Organic Gardening
The Basics of Organic Gardening
When we talk of organic gardening, some of us believe that it is a process where gardens are cultivated without the aid of synthetic chemicals to fertilize the soil on which the plants grow and to prevent pests and diseases from damaging these plants. But there is more to organic gardening than simply avoiding synthetic chemicals to keep a garden alive.
Organic gardening is more of a philosophy rather than a simple gardening process. When you engage in organic gardening, you are not just growing plants for your food or for beautifying your home. You are nurturing an ecosystem that is alive and thriving, and in your own way, you are helping the planet in which we live stay alive.
When you grow an organic garden, you actually become a proactive gardener. You keep your plants healthy and free from the ravages of pests and disease by keeping the soil healthy. Once you have got the basics of your organic garden in place, you will have a garden that is low-maintenance and truly healthy.
Caring for the Soil
In organic gardening, the soil is the foundation of the garden. When you care for the soil and you keep it nourished and healthy, you keep the plants in your garden nourished and healthy as well.
Synthetic fertilizers are a definite no-no in organic gardening, so you nourish your garden using compost. You can buy compost from any garden supply store, but why buy when you can make your own? There are a lot of things in your home that you can turn into compost, such as leftover food, dead leaves from your plants, or weeds you have pulled from your garden.
You can make compost by putting all these organic waste materials in a compost bin and mixing them with a compost starter pack that will add minerals in the compost that your plants need to grow. You can get a compost starter pack from a garden supply store. Keep your compost moist and aerated, and in a few weeks, you will have a ready feed for your garden soil.
Planning Your Garden
Organic gardening is synonymous with long-term gardening. Not only do you keep your soil healthy so it will keep your plants nourished for years to come, but you also plant according to season. When you put plants in your garden, it is better to choose plants that are suited to the soil type you have as well as to your climate. Such plants will be easier to take care of.
Also, it would help a lot if you put together plants that can benefit each other. For example, you can plant anise near your more delicate plants to prevent aphids from feasting on them. You can also plant catnip or garlic, which are natural pest repellants. In this way, you will spend less time and less money protecting your plants against pests.
Using Natural Pesticides
Another principle of organic gardening is the use of natural pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to keep your plants healthy and to prevent them from getting diseased. Planting natural pest repellants, as mentioned above, is one way of doing it. You can also prevent pests from feeding on your plants by coating your plants with sprays made from water mixed with garlic powder or with ground hot pepper.
As for weeds, you can discourage them from growing in your garden by sprinkling corn gluten on your lawn before you reseed it, or by mulching your garden regularly. You can also burn weeds by coating them with strong vinegar or garlic oil.
To prevent mold and fungus from growing on your plants, you should put enough space between your plants when you put them to soil. The space will provide them enough room to grow and prevent them from crowding out each other when they grow. Also, you should prune your plants regularly and remove all dead leaves and branches. Regular pruning improves the air circulation around your plants and removes any possible breeding ground for mold.
When you engage in organic gardening, you will eventually find that there is less work for you to do to tend your garden because you will be doing everything proactively. You get to enjoy a healthy and beautiful garden, and not only that, you also get to do your part in maintaining the balance of our environment.