Yum! There is nothing better than the taste of produce you grew in your own organic garden. There is just something about it! Maybe it is the sense of accomplishment! Or, just the fact that the tomato taste like a tomato! Needless to say, it is an accomplishment because not all gardens produce. Following are some handy tips and tricks to help your garden be a success!
If you have a high priority for sustainability in your organic gardening, try leaving a corner of the property undeveloped as a mini wildlife refuge. The kind of birds and insects needed for pollination will be naturally present on your property and help with your organic garden.
Blend flowering fruit shrubs into your regular landscape. Don’t have a separate area to turn into a garden? Elderberries, blueberries and currants have pretty flowers in springtime and look great in the fall as well. The side benefit of these landscape-enhancing plants is all the fruit they produce for you to enjoy.
If you have a compost pile, but have very few leaves to add to it this fall, try incorporating straw or hay into your compost pile. This is a great way to add carbon which is very beneficial to the growth and health of plants. The straw and hay may contain seeds, so it is best to use an organic weed spray on your compost pile to get rid of the unwanted weeds.
Calculate how much water your plants truly need. Thinner plants generally need more water; they contain larger surface area with less capacity to store water. Plants with large, thick waxy leaves are often more suited for water-starved environments. Over-watering may also cause problems with the plant due to microbial growth on their roots.
Before you begin planting in your garden, it’s a good idea to test your soil’s acidity first. Home testing kits are readily available. Your soil should have a pH around 6.5 for most vegetables. If the pH is too low, you can boost it by spreading lime. If it’s too high, you can use powdered sulfur.
If you are new to organic gardening and are interested in growing vegetables, you should be aware that certain plants are much easier to start with than others. For example, broccoli, onions, and peppers are amongst the easiest. You should also be aware that different plants have different growing timetables. These timetables are available online. After selecting which plants you want to grow, look up their timetables so you know when to plant them.
Stay shallow in the soil when you are working it. You do not need to break your back digging deep in your organic garden. Keep your depth to an average of six inches. Nearly eighty-five percent of all plant roots only require the top six inches of soil. That should make your work easier.
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.
Be careful when you are moving your plants from plastic containers to the soil. Plants often will end up with bound roots when they have spent too much time in plastic. Turn the plastic container upside-down slowly and tap gently to remove plant. Avoid damaging the plants delicate root system.
Make sure you look at what lies beneath in order to start off on the right foot. When you are purchasing tomato seedlings for your organic garden, you should watch out for lush green starts with bad root systems. If starts don’t have a good root system, they’ll remain attached to the seedlings for a long time. The seedlings won’t be able to thrive until the starts have been removed.
Encourage earthworms in your soil. Earthworms make for healthy soil by eating the soil and thereby aerating it in the process. They also leave behind their castings, or vermicast, which is a great organic nutrient-rich fertilizer. The vermicast also retains water and nutrients better than soil without worms.
If you want to have an organic garden, you should make sure you do not have any need for bug sprays. Maintaining healthy soil will help immensely with pest management. Healthy soil will help to produce healthy plants. Healthy plants are better able to withstand insect damage and disease.
Hopefully, the above tips and tricks will help you to make a success of your organic garden! There is nothing like the taste of produce you grew in your own garden. Can you taste the tomato now? Wow! You should be proud of what you accomplish! Apply the information that best suits your circumstances and tastes! Enjoy your produce!
