In the world of organic gardening, there are plenty of great resources available to both new and experienced organic gardeners alike. There are many e-guides, books, videos, and other resources available. This set of tips contains some of the best advice for helping a good organic gardener become a great organic gardener.
Companion Plants
Use companion plants within your garden. Some plants have a natural affinity with other plants and will aid each other’s growth when placed next to each other. Chemically-based products can be avoided if you let the plants deal with insects and naturally fertilize each other. One example of companion plants in action is the ability of foul-smelling herbs and vegetables to repel insects.
Pine needles make a great organic mulch. Some plants need acidic soil to grow properly, because of their own acid content. Pine needles are an excellent form of mulch for these types of plants. Cover the beds with a couple inches of needles and as they decompose, they will disperse acid to the soil.
If you sell or use organically grown produce in a commercial setting, you should communicate your commitment to natural growing by becoming certified. This will increase sales and shows your customers they’ve been buying from the best.
Use a mixture of six parts water and one part milk to spray the plants in your garden regularly. Doing so will aid in the prevention of powdery mildew, a detrimental disease. This solution will keep for up to 21 days when stored in a refrigerator. You can use it once each day until mildew is no longer a problem.
Be aware of spacing considerations when you are first planting your organic garden. It can be easy to underestimate how much space your plants will need once they begin growing. Beyond just the physical space that the plants will need, you should also consider the airflow that the plants will require. Think ahead and give each plant room for expansion, by properly spacing the seeds.
Use alcohol to help control the slugs in your garden by fashioning a beer trap. To create a beer trap, dig a hole in your garden that is the depth of a glass jar, leaving the mouth of the jar level with the soil. Pour beer into the jar until it’s almost full. Leave an inch of space between the beer and the jar top. Slugs will crawl into the jar to get the beer and not be able to get out again.
A solution of garlic, chives, or onions with water is a terrific, organic tonic able to thwart garden pests. You can make this organic spray by finely chopping chives, onions or peeled garlic, and adding them to half a cup of water. After steeping for a little while, strain the water into a spray bottle.
Organic Compost
Leaves make for a good organic compost pile which you can mix in with soil. As the leaves rot, they create a nutrient dense compost that will keep your garden healthy. This is a cheap, effective method to obtain organic compost to use in your garden.
The buddy system can even help your garden. When certain plants are planted near one another, they will assist their each other in growing. These companion plants repel pests and enrich the soil, and helps to avoid the use of pesticides and fertilizers. For example, any plant that has a heavy smell will help repel pests.
An easy to grow plant to grow in your organic garden is garlic. Plant organic cloves in spring or fall and use moist, drained soil. Set them four inches apart, approximately one to two inches deep into the soil, with their ends up. You can use the tops of the garlic shoots instead of scallions or chives. You know your bulbs are ready when they turn brown on their tops. Dry the bulbs in the sun in order to harden their skin. The garlic may then be stored within a cool location tied together in bunches or simply loose.
If you want to plant a new tree or shrub, dig a hole as naturally as possible. When holes you have dug end up with slick sides due to the shovel you used, it is possible that the roots may not be able to sink into the soil properly.
Weeds are annoying to any garden, organic or otherwise. This organic weed killer is safe for both your garden and you.
Don’t let the chores for your organic garden pile up. Even if you are too busy to tend to your gardens needs every day, you can try little things that will prevent you from having a lot of work when you return to your garden. Take the time to do a little weeding or something else that needs to be done each time you have to be outside keeping an eye on your dog, which for some can be several times a day.
When composting lawn clippings, leaves, and other materials, it is best to add the same amount of green, freshly-cut material as you do dried material. Green plant material consists of spent flowers, veggie and fruit waste, leaves, weeds, and grass clippings. Dry materials, like sawdust, cut up wood pieces, cardboard, straw and shredded paper are good for your compost pile. Avoid meat, ashes, charcoal, plants with diseases and manure from carnivores.
Rotate the plants that you grow each year by switching up where you plant them. Keeping plants that belong to the same family in the same place can eventually spark fungus growth and disease. The problems leech into the soil, staying there for the next year’s crop. Changing your planting layout will allow you to avoid costly problems and have large, bountiful plants.
You undoubtedly have a greater understanding of all that is involved with successful organic gardening after reading this article. There are many resources available; you just have to learn how to find and use them. If you use what you’ve learned and keep on learning, you can come up with your own methods of growing a lovely organic garden.
Top all your garden beds with several inches of organic mulch. This is a good way to keep weed growth at bay and add nutrients that you need in your garden. By adding mulch, you can give your flower beds a finished appearance.
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