In the world of organic gardening, there are plenty of great resources available to both new and experienced organic gardeners alike. There are many e-guides, books, videos, and other resources available. This set of tips contains some of the best advice for helping a good organic gardener become a great organic gardener.
A raised bed can be built with untreated wood, brick or stone. Make sure the wood you use is untreated and rot resistant. The best varieties include cedar, locust and cypress wood. It is particular important that you don't use treated wood for vegetable beds, as the chemicals and toxins on the wood could leach into the soil and be absorbed by food plants. If you must use treated wood, consider using a liner to keep chemicals out of the soil.
You should rotate your garden every year. If you keep planting the same thing in a particular area every year, it can cause a buildup of disease in the soil. The soil might contain fungus or diseases specific to one type of plant. By mixing up your plants and planting them in different areas, you'll be using a natural way to keep away any fungus and other diseases.
Organic gardening is a relatively new term but the methods used have been around for centuries. It was how gardening was done for most of the history of cultivation. The pilgrims saw the Indians' squash and corn and beans flourishing, and learned from them to place fish in the ground as a fertilizer. You too can create your own compost pile, this way your organic garden has some organic fertilizer. You can recycle, decrease on your trash and do wonders for the produce you are going to grow.
Organic foods do not possess any pesticides on them. Although this is great for your health, you need to make sure that you check all the produce careful for any bugs or pests before consuming.
An old laundry basket works great for gathering produce from your garden. It makes a great strainer for your vegetables. When you put your produce in a basket, you can then rinse it off and let it strain any excess water through the laundry basket holes.
You can plant your organic garden in a shady area. A shade garden does not require a lot of maintenance from you. This type of garden requires only a small amount of water, which makes it especially easy to maintain. Although your plants will grow slower because of this, there also won't be as many weeds to pull.
A good thing to know when it comes to your organic garden, and running it, is to, a couple times a day, lightly ruffle the seedlings with cardboard or your hand. While it might sound strange, research has shown that this method can increase the size of your plants.
Spray your garden plants with a mixture of one part milk and six parts water, on a regular basis. Doing so will help keep dangerous powdery mildew at bay. You can store the mixture in the fridge for as long as three weeks. The solution is safe for daily use until you get the mildew under control.
Plants are bound to be healthier if placed in healthier soil, therefore they will be able to avoid diseases as well as damage that can be caused by insects. Although insects will likely still remain, they won't have the ability to cause great damage to the plants.
You can grow many different plants in your garden. Treat plants that thrive in acid to some mulch. These kinds of plants need to be mulched with thick layers of pine needles during fall each year. As the needles begin to decompose, they'll start depositing natural acid to the soil.
Pine can make for a great type of mulch. Acidic soil is a favorite of garden plants that are high in acidity. When you have plants like this, nothing is easier than to gather pine needles for your beds. Using several inches of needles to cover your beds provides acid for the soil as they begin to decompose.
Use mulch to enhance the health of your soil. The soil can be greatly enhanced by adding a good layer of mulch to it. Mulch will ensure your soil is kept cool on hot days and protect your roots. Mulch slows down evaporation, thus helps your soil retain its moisture. Mulch is also great for controlling weed growth.
If you are planning to grow plants within the house, the temperature should be maintained between 65 and 75 degrees within the daylight hours. They need this type of warm temperature in order to grow. If you aren't wanting your house to be this warm in the winter, you can use a heat lamp on the plants.
Weeds can plague all types of gardens. You can use this to kill weeds in your garden and keep it organic.
Try to use at least three inches of some organic material for mulching trees and flowers. This method will save you money by conserving water and is good for the environment, too. Mulching is not only frugal, it is also quite attractive.
Pine needles make a great organic mulch. Some plants need acidic soil to grow properly, because of their own acid content. When you have plants like this, nothing is easier than to gather pine needles for your beds. Spread the needles over the beds in a layer that is approximately 2-inches deep. Over time, the needles will begin to decay, supplying the soil with acid as they do.
Though organic farming can present challenges that traditional farming with the use of chemicals does not, harvesting the crops is reward itself for the hard work. Growing your crops organically will offer the best reward for those who eat the foods.
Use whatever leftovers you have from preparing your fresh vegetables and put them back in the garden. These veggies decay quickly, which then leech vital nutrients into your new plants that are growing. Add some to your compost pile and bury some pieces right away.
You can keep bugs out of your organic garden by planting garlic in different areas. The smell of garlic will deter insects from inhabiting your garden. Garlic should be planted around the perimeter of your garden, as well as near any plants that are known to attract insects. Garlic shouldn't, of course, be considered only useful for pest control. It is actually a valuable culinary addition to your garden.
Planting organic strawberries is a great way to encourage your children to get involved. Kids are quite eager to pick fruit from a garden, and will help with the planting if they get a nice snack out of it at the end.
Reading these tips probably cleared up some of the questions you had about organic gardening. Hopefully, it made organic gardening seem less intimidating. It is relatively easy to have an organic garden, that you can show off with pride. Soon you can have fresh, environmentally-friendly fruits and vegetables on your table
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