Establishing an organic garden is a smart way to work towards a healthier diet. Growing an organic garden does take some planning, though. Perhaps you are unsure of the benefits of organic gardening, or you are unsure how to get your garden started.
If you want your children to enjoy your organic garden, plant some tasty strawberries. Strawberries are a favorite of children due to their sweetness. And since they’re so easy and fun to pick, it’s also a healthy, productive, safe activity that children can assist adults with.
If you like the concept of organic gardening, then why not take it one step further by leaving some of your land undeveloped for the area’s wildlife? Certain wildlife can be good for an organic garden; birds and insects can help your plants reproduce and be as healthy as they can be!
Having a garden of perennials can be an easy and quick process. Use a spade to dig into the turf, turn the turf over, then spread the area with approximately three inches of wood chips. Allow the newly turned soil to sit for two weeks, then plant your perennials.
Take your seedlings and saplings to a cooler spot once they are established. Locate your plants further from your heat source as they mature. Also take any plastic films off of your containers, so you can keep the warmth and humidity out. Watch your seeds closely to know how to go about this.
When the time comes to harvest your produce, collect it using an old laundry basket. A laundry basket will act as a strainer for your produce. If you hose off your produce in the laundry basket, the water will leave the basket through the holes in the sides.
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 mulches include everything from fresh grass clippings, to unwanted vegetables, to recently pulled weeds. Dried plant matter, on the other hand, includes shredded paper, used wood chips and straw. Avoid ashes, meat, charcoal and diseased plants in your compost.
If slugs are an issue in your garden, a beer trap can make them go away. Bury a canning jar so that the open mouth and the soil top are level. Pour enough beer into the jar to fill it below an inch from the top. The beer helps attract slugs and they end up trapped.
As should be obvious by now, organic gardening requires a bit of forethought and planning before implementation. In addition, it’s true that you must be consistent if you want to see results. Remembering the above tips, you can successfully grow an organic garden.