Organic Gardening At Home

Firstly, organic gardening is not everyone's cup of tea. This is a hobby that entails a lot of hard work and getting your hands dirty. Therefore, before you venture into organic gardening, make sure that you have the time, energy and most of all, passion to make it work.

At the core of organic gardening is the basic rule of working with nature. You extract from the earth what you can and use them to your advantage to grow and maintain a healthy garden. So, you will need to learn the type of soil found in your garden, what type of plants or vegetables you can grow there and how you can maintain them.

There are various kits available in the market to check the soil's fertility and if suitable, you start by clearing it of weeds and stones. If the pH level of the soil is too high, you can try adding lime or sulphur to adjust it.

Supply the soil with the essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous by adding in compost, bone meal or rock phosphate. Some people also test the soil by mixing in some compost first. If the compost is able to integrate and stabilize itself with the soil, you can then start planting.

When it is time to go and buy the seeds for your garden, make sure that they can survive your existing environment in terms of soil suitability, sun exposure, water supply, pests presence and climate. It is also wise to know how big the vegetables will grow because you will then have a better idea of the spacing and layout when you begin planting. Also take note of the distance between seeds because you don't want the roots to fight for water and other nutrients.

To sustain your organic garden, you must also learn how to use and prepare organic matter to fertilize the soil. Unlike man-made fertilizers and pesticides, organic matter does not ruin the soil and make it unsuitable for replanting.

Organic matter to fertilize your garden can come in the form of fresh animal manure which should be mixed with the soil. Plowed it down during the fall period and by the time the planting season begins, the manure would have broken down completely to release the necessary ingredients to enable healthy crops to grow.

Of course not everyone has access to fresh manure or feel comfortable using it. Alternatively, you can obtain dried ones and such supplies are now widely available online.

Another popular supply source of organic matter is compost which is made up of items such as leaves and food waste. Many people actually don't buy compost but make it themselves. However, this involves a lot of work and time as you need to gather the necessary ingredients and ensure adequate moisture. Also bear in mind that compost may be cheap but it can be lacking in nutrient content.

One other method in organic gardening when it comes to fertilization is to grow a cover crop such as the annual ryegrass. You can start in fall and then use a large tiller and plow it under in early spring to build up the soil.

In conventional gardening, people would resort to pesticides to get rid of unwanted guests such as caterpillars, slush bugs and armyworms. But in organic gardening, there are various ways you can employ to get rid of these pests.

For instance, toads and birds are great insect killers. All you need to do is to create the right environment to attract these creatures into your garden and they will help take care of your plants. A bird house can lure birds into your garden while a small pond may make toads take up residence. Other insect killers include the preying mantis and ladybug.

A few types of plants too can be grown to deter certain creatures lurking in your garden. For example, you can try sage to repel butterflies. Do a little research and you will be able to know what are effective natural solutions to some of these pests.

1) Learn the basics of mulching. This prevents erosion and helps to moderate the soil's temperature, apart from helping with weed control.

2) Be picky about your vegetables. Check what can easily grow in your area beforehand rather than planting something that you like but will have a hard time surviving.

3) Remove weeds. Household vinegar can be a very effective weedkiller and all you need to do is spray a little at the spot where weeds are growing. Also remove weeds early because they are harder to get rid off once matured.

4) Practice crop rotation. This is one way to keep your soil fertile for future planting.

5) Plant different kinds of vegetables. A variety of vegetables help to draw insects to your garden which eat up pests that destroy your plants.

6) Introduce earthworms. These creatures aerate the soil and provide better drainage. They also leave casting that are very rich in nutrients which are beneficial to the soil.

7) Choose the right pesticide. If you are looking for a quick solution to pests, you can get organic pesticides for your problem. Find one that is effective for the type of pests lurking in your garden.

8) Take proper care of the soil. Never leave it untended. Feed it with the right things and have organic matters placed on the soil if you want healthy greens.

9) Water your plants. The type of vegetables and soil together with weather conditions affect the amount of watering needed. Find this out for proper care of your plants.

10) Never stop learning. For organic gardening to succeed takes hard work and patience. See it as a continuous learning process for a greener world.