You’ve been making an effort to eat a greater proportion of organic foods in an effort to protect the environment and reduce the amount of pesticides you and your family use. However, as you can see from the receipt you received from the grocery shop, purchasing organic food may quickly become very costly. Fortunately, organic gardening is a fun and educational method to cultivate your own wonderful, fresh produce!
Not sure where to begin? You can pay someone to design and manage a gorgeous organic garden for you, but most of us can do it ourselves with surprisingly little work. Recall that you can begin small, even with one or two plants. If everything isn’t perfect right away, don’t stress.
You won’t need synthetic pesticides or fertilizers when you garden organically, but that doesn’t imply your plants will survive on their own. You can strengthen plant health and deter pests with a variety of instruments. For more detailed advice, continue reading. It was compiled from renowned garden blogger Leslie Land’s New York Times book 1000 Gardening Questions & Answers as well as other sources.
Steps To Start An Organic Food Garden
Preparing the Soil
You will want to make sure the soil is adequately conditioned if you want your new organic garden to produce the finest results possible. Plants and humans both need to eat, so make sure your vegetables are getting plenty of fresh nutrients. Good soil is essential for the growth of robust, fruitful plants. Chemical soil treatments can damage worms, other microorganisms, and beneficial bacteria in the soil in addition to leaking into your food.
Testing your soil is the greatest approach to determine its quality. A home testing kit is available, but it’s best to submit a sample to the agricultural extension office in your area. You can obtain a detailed analysis of pH and nutrient levels, along with treatment suggestions, for a nominal charge. Don’t forget to inform them that you’re switching to an organic approach. Testing is usually best done in the fall, and any organic nutrients should be applied before winter.
Making Good Compost
Compost is beneficial to all gardening, and you may manufacture your own right there. It’s free, hey! By converting trash into “black gold,” compost feeds plants, reduces weed growth, helps preserve water, and keeps food and yard waste out of landfills. You may either combine compost with potting soil or spread it around plants; you can never use too much!
The optimal compost is created by combining organic waste that is high in carbon and nitrogen with soil, water, and air in the proper amounts. Even though it sounds like complex chemistry, you shouldn’t worry too much if you can’t finish the compost in time. A little care put into the pile will still produce respectable results.
Choosing the Right Plants
Choosing plants that will flourish in your unique microclimate is particularly beneficial. Consult the USDA Hardiness Zones as a general reference. Select plants that will thrive in each location’s unique light, moisture, drainage, and soil conditions. These factors are gradated in most gardens. Your plants will be more resilient to intruders if they are happier.
When purchasing seedlings, make sure the plants were grown without the use of artificial pesticides and fertilizers. Your neighborhood farmers’ market is a fantastic location to start looking, as they can contain native plants and kinds that are appropriate for your region. Purchasing stocky seedlings with few, if any, flowers and uncluttered root systems is preferable.
Sunflowers, annual poppies, coriander, dill, annual phlox, larkspur, annual lupine, morning gloryries, sweet peas, squash, and cucumbers are just a few of the many plants that are best grown from seed.
Planting Crops
Vegetables and cut flowers are examples of plants that should be harvested, therefore arrange them closely in beds off of the ground so as not to trip over them. Raised beds are quite practical. Grouping aids in compost and nutrient targeting while lowering weeding and water waste. Enough spacing between rows facilitates air circulation, which wards against fungal invasions.
Keep in mind that seedlings will not always remain small, and you should definitely reduce overshadowing. Plants should be thinned according to nursery recommendations.
Watering
Watering plants is typically best done in the morning. Why? Because mornings are usually cooler and have less breezes, less water evaporates. When plants are watered in the evening, they retain moisture throughout the night, increasing the risk of bacterial and fungal infections.
Watering the roots is preferable to watering the foliage, which is more prone to injury. You can use a drip or soak system, or you can hand-water plants sparingly at their bases.
For established plants, the majority of experts advise significant yet sparing watering—roughly one inch of water each week (including rain). Stronger plants are encouraged by one or two weekly sprays that stimulate deeper roots. Try to use water at or near air temperature to prevent stunning delicate foliage; collected rainfall works best.
Weeding
Everywhere you reside, weeds will still grow. Although pulling them by hand might be labor-intensive, it can also be an excellent form of exercise and get you outside into the fresh air.
Mulch helps protect the soil and cuts down on the amount of weeds you have to deal with. Burlap and organic mulch might be useful in a pinch. Straw is inexpensive yet short-lived. Although they might be costly, wood chips are wonderful. Many choose to utilize grass clippings, but be aware that due to their high nitrogen content, clippings should only be applied to plants that require a lot of the fertilizer, such lettuce and squash.
Protecting Plants Without Pesticides
Making sure plants are receiving adequate light, nutrients, and moisture is the first thing you should do if pests are attacking your garden. This might be an indication of other issues. Additionally, keep in mind that a diversified garden deters pests by reducing the quantity of a certain plant variety that is available to adversaries.
Having frogs, toads, lizards, birds, and even bats as natural predators in your garden is a fantastic idea. Particularly ladybugs, beneficial insects can become your greatest pals. Indeed, several nurseries sell cans of them, even though the likelihood that they won’t survive is considerable. A little water supply left out will draw in benevolent predators. Growing plants with tiny blooms, like dill and sweet alyssum, is also a good idea since they draw in carnivorous insects. Row coverings and nets are also effective.
Harvesting
It’s probably preferable to inspect your garden daily throughout the busiest time of year for harvesting. Possess herbs? Select them just before you need them if you plan to utilize them fresh. However, as they will have the most flavor right before they blossom, it is preferable to wait until right before to dry and store them. When the dew has dried, in the middle of the morning, gather all the herbs save the basil. Basil will last longer after some time in the sun, so harvest it in the late afternoon.
When picking leafy greens, take little amounts from each plant and select sparingly throughout the crop. Broccoli should hold off on sending out buds for flowering until the center head is as big as it gets. If you cut it off just above the leaf node, the remainder of the plant will probably produce more for you. Generally speaking, tearing produce with your fingers can result in greater harm to the plant’s tissue than just cutting it off with a sharp knife or pair of scissors.
Conclusion
We conclude that It’s feasible to cultivate organically, but it might be trickier than it looks. You will require commitment and fortitude in the face of possible difficulties since you are unable to use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Despite the time commitment and perseverance needed, maintaining an organic garden is worthwhile for many reasons. By putting these suggestions into practice, you’re starting a wonderful organic gardening experience. It will be satisfying and gratifying for you.
