Organic Gardening

If you're thinking about starting a garden, the first thing you need to
consider is what type of garden you will have. There are many different
choices and often it can be hard to pick just one, but hopefully you can
narrow it down. But by narrowing it down, you'll make the gardening
experience easier on yourself and the plants. If all your plants are
similar, then it shouldn't be very hard to care for them all. So here are
some of the main garden ideas for you to choose from.

If you're just looking for something to look nice in your yard, you'll
want a flower garden. These are usually filled with perennial flower.
Perennial flowers are flowers which stay healthy year-round. They're
basically weeds because of their hardiness, only nice looking. Different
areas and climates have different flowers which are considered perennials.
If you do a quick internet search for your area, you can probably find a
list of flowers that will bring your flower garden to life. These usually
only require work in the planting stage - after that, the flower take care
of themselves. The only downside to this is that you don't have any
product to show for it.

Another choice for your garden is to have a vegetable garden. These
usually require a little more work and research than a flower garden, but
can be much more rewarding. No matter what time of the year it is, you can
usually find one vegetable that is still prospering. That way you can have
your garden be giving you produce almost every day of the year! When
starting a vegetable garden, you should build it with the thought in mind
that you will be adding more types of veggies in later. This will help
your expandability. Once all your current crops are out of season, you
won't be stuck with almost nowhere to put the new crops. A vegetable
garden is ideal for someone who wants some produce, but doesn't want to
devote every waking hour to perfecting their garden (see below.)

One of the more difficult types of gardens to manage is a fruit garden.
It's definitely the most high-maintenance. When growing fruits, many more
pests will be attracted due to the sweetness. You not only have to deal
with having just the right dirt and fertilizer, you have to deal with
choosing a pesticide that won't kill whoever eats the fruits. Your fruit
garden will probably not produce year-round. The soil needs to be just
right for the plants to grow, and putting in another crop during its
off-season could be disastrous to its growth process. If you're willing to
put lots of work into maintaining a garden, then a fruit garden could be a
good choice for you.

So now that we've outlined some of the main garden types that people
choose, hopefully you can make a good decision. Basically, the garden type
comes down to what kind of product you want, and how much work you want to
put into it. If you're looking for no product with no work, go with a
flower garden. If you want lots of delicious product, but you are willing
to spend hours in your garden each day, then go for a fruit garden. Just
make sure you don't get into something you can't handle!

Five Common Mistakes To Avoid In Organic Gardening

More and more people are shifting to organic gardening because of the numerous benefits associated with it. Organic gardening is not only effective, but also environmental friendly. If you are a beginner, then you should avoid some of the common mistakes that many first-timers often make.

1. Do Not Over Water Or Under Water

Both over watering and under watering are injurious to your plants' health. Plants with deep roots can pick up more water. Over watering can cause plants to develop shallow root systems. So the best thing to do is to thoroughly water your plants only once a week. This would help in the development of a deep penetrating root system.
Under watering leads to dehydration. This weakens the plants and makes them susceptible to diseases.
Mulching prevents over watering and dehydration. Water deeply and then mulch. You do not need to water if it is raining and in between your annuals.

2. Do Not Use Inorganic Fertilizers

Yes, a few green crystals will give your plants a lush green look, but only for a short time. The lush growth will soon attract bugs and you will then end up using more pesticide.
Inorganic fertilizers contain too much salt and heavy metals, and prevent the growth of earthworms and soil microorganisms. They provide nutrients to the plant, but do not enrich the soil.
On the other hand, organic fertilizers release the nutrients slowly into the soil. They enrich the soil, thereby providing food for your plants for a long time.

3. Do Not Over Fertilize Your Garden

Using too much organic or inorganic fertilizer is not good. The idea is to maintain the soil's pH balance. If your soil's pH balance is okay, then one inch of compost is sufficient for your vegetables and flowers for a whole year. Adding too much organic fertilizer will only lead to an excessive growth. Adding sufficient compost every year will lead to a balanced pH in the soil. Remember some plants do not need compost. Plants take their nutrients from the top soil, so there is no need to put the fertilizer deep into the ground soil.

4. Do Not Mulch On The Tree Trunk

Mulching has many benefits if done properly. But the rule is to leave few inches between the mulch and the trunk. The mulch should be only 3 inches deep. Some people mulch right up to the trunk. This should be avoided as it only encourages diseases and rot to set in.

5. Do Not Plant Without Planning

Plan your organic garden before you plant anything. Planning will take into consideration availability of water, whether your garden should be north facing or south facing, windy nature of the area, etc. Planning will ensure that trees do not shade your flower or vegetable area, they do not crowd and they do not damage power lines and your house. Check with your family to decide what to plant and how much area to utilize for your organic garden.

A little care will go a long way to develop a healthy way of living for you and your family. Go organic now.