If you are like me you had no clue what it takes to start an organic home vegetable garden. Until recently I felt that same way but I found that a little reading and planning goes a long way. Just imagine for a moment that in less then 2 weeks you to could start an organic home vegetable garden anywhere you want to plant. As you will see by reading this article and following just a few simple steps you will be well on your way to a beautiful garden in no time. Soil Preparation This is one of the most basic things that any new gardener will have to learn. Whether you plan to use a plot of land in your backyard or start a vegetable garden in plant boxes. Soil preparation plays an important role in whether your organic garden will survive or not. Types of Soil There are three types of soil that you need to be familiar with; sand, clay and silt. Sandy soil is loose and helps the roots of plants breathe because it lets the air pass through easily. Clay soil absorbs water faster and keeps it inside longer. [more..]

Pest Control Approaches Chemical horticulture fights off invasive pests with specific insecticides. They may be effective and fast-working at the beginning, but their long-term use may result in the raise of the insects resistant to the used insecticide. To kill those, more efforts will be needed, and the use of the different and stronger chemicals may be necessary. Moreover, killing enemies in the garden, any insecticide will inevitably eliminate predator insects (natural control bugs). And their lack will cause multiplying of the harmful pests. Consequently, a gardener will have to search for some other options to defeat the invasive populations.   Organic horticulture, on the other hand, offers pests control through the studying and understanding their life cycles and peculiarities, as well as through the combined use of such methods as: -           plants selection (pests and disease resistant plants are chosen for a garden); -           companion plants growth (planting those crops that fight off pests and insects); -           annual changing of the plants location to disrupt the reproduction cycles of the invasive species; -           the use of row covers during the periods of pests migration; -           employing insects traps to reduce the population of the pests; -           increasing the number of [more..]

Organic horticulture employs the crucial principles of organic agriculture for the successful herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants growing. These principles concern the management of pests in the garden, soil composition and conservation, etc. General Notes Mulches, Double Digging, compost, Vermicompost, cover crops, mineral supplements and manures are the main constituents of the soil mixture in this kind of gardening in contrast to the commercial farming. Organic horticulture expects to minimize the risk of insects, fungi, and diseases development with the help of maintaining the high quality of the soil. Nonetheless, sometimes it is still necessary to use insecticidal soaps and sprays, pheromone traps, or other pest-control means, created especially for organic farmers. Experts define five fields of horticulture: -           olericulture, which stands for the production and marketing of vegetables; -           pomology that means the production and marketing of fruits; -           floriculture, which is the production and marketing of floral crops; -           landscape horticulture that includes the production, marketing, and      maintenance of landscape plants; -           and finally, post harvest physiology that studies and practices the preservation and maintaining of the quality of horticultural crops All these areas can utilize the key principles of organic gardening. Organic horticulture employs the [more..]

If you don’t already have your own compost, check with your local municipality. Most give away leaf compost for free. Some even deliver by the truckload to your home! Leaf compost is very rich in organic matter; however, it still needs a few amendments. Lime added to your compost will balance the Ph and Gypsum added (about 5lbs. per 100 sq. ft.) will keep the soil nice and loose, it also adds trace minerals such as calcium which is great for the soil. Adding these will also help plants intake the nutrients they need to thrive. Work this into the top 4”-6” of soil. Another important key to growing organic veggies is sunlight. Take some time to watch the sun as it moves across your property throughout the day. Start your garden where it will get the maximum amount of sun and plant your rows from NE to SW. It is also important to water your garden in the early morning between the hours of 6 and 10 am. The will allow for good water absorption and any water left on the leaves will evaporate before the heat of mid-day. Watering [more..]

For the natural gardener, pest control might seem like a daunting task. After all, you're committed to not using harmful chemicals in your garden, yet these chemicals can get rid of pests quickly and easily. There are still many ways you can take control of your garden without resorting to chemical treatments. Natural pest control is actually quite easy. We certainly understand that many gardeners become anxious when they see pests on their plants and want to react decisively when they see their plants damaged. But we must remind you of the central principle of organic gardening: growing plants in harmony with Nature. And insects, even those that eat your plants, are a crucial part of that system. When you see insects in your garden, take some time to really watch what they're doing. Are they actually destroying the plant or just nibbling it a bit? Many plants can outgrow minor damage. Also, in many cases, insects attack stressed out plants. Do you have enough healthy plants to spare the sickly ones? Can you restore sickly plants to robust health so they can resist insect attack? The best defenses against insect attack are preventative measures. Grow plants suited to the [more..]

If you're developing an organic and natural garden, you will already completely comprehend how essential the role of selfmade compost plays if you are to get the best results from your efforts. For that reason, owning your own compost tumbler can offer many great benefits. Compost tumblers can make the process of composting a lot easier. Tumblers are suitable for home use and for recycling kitchen scraps on a day-to-day basis to help keep them out of the kitchen, the trash and also the garbage disposal. If you've in the past employed a compost pile or bin that you built your self, you will discover that a compost tumbler is much nicer looking. This can be a benefit for your self as well as for your neighbors. Additionally, bins and tumblers are resistant to unwanted pests. This could be a major problem with traditional compost heaps and bins. With the tumbler you won't have to be anxious about any wild animals or even dogs from the area getting into your compost. It is also simple to keep your compost oxygenated with the compost tumbler, which is important. You won't have to worry about turning over the compost using a pitchfork [more..]

The first misconception most new organic gardeners have about their soil is that any thing can grow in any type of soil. All you have to do is throw a few seeds in the ground and boom you have a natural garden. You need to lose that preconceived notion if it applies to you. You must take into consideration the overall climate conditions which will impact the soil. An example of these things would be rain, wind, temperatures and exposure to the sun light. Then the next thing to consider is the amount of rocks and density of the soil. An example of bad density soil would be where the dirt is tightly compacted and allows for no circulation of air or moisture. To have good organic gardening soil it must be loose, with excellent air and moisture circulation. Not to worry though because one of the things you can do if your dirt is tightly compacted is introduce earthworms to the ground and allow them to do their thing.Frankly though the earthworms take time to create their magic and they have a tendency to get out of the designated planting area quickly. However, there is a simple solution to [more..]