Organic Gardening And You – Let’s Get Started!
Organic gardening is an excellent way to make sure that your family is getting the best produce that they can. You will not be using any pesticides, and since you are growing everything yourself, there is no need to worry about how the produce was handled. Here are some tips to get your organic garden going.
Always grow what works in the right area. If cabbage does not work in one climate, but carrots do, then it is a robust carrot crop that needs to be planted and the cabbage crop should be small. Talk to the neighbors and see what is working for them to maximize the output of your own garden.
Knowing the layout of your yard and what kind of soil you have can greatly improve your gardening experience. By knowing this, you can figure out what seeds will work with your current yard or if you need to create a different environment around your planting preferences. Different plants require different nutrients, so plan accordingly.
Be sure to water your garden daily. Without daily water, your garden may quickly turn sour. If the idea of pulling out a hose daily is too much for you to stomach, consider installing some sort of sprinkler system. There is a cost, but it can save a lot of headaches and actually pay for itself via a healthy crop!
For garden plants that crave and need a lot of water, use five gallon buckets to keep those thirsty fruits and vegetables happy. Simply drill or punch several 1/8″ to 1/4″ holes into the bottom of a five gallon bucket, fill with water and set near the parched plant. Gravity allows for a slow and steady watering of those plants and if you live in an area where you get frequent rain, you will be capturing plenty of rain water to keep those buckets fairly full all season long.
You can test the viability of your seeds by soaking them overnight. Drop them into a container of water and keep them in a dark place for a day. Check the location of the seeds. If they sank to the bottom, they are usable. If they float the the top, they may be dead.
When planting tomato seedlings, be sure to plant them all the way up to the first set of leaves. This allows the plant to grow a larger and deeper root system. The more roots your plant sprouts, the more tomatoes the plant will be capable of supporting and the more flavorful they will be.
To give your plants all the iron they need, bury old, rusty pieces of steel in your garden. Damaged steel should break down quickly, allowing the soil to absorb iron from it and feed it back to your plants. This is also a useful way to get rid of junk that might be clogging up your garage.
Grow sweet basil easily. Basil is an annual herb, and very sensitive to cold, so try growing it in a pot in a sunny kitchen window. Continuous harvesting of the plant encourages growth so be sure to pick the top leaves constantly. It can be grown in the garden, but beware of lower night-time temperatures as this will cause the entire plant to wilt or even die.
Wash off your garden harvest before taking it inside your home. Use a laundry basket or some other plastic basket with holes. You can spray down your fruits and vegetables easily with water inside the basket, and the water and dirt will run out. You could also save the water that runs out to water your plants with.
Dry your herbs immediately after harvesting them to prevent rot. Rot is usually caused by moisture either within the herb or on top of it. Moisture can cause the production of harmful bacteria that may cause rot on the herb, or produce a nasty by-product which will then spoil your harvest.
You have learned a lot of tips for organic gardening. Using these tips will save you a lot of money at the grocery store. The price for organic produce is very high, and there is no need to spend so much money, when you can grow it yourself for a minimal cost.
