Organic gardening has become very popular in recent years as people start to understand the consequences of corporate farming techniques. Many people who choose to live this lifestyle grow their own plants and herbs, so they can benefit from them. Organic produce is both nutritious and tasty, far surpassing the typical supermarket selection of fruits and vegetables. Rather than purchasing it from stores, you can choose to grow it yourself. This article will get you started with the knowledge you need to construct your personal organic garden.
Organic Gardening And You – Let’s Get Started!
In an organic garden, ruffle any seedlings with a piece of cardboard, or even your hand, a couple times each day. It sounds weird, but research has shown that handling the seedling like this often will make them grow bigger than seedlings that are ignored.
Open your imagination as to what type of plants you would like to plant into your organic garden. Treat plants that thrive in acid to some mulch. These kinds of plants will do better if they are mulched with a nice thick layer of needles from a pine tree during the fall season each year. The needles will decompose and transfer their acidity to the soil.
Help Your Backyard Plants Get the Nutrients They Need
All plants require certain nutrients for good growth. Carbon and oxygen are taken in through the leaves during photosynthesis, while the rest of the required nutrients normally are taken up through the roots. Most nutrients and water are taken up through the very fine roots called root hairs. These are very small, but are extremely numerous and effective in nutrient uptake. The more soil the roots are able to penetrate, the more potential they have to contact needed nutrients and water. Therefore, providing a non-compacted, well-drained soil is important for optimum growth of most plant species.
These tips will help your plants develop healthy root systems for maximum nutrient uptake:
Do not work in your garden when the soil is wet. Working the soil when it is too wet causes compaction which makes soil particles clump together, reducing the pore space between particles. This makes it more difficult for roots to penetrate the soil and leads to reduced water infiltration and increased runoff. While it may be tempting on those warm early spring days to dig up the garden, you should wait. The right time to work in your garden is when the soil crumbles slightly when you squeeze it in your hand.
Add organic matter to your soil. Organic matter is extremely important in improving soil structure and increasing pore space. Organic matter improves the ability of the soil to hold moisture during dry spells. Worms thrive on soil organic matter and are excellent at improving the structure of the soil through their tunneling activities. Also, their castings or excrement is an excellent source of plant nutrients. Compost and peat moss are both excellent sources of organic matter. Any time you use fresh vegetables in your cooking, take a moment after your meal preparation to finely chop any excess pieces and place them in your garden. As the chopped up vegetables compost, they will give your soil good nourishment. Of course, if you have a large amount of vegetable scraps, you should compost them in a compost heap, but small amounts of scraps can go directly to the soil.
Mulch your soil. Organic mulches such as bark chips or grass clippings help protect your soil from the impact of raindrops. They prevent crusting of the soil surface. Crusting of the soil can prevent seeds from sprouting and reduces infiltration of water into the soil. As mulch decomposes, it also adds more organic matter to the soil. Remember that some mulches will lower the pH (the acidity of the soil), making some nutrients less available.
Using a good amount of mulch is a wonderful method to conserve water in your garden at home. A greater amount of mulch means less frequent watering of the garden. Mulch can be either purchased from a store or you can use organic materials from your yard, including yard clippings, newspapers, or even dried leaves. It doesn’t matter as long as you have enough. Use raised beds for a garden if your yard has heavy, poorly drained soils. Raised beds can be made using tillage equipment. You can make permanent beds with rot-resistant wood, filled with a mixture of soil and organic matter. But, you may decide that growing plants tolerant of wet conditions is a less troublesome, more rewarding experience! If you treat your soil well, your plants should develop extensive healthy roots capable of taking up the required plant nutrients.
Annually rotate your garden. When similar plants are planted in pretty much the same spot every single year, this can cause fungal and disease growth. Plants of the same type will be vulnerable the next season. If you change things up on a regular basis by varying your planting locations, you take advantage of a natural methodology to avoid fungus and disease problems.
Grow items that are high in value, either in terms of money or in terms of your love for them. No two people are going to agree on the exact value of a plant because personal preferences vary. If you can grow plants that are costly in-store, there will be a savings. So, plant things that you love and enjoy their results.
To be most efficient in your gardening, always keep your tools close at hand. Put them into a basket you carry with you, or use an apron with many pockets and hanging loops. Tools you’ll need to garden efficiently include towels, gloves, pruning shears and other plant-specific tools.
Organic gardening sounds like a new fad but in fact it is the tried and true method that existed long ago before the advent of chemicals. In olden days, pilgrims were encouraged to plant a fish with their seeds when they sowed them into the ground. To help your organic garden along, you should start the previous year by making a compost pile. This will reduce your garbage production, reuse old refuse and recycle your fertilizer, leading to a more abundant garden.
There’s no need to buy produce that’s not up to standard. Apply what you’ve learned in this article today, and start growing your own produce. The more you know about the ins and outs of organic gardening, the more effective you’ll be.
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