Down To Earth Home and Garden | vegetable garden

Archive for December, 2009

AeroGarden 6-Pod Seed Kit
Organic Gardening Advantages

The definition of organic gardening is a garden that does not use pesticides to kill pests. This method can be used in either vegetable or flower gardens. In vegetable gardens organic is the safest for you since you will be consuming what you have grown. But, if you utilize it in flower gardening also, it is safest for the environment.

Raising an organic garden has many sound reasons to encourage gardeners to go this route. As mentioned above all of your vegetables will be pesticide free, which means no poison on the food you are growing. While in flower gardening, many people plant flowers that will attract butterflies or bees which you won’t attract if you use pesticides. You especially want to remain pesticide free if you have small children or pets because chemicals could be harmful for them.
Gardening Nature’s Way Organic Gardening Step 1
Your organic garden will be anything but simple gardening. Every garden takes effort and research and your organic garden is no exception. As with all gardens you must start with a plan. Research the plants you wish to grow. Find out what their needs are when it comes to light, fertilizer, PH in the soil and drainage. Be diligent in picking a spot that is well suited to your plants. If you are planting an herb garden select a site that is close to your kitchen door for easy harvesting. Find out if there are companion plants and if there are, consider using them.

When planting an organic garden you will need some really good compost. You can make your compost out of soil and organic matter. Organic matter includes leaves, manure, vegetable refuse, coffee grinds and eggshells. You can include peels from fruits and vegetables. (Potato skins, apple skins, orange rinds, etc.) Start your compost early, find a place to put your compost and work it frequently. By working it I mean turn it with a shovel so the organic material will break down. When you are ready to start planting work your compost into the garden beds before you plant.

Your garden location is very important. You need to pick a spot that gets lots of light and drains well. If it is a very windy spot you will have to figure out some way of sheltering. Don’t pick a low spot on your property since that might flood during heavy rains. You really want to put the garden in a place that has easy access for you and for watering with your hose.

Mentioned above were companion plants. Companion plants are plants that repel unwanted pests. If you plant roses, plant some garlic. It is said that garlic will repel rose’s nemesis, aphids. Cucumber beetles will not be a worry if you plant oregano. Marigolds will also repel many pests. For a good natural pesticide follow this recipe:
The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

If you come up with a good plan you can have flowers and vegetables mixed together. Make sure that you know your zone and the conditions that apply in your area. Flower and vegetable gardens will be very different in Alaska than in Florida.

Your organic garden will take some work, but it will not be in vain when you can sit back and enjoy your beautiful blooms or make some culinary delights from the vegetables and herbs you have grown.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at Gardening Landscaping Tips Gardening Outside and Herb Gardening

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Rebecca’s Garden, Vol. 4: Container Gardening
Organic Container Gardening – No Garden? No Problem

If you want to try your hand at growing your own organic flowers and vegetables but have no garden, don’t worry. Many people grow organic products successfully using a container. You can keep the container wherever is convenient or move it around if you need to.

A container describes any vessel which can hold soil. It might be natural, such as a clay or wooden container, or you can use an old wheelbarrow, plastic carton or bucket. As long as it is not going to fall to bits when watered, you can make use of it. It is important that your chosen container can drain because most plants dislike being over-watered. If the container does not have holes in it, you can make some with a drill or knitting needle, depending what the container is made out of. An inch or so of broken clay pots, gravel or pebbles in the bottom of the pot ensures good drainage, while a layer of leaf mold or ripped up paper on top of the clay or gravel can help to retain adequate moisture.
Container Gardening from the Ground Up
Living, organic soil is very important in organic container gardening. If you are using a garden, you can gradually add organic matter to the existing soil but if you plan to use a container, you need to begin with organic soil. You need organic soil, capable of holding water without drenching the plants’ roots too much because there is no subsoil in the container. Adding peat moss to the organic soil is a good way to do that. You can grow organic products in peat moss by itself without adding soil if you prefer.

Depending on the size of your chosen container, you can grow whatever you like in it. As long as the pot is big enough, you can choose from herbs, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, lettuce and many other vegetables. Organic seeds and plants should be used for organic gardening to produce a true organic product, but as long as you don’t plan to sell the product, it is up to you. It can be fun to experiment!

Pest control is much easier in organic container gardening than in regular gardening. You can see the whole plant and pick off bugs such as hookworms. You can bring it to a faucet to wash the leaves and stem when the plant is in a pot instead of in the garden. You probably won’t see cutworms if you are using containers but you might find slugs. Simply sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the soil around your produce to get rid of them.
Container Gardens for Florida
If aphids make a home on your plant, you can sort this problem out by buying a pack of ladybugs which will eat the aphids without destroying your produce.

Anyone can have a go at organic container gardening. It is easy and can be very satisfying to grow your own food. Organic food tastes so good too. If you can place your container in a sheltered area with natural light, it is possible to grow produce in it throughout the year.

Author:
Lee Dobbins: Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.backyard-garden-and-patio.com where you can learn more about organic container gardening.

Terms: Articles may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live

Source: www.articledepot.co.uk