You know how to garden pretty well, and you have a rough idea of what it takes to consider something to be be organically grown, however you do not know exactly what organic gardening is. This article will break it down for you easily and help to clear up any confusion that you may have.
When you are ready to mulch, choose an organic mulch. Cocoa hulls or weed-free straw are great examples. The mulch will eventually decompose and add rich, organic nutrients to your soil. Just add a couple of inches to your garden each year and you will see the long-term benefits.
Ward off infestation of annoying garden pests like aphids by lightly spraying the stems, leaves, and buds of your flowers with a heavily diluted mixture of warm, soapy water and a few drops of liquid dish washing soap. Next, follow-up by rinsing with a generous spray of water. This is effective for even the most serious aphid problem.
TIP! You need to be aware of the levels of the soil in your organic garden. Check your compost balances for both acid and alkaline soils.
Use plants that work together. Some plants take nutrients away from the soil while others fixate those same-lost nutrients. Traditionally, vegetables are planted with a crop rotation because of the ability of certain crops to replenish the natural nitrogen in the ground. However, you may be able to take advantage of this knowledge by pairing up "companion plants".
Choose the correct spot for growing organic vegetables. An organic garden needs to be self-sustaining, with the ability to defend itself from damage. This defense is promoted by four factors: water, sun, soil and air circulation. Choose a sunny spot, preferably with both morning and afternoon sun. In humid areas, morning sun is important to dry dew quickly, avoiding fungus. If your soil is clay or sandy, amend it with peat to improve water retention and drainage.
If you have children and want to become more involved with them, starting a small organic garden can be a great way. This type of hobby is wonderful for family bonding but also helps your children to start to understand many of the basics of the circle of life and growth.
TIP! Keep plastic grocery bags convenient to the nearest door to your garden. Working in your organic garden can be greatly enjoyable, but also messy.
Use organic mulch. Any material that is spread over the soil is considered mulch. It helps to keep weeds at bay, holds moisture in the soil, and keeps the ground cool in summer and warm in winter. Examples of mulch include compost, shredded leaves, fine wood chips, straw and grass clippings.
Organic gardening includes those choices made in the garden and landscape to provide overall eco-efficiency, with planting trees one of the best methods out there. Planting trees not only provides a great value on the home as they grow in size, but they also provide great shade to the home and property, reducing electricity use in cooling, while freshening the air you breathe as well.
Hand weed your organic garden on a regular basis. Just get on your knees, put your hands in the dirt, and pull weeds out by their roots. If you do this regularly, you can avoid having to use harmful pesticides. Your garden will stay healthy, safe, and organic.
TIP! To conserve water when you're gardening, be sure to use three inches of organic mulch. The mulch will help your plants to absorb the water slowly over time, allowing you to use less water than you normally would.
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.
Here is a thrifty and easy organic gardening tip. Always leave a portion of your plants unharvested so that you can collect their seeds later. You can label the seeds and use them next season to reproduce the best of last years crops. They also come in handy for seed swaps among the gardening community. So, let some of your plants go to seed! You will be glad you did when next season rolls around.
Organic gardening means trying to grow plants as naturally as possible without the use of chemicals. So when the time comes to kill harmful, plant-eating insects, try planting a few flowers in your vegetable garden. The flowers will attract beneficial insects that naturally kill the harmful ones. These beneficial insects perform other valuable services like pollination as well as pest control.
TIP! Make your garden appeal to you. A garden should appeal to all your five senses.
If you use an open compost pile to mix and build your garden compost material, place it in an area that is not too near your garden. It is best to leave at least six feet of open area between the compost pile and your garden. Planting your garden too close to the compost pile, where it can come in contact with immature compost, can cause your plant roots to be damaged.
In conclusion, you came into this article wondering exactly what organic gardening was and now, you should have a pretty clear idea of what it is. Hopefully, this new knowledge will help you not only to expand your garden, but also allow you to share this information with people who have the same interests.
