nutritious liquid or the roots may be supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, etc.

In conclusion:

Make your organic gardening experience easier.  You want to plan your landscaping around native flowers, bushes and grasses.  If you find plants that work with your specific type of soil and climate, you won’t need special pesticides or fertilizers.  Native plants will thrive if you encourage growth with organically made compost.

So, whether you are a new or experienced gardener, you’ve now got some ideas that you can implement in your garden.  Few things in life are more satisfying than working the soil; and it’s even more satisfying when you can do it nature’s way.