Provide Your Family With Fresh Food With Organic Gardening

Posted by The Popular News Today on Saturday, April 28, 2012

By Elden Kang


Hobbies don't have to be very energetic. They can be very relaxing, yet be enough to keep you very busy. The perfect example of this kind of hobby is organic gardening. The main goal is growing natural, pesticide-free food for your own personal use. You can relax with this hobby too if you follow the tips below.

Weed control in your organic garden will be more challenging than a conventional garden because you can't use chemical herbicides. One of the best ways to control weeds without using chemicals is creating ground cover with mulch. Save tree trimmings and grass clippings from elsewhere in your garden and spread them around your plants to a depth of about 3 inches. This should be enough to prevent weeds from germinating and growing.

There's an easier way to get rid of low-growing weeds than plucking them out one at a time. When weeds like chickweed become matted, just slice under them with a sharp spade and flip them over to bury their leaves. As the weeds die and decompose, they will also help nourish your soil.

Be sure to research what kind of plants you have in your organic garden and what types of plants you plan on adding. There are some types of flowers such as poinsettias, sweet peas, amaryllises, irises, and oleanders that are incredibly poisonous. Use caution when planting something in your garden.

It's all about the compost in an organic garden. Good compost will help improve the soil's structure, aeration, and texture, while also helping to increase the soil's capacity for holding a lot of water. Compost can also help better promote soil fertility, along with helping to stimulate healthier root development.

Be aware of what your plants will become when they grow to adulthood in your organic garden. This is so you can take their adult size into consideration when deciding where to plant them in your garden. Try layering them by height and blooming time for a bit of emphasis and constant pops of color.

In your organic garden, try using floating row covers to prevent moths from laying eggs on your plants. Floating row covers, which are made from lightweight material that has been specially designed to allow light and water to penetrate it, can be used as an effective cover for your plants to stop moths from laying eggs. This helps to protect your plants from caterpillar damage later in the growing season.

Keep your seeds warm and humid. Most seeds are healthy at a temperature of about seventy degrees. Place your pots next to a heating vent or install an additional heater if needed. You can cover your pots with plastic films so that the seeds can keep their humidity and warmth.

Organically grown greens and herbs are the perfect multitasking plants for gardeners who have an interest in cooking and spices. Most herbs and spices require only the bare minimum of maintenance and require very little preparation for use in cooking and seasoning. Herbs are fragrant, flavorful, and perfect for landscaping or window gardening.

If you don't have the space to have an actual garden in the ground, it's perfectly acceptable to have an organic garden in containers. There are only a few root vegetables like asparagus that won't grow well in containers, so feel free to explore. Containers are perfect to grow organic tomatoes, green beans, green onions and many other organic vegetables.

To conserve water and protect your plants, use a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler. A soaker hose is a hose with small holes that lies at the base of your plants and administers water directly to the soil. This deters evaporation and keeps water from touching the foliage, which can cause fungus and disease.

To prepare the ground for your organic perennial plants, simply cut the turf and turn it over a few weeks before planting time. Spread wood chips a few inches deep on the freshly-turned soil, and within a couple of weeks the ground will be ideal for your organic perennials. These hardy plants need only a little bit of preparation.

Not only will creating your own garden save you money and give you healthier fruits and vegetables, but it will also help your state of mind as you work in your garden and grow your very own food. Use these tips to become your own farmer, and reap the benefits!




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