A lot of us plant our gardens during the spring and summer months in order to have fresh vegetables for our families. Although you may not call this “organic,” that’s exactly what it is if you’re not using chemical enhancers to assist you. Find out how to grow a great organic garden by reading these tips.
When running your own organic garden, you should consider digging small ditches in between your plant rows. This will assist the water in flowing straight to the plants so that you will not have to water them quite as often. Doing this will save water, which in turn will save you money.
Create biodiversity in your garden. The more varieties of plants that are around the more wildlife will be around. Plant all different types of plants in your garden to try to recreate a natural environment. In a natural environment there will be more than just one kind of plant growing.
When it is time to gather your produce, you should use an older laundry basket. A laundry basket will act as a strainer for your produce. You can rinse your produce off while it is in the basket, and the excess water will strain through the holes of your laundry basket.
Take steps to protect earthworms in your organic garden. Till your soil minimally, as tilling can kill earthworms. The best tilling depth is 3 to 5 inches. Avoid using chemical fertilizers because they harm the micro-organisms in the soil, decreasing earthworm activity. Be sure that the soil never dries out too much, but at the same time avoid over-watering. By maintaining these soil conditions, you will notice your earthworm population increasing rapidly!
If your garden includes plants that prefer acidic soil, such as begonias, roses, and strawberries, you should mulch with a generous layer (two to three inches) of discarded pine needles at the beginning of the autumnal season. As the pine needles slowly decompose, they will release trace amounts of acid into the soil.
To make your organic gardening venture as environmentally friendly as it is healthy, consider making your own mulch. To make your own mulch, all you need is a soil sample combined with your leftover food products. You can buy a mulcher or manually mulch your waste simply by turning it over every few days.
A great way to deal with weeds in a safe and nontoxic way, is to use a spray bottle of diluted dish soap to treat areas with overgrowth in your garden. Use a ratio of one tablespoon of mild dish soap per 16 ounces of water. Spray the weeds once a day and with in a week they should shrivel up and be easier to pull out.
People often do not realize that they’re actually gardening in an organic fashion until they learn what it is. Likewise, people gardening by using chemicals often fail to realize the benefits of going organic. Make sure you’re ready to use the tips you’ve learned here to get the most out of your garden.
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