If you are environmentally conscious and worried about the toxic effects of chemicals, organic gardening may be for you. Organic gardeners eschew the harsh chemicals and fertilizers used by large corporate farms. Organic gardening methods are extremely cheap for the most part. Here are some strategies to aid you in becoming a good organic gardener.
Strawberries are a great plant to grow in any organic garden, especially if you happen to have kids or any strawberry lover in your home. Kids delight in the idea of growing things and seeing how things change over time. Explain every step to your child and he or she will hang on to your every word.
Use about two to three inches of organic material as mulch in all of your flower beds. This fights weeds, retains moisture, and gives your garden valuable nutrients. This will also give a nice, professional appearance to your garden all year.
Laundry Basket
When the time comes to harvest your produce, collect it using an old laundry basket. This laundry basket can be used as a type of strainer for all your produce. If you hose off your produce in the laundry basket, the water will leave the basket through the holes in the sides.
When planting seeds into a container, the depth of your planting should be three times bigger than the seed. It is important to note though, that not all seeds are covered to this depth, as some need direct sunlight to grow properly. Ageratum and petunias fall into this category. If you are not sure whether your seeds need to be exposed to sunlight, resources are usually provided with the seeds or can be found online.
A raised bed can be built with untreated wood, brick or stone. If you choose to use wood, see to it that it’s untreated and that it can resist rotting. Some great choices to choose from are cedar, locust and cypress. In a veggie garden, don’t use treated wood since its chemicals can leech into the food crops and soil. If you already have treated lumber in use, line it with some plastic and replace the soil near it.
Add mulch to keep your soil healthy. The mulch acts as a protection for the soil under it. On hot days, mulch will also protect your plant’s roots by keeping them moist and cool. It will also stop the soil from losing it’s moisture in the hot sunlight. It will also serve as a method of controlling unwanted weeds.
If you over-water your plants, they can’t get all the nutrients they need from the dirt. Before heading out to water your plants, check the weather to see if rain is included in the immediate forecast. If showers are headed your way, it’s probably in your best interest to leave the water hose turned off.
While all kinds of gardening can help you feel more connected to the planet, gardening organically is especially good for this. Organic gardening is an excellent lesson in the plant life cycle and how to get the most from the planting process.
Utilizing the advice provided in this article in your organic gardening efforts will produce great results. You will quickly see your garden becoming more productive and healthy, while being free of toxins. A flourishing organic garden will also be an open invitation to some very interesting creatures of the wild that you can look forward to seeing.