A Complete Guide To Organic Gardening at Home
Now is the time to embrace your love of gardening and enjoy homegrown organic produce. Over the past few years, people have been eating more organic fruits and vegetables. Sales have gone up by 10%, as stated by research from the Economic Research Service.
Why Consider an Organic Home Garden?
Save Money on Produce
With food and vegetable prices at record highs, a home garden can help cut costs long-term. Even a small container garden on a balcony provides organic produce.
Avoid Pesticides
Organic farming avoids synthetic fertilizers and toxic chemicals. You don’t have to pay premium prices for safe, nutrient-rich organic food. Grow your own pesticide-free produce instead.
Learn Valuable Skills
Cultivating an organic garden teaches useful skills like organic gardening methods. It’s a fun, rewarding hobby that reduces grocery bills.
You Can Do It Yourself
You don’t need to hire landscapers to install and maintain your garden. With some guidance, you can create a thriving organic oasis.
Setting Up Your Organic Garden
Follow these tips to establish a productive organic garden at home:
Choose a Sunny Spot
Most vegetable plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Pick a sunny spot for best growth.
Prepare the Soil
Mix in compost to nourish plants without chemicals. Improve drainage by adding organic material like peat moss.
Pick Beginner-Friendly Plants
Good starter crops include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots and herbs.
Use Organic Fertilizers
Try all-natural options like manure tea or alfalfa meal instead of synthetic fertilizers.
Control Pests Naturally
Attract beneficial insects, hand pick pests, and make organic pest deterrents.
Enjoy Your Organic Bounty
With some planning and care, you can grown natural produce right at home. The skills learned will keep providing a lifetime of healthy food.
Before you begin…
Gardening is a step-by-step process. To get perfect results, we need to do each step. There are no shortcuts or simple ways out.
Once you plant the seeds in the soil, it takes 2-3 weeks for them to sprout and grow into plants that bear fruit. Observe every step with patience.
Select a Location For Your Organic Garden
Wait! Do not wear your gardening gloves right now. First, pick an ideal spot for your garden. This step is crucial because it will eventually determine the quality of your organic produce.
How to choose an ideal location?
There should be the following items for organic gardening:
- There must be at least one garden water source
- It should reflect 6 hours of sunlight daily
- It must have ample space for air circulation
- The spot must have good drainage
Pro tip: try not to pick a spot that is too close to your house; it might overshadow the plants and block the sunlight.
Invest In Good Quality Gardening Tools
Organic gardening does not require tons of gardening tools and gardening equipment. Even if you invest in the following five gardening tools, you are good to go.
The tools you will need
LEAF RAKE
A leaf rake will help you clear unwanted leaves, grass, and weed from your garden. It will also enable you to rake the soil and smooth the surface effectively.
GARDEN HOE
This versatile horticultural tool will help you dig and move soil. The garden hoe will also enable you to get rid of nasty weeds and level the surface of the land.
GARDEN GLOVES
Garden gloves keep your hands safe from thorns and bug bites. You can pick gloves made of cloth, leather, or rubber-coated, depending on what you need.
WATERING CAN
A watering can is an ideal gardening companion. This equipment will be handy if there is no water source near your garden. You can fill in the desired water and shower it on your plants.
GARDEN SHEARS
Garden shears that work like scissors. They can help you trim weeds of ¾ inch in diameter. Purchase a shear that is comfortable to hold and has a lock that keeps the blades safe.
Choosing a WHEELBARROW
Choosing the right wheelbarrow for your garden size and you are very important. A wheelbarrow will come in handy for a great number of things.
Below, we have a great wheelbarrow. But check our guide to see what a good wheelbarrow offers.
Most of these tools can be easily found in your local hardware store.
Build a Healthy Soil
Soil preparation is essential. A well-looked-after soil will yield organic produce rich in nutrients and packed with flavor. If the ground is conditioned, it will compromise the quality of your organic food.
You can examine your soil quality with the help of a soil test kit. It will summarize your soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and pH levels. To ensure your soil is conditioned, you must refrain from using synthetic fertilizer. You can instead create your organic manure and strengthen the quality of your garden’s soil.
To do so, you make use of materials that are already lying around in your garden. This may include fallen leaves, grass clippings, weeds, and old produce (fruits and vegetables) trimmings. Besides that, refrain from using fatty materials in your compost. Once you’re done, build a 16 inches high border with bricks and stones.
Select The Right Seeds For Planting
To find out what plants can survive your region’s sunlight, moisture, and air, visit your local farmer’s market or a garden store. Once you’re there, you will come across an array of local varieties to adorn your garden.
If you’re unsure, choose tomato, pepper, and squash seeds. These plants grow well in any weather and produce fruit all year.
When you buy, stick to the principles of organic farming. Request untreated seeds, free from synthetic chemicals.
Now that you have purchased your seeds, you can plant them in full sun after the last frost. To sow your seeds, follow these steps:
- · Choose a spot that reflects 6 hours of sunlight daily.
- · Prepare the surface with a watering can or pot.
- · Spread the seeds or seedlings on the wet surface; leave no gaps.
- · Cover with more soil.
- · Water the top layer.
To prevent weed growth, plant each batch. You can also use companion plantings to fill in the gaps.
Water Your Garden Smart
Seeds need water to grow into healthy and productive plants. So, watering is a crucial responsibility, and you, as the owner of an organic garden, should follow a strict schedule.
Water your plants in the morning. It’s cooler then, so less water will evaporate. If you water your plants in the evening or late at night, they will stay wet and more likely to get fungus. Omit quantity, you want to keep your seeds manageable with over 3/4th of a gallon.
Gardeners use a hand-held watering pot, but you can also invest in a soaker hose or drip system.
Mulch Is Your New Best Friend
Using mulch in organic gardening is widespread. It acts as a barrier and prevents the sunlight from reaching the weed seed. You can use hay, dry leaves, and straw to reduce your garden’s weed growth.
Benefits of Organic Gardening
Many people now seek organic produce because they worry about food safety. Reports of contamination make people concerned about what they eat. We also know how dangerous some pesticides can be – many have been banned for causing cancer! But some risky chemicals are still used, and new dangers could emerge.
With organic gardening, you can feel confident about feeding your family safer, healthier food. You know the fruits and veggies you grow don’t contain questionable chemicals from the store. Your family deserves wholesome meals.
Organic methods also benefit the environment:
- Pesticides wash off plants into soil and groundwater. This pollutes the environment.
- Chemicals can sicken or kill insects and animals that ingest them. This damages local ecosystems.
- Killing one insect species can impact other species that depend on it for food. Wildlife balances can be disrupted.
Organic produce often tastes better too. For instance, organic carrots are sweeter and less bitter than traditional ones. That’s a bonus reason to go organic!
There are some challenges though:
- Managing pests without chemicals takes more work – you have to hand pick insects, make organic sprays, etc.
- Organic fertilizers like compost, fish emulsion, and seaweed tea take more effort than chemical versions.
But the benefits outweigh these drawbacks. With some extra labor, you can grow natural produce that nourishes your family and the planet. The reward of chemical-free food is worth it.
Overall, organic gardening means less worry about your health and the environment. It may require more care, but you can feel good providing your family with safe, nutritious food.
Control What Your Family Eats By Growing an Organic Garden
Organic gardens grow fruits and vegetables , without chemicals. Many people worry about pesticides and preservatives used on store-bought produce. While fruits and veggies are healthy, those additives can cancel out benefits and harm our bodies.
Organic gardening provides fresh, nutrient-rich foods without chemicals. It doesn’t use pesticides, so you can enjoy an all-natural diet.
Commercial farms use chemicals to deter pests and additives to prolong shelf life. The goals are reasonable but there are safer ways to grow food at large scale. With home organic gardens, you eat produce right after picking, eliminating need for preservatives.
You can use natural methods to control pests. Grow plants that repel insects or attract beneficial predators. Use compost instead of artificial fertilizers. Recycle yard waste and food scraps to nourish your soil.
Organic gardening lets you know exactly what’s in your food. You don’t have to wonder if store-bought produce contains harmful chemicals. You control what goes into the meals for your family.
A big plus is that organic methods don’t endanger wildlife, soil, water, or people. No chemical residues build up in the environment.
Take charge of your family’s health. Do you want to risk chemicals in their food? Or provide the nutrients of an organic garden? With some effort, you can feel confident in what you feed your loved ones.
Making Organic Compost
Organic compost is the best material to grow your plants in. Compost is the type of soil plants love to grow in, because it’s made from lots of great organic material. It’s the safest kind of material to grow your plants in.
You must start with a base of material that is rich in carbon. You’ll need straw, dead flowers, shredded newspaper, and dried leaves. Some people forget to add these brown materials, but they’re essential.
Next, you need green materials that are high in nitrogen. These materials include things like kitchen waste from plants. They also include animal manure, green garden clippings, and grass clippings. You can use all kinds of fruit and vegetable peelings and leftovers, but no meat!
Then you’ll need a little of soil from your garden. You must remember to add a bit of natural soil to your compost to start it. You’ll start by putting down a layer of your brown material.
If you have nothing else, this could be straw, dry leaves, or even shredded newspapers. You’ll add some of your green stuff, then a layer of soil. Then, you’ll add more of your brown material to the top. Finally, you need to add water to these layers. moisten them, don’t drown them!
You’ll continue adding layers until you have a compost pile around 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. You should have a ratio of about three parts brown material to one part of green material. If your pile isn’t 3 feet tall yet, keep adding material to it whenever you have it available.
About once every week or two, turn your compost pile. This means using a garden fork (a pitchfork) to stir your pile. You’ll want to work all the stuff in the middle out toward the edges and move the outer material inward toward the middle.
Be sure to keep your compost pile moist. It should always be smooth, but keep it dry out. If your compost pile gets too dry, it will stop decomposing. If you see steam coming up from your pile when you turn it, you can be sure everything is decomposing.
You can add earthworms to your compost pile. They’ll find the pile, but you can speed up the process by adding some to it yourself. You can buy earthworms at a fishing bait store or from Amazon if you want to have them delivered.
You can also build or buy a compost bin to house your compost pile. This can help keep your pile neat, so it doesn’t spread out too much. You can also buy rotating compost bins you can turn to mix your compost. These aren’t necessary, but they can make your job easier.
Once your compost turns into a rich, black material, it will smell much better. Your new compost will smell sweet. Once it turns black and smells sweet, it’s ready to be mixed with your regular garden soil. In fact, you can use this rich compost as potting soil, usually with nothing else added. You can even replace most of the soil in your garden with this material, or use it in raised beds.
Top Rated Composter Dual Bin
Types of Organic Fertilizers and Compost
Fertilizing your plants may be more complex than it would be if you used chemicals in your garden. Chemical fertilizers are convenient. Most of them come in a form that only needs to be mixed with water and sprayed onto plants. But organic gardeners need a good, organic way of fertilizing their plants.
You must consider the package if you purchase a pre-made organic fertilizer. Some are high in one of the major plant nutrients, but low in the other two. Plants need nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash. You should research which of these nutrients your particular plants need so you can purchase the correct type.
Organic fertilizers like blood meal, fish emulsion, compost, manure, and seaweed are common. Many of these can be purchased, but a lot of them can also be made at home.
You must be careful to fertilize when the ground is warm enough. Organic fertilizers need organisms in the soil to break them down and release the nutrients they contain. So the soil needs to be friendly and moist so the organisms in the soil will be active.
Cottonseed meal is one standard organic fertilizer. The cotton manufacturing process causes it. It is great for acid-loving plants because it has an acidic reaction in the soil. It contains about 7% nitrogen, 3% phosphorous, and 2% potash. Cottonseed meal is usually used for flowering plants like azaleas and rhododendrons.
Fish emulsion is a very popular organic fertilizer. It is made of a blend of decomposed fish. It is a high-nitrogen fertilizer and contains many trace elements that can be very beneficial for plants. Fish emulsion is a nice, balanced fertilizer.
Blood meal is the blood of cattle that is collected from slaughterhouses and then dried and powdered. It is high in nitrogen, and care must be taken to ensure it doesn’t burn plants. It would be best if you were very careful not to exceed the recommended dose because this could harm your plants. Blood meal is also high in several trace elements like iron.
Manure is a well-balanced fertilizer, but it is low in the nutrients it contains. It’s a very popular fertilizer, but it isn’t high enough in these crucial nutrients to make it a viable choice for home gardeners.
Seaweed fertilizer as seaweed tea is often used by organic gardeners. Dried seaweed is added to water, steeped like tea, and then applied to plants like other liquid fertilizers. This can be an excellent fertilizer, and won’t burn plants. It is very high in nutrients. Use dried seaweed, and be sure it’s not roasted or seasoned.
Some people use sewer sludge for their fertilizer. It’s made from recycled material from sewage treatment plants. You can purchase activated sludge, which is higher in nutrients, and you can buy composted sludge, which isn’t as good.
It is found in a granular form. There is some concern over the safety of sewage sludge because it can contain buildups of heavy metals like cadmium. This can build up in the soil to harmful levels.
Controlling Weeds in an Organic Garden
Tackle Weeds When They are Young
Many gardeners believe that there is no such thing as a weed-free garden. That is not entirely true. Sure, every inch of your garden is prone to developing unwanted plants that harbor pests. But with the right precautions, you can reduce their life and enjoy a healthy organic garden. Employ the following tried-and-tested tips that do not involve using harmful chemicals.
Pluck them off immediately
Professional horticulturists recommend plucking off weed as soon as one spots them. If you laze around and procrastinate, your garden will be filled with nasty weed and ruin your organic farming experience. You can survey your garden twice a week and keep an eye out for fresh dandelions, bindweed, and purslane.
Chop them in half
If you couldn’t pluck them off when they were fresh, don’t worry – there’s still a way out. Get yourself a high-quality pruning lopper and chop off the heads of the weed. By doing so, you reduce its chance of spreading.
Weeds are the bane of any gardener, but they can be bothersome to organic gardeners. Many gardeners choose to use weed killer to get rid of weeds, but you can’t do that in an organic garden. So what can you do?
Well, you must identify your most troublesome weed, and then deal with it in how best get rid of that type of weed. We’re going to look at a few of the most common weeds, and how to get rid of those weeds.
Dandelion is one of the worst offenders. Although some people grow dandelions for their greens, most gardeners want to get rid of them. To get rid of dandelions, you need to dig out the entire taproot.
It would be best to always pull them up with a hoe before they flower. And you can spread corn gluten over the areas you wish to remain free from dandelions in the early spring. This will help keep a lot of the seedlings from growing.
Crabgrass is a major pest in many yards and gardens. It is very tough to pull up and especially hard to get rid of. All the plant’s roots have to be pulled up. You can suppress further growth by spreading down corn gluten in the early spring. You can also mulch to prevent the seeds from germinating.
Poison ivy is a horrible plant. It can cause terrible rashes, even with very mild exposure. You should always wear gloves when handling this plant and never let it touch any part of your skin.
You must cut the plant at the base and let it dry out completely. Bury the vines or throw them away in the trash. Never, ever burn poison ivy, because the smoke can be fatal! Do not compost poison ivy.
Lamb’s quarters are an edible, wild green. Some people grow these for food, but most think they are common weeds. They can be difficult to get rid of. You can hoe or pull up the plants when you see them. Then it would be best if you mulched to suppress the seedlings.
Ragweed is a plant that many people want to get rid of. It’s a prevalent allergen, and its pollen is a major cause of hay fever. You can hoe up seedlings and use a mower to mow down full-sized plants. It is possible to cover the areas where it grows with mulch. You can compost ragweed if it hasn’t yet gone to seed.
Purslane is an edible plant. You can remove individual plants by hoeing. If you pull the plants, they can re-root themselves if you leave them lying on top of the soil. The seeds of this plant can mature after the plant has been pulled, so don’t compost them. You can mulch to prevent these from growing.
Lettuce is an annoying little plant. It can cause itching and burning if it comes in contact with the skin, so always wear gloves when you handle it. You can pull or hoe plants, or cut the taproot below the soil.
You might wish to leave it alone, as it can attract beneficial insects but can carry lettuce diseases. Be sure to keep it away from your lettuce patches. Cocklebur is poisonous to livestock, so keep it away from your animals. You can hoe or pull plants beneath the soil line. You can compost it if it hasn’t yet gone to seed.
Dealing with Pests in an Organic Garden
Rid garden pests organically
Pests are every garden’s worst enemies; they mean no good to your organic produce. Instead of intoxicating your plants with harmful chemicals, there are specific natural ways to get rid of them for good.
A simple two-ingredient bug spray
Mix two tablespoons of dishwashing soap with warm water. Pour the mixture in a spray bottle and spray it on your plants.
Use garden lime
Spreading a generous amount of garden lime around your plants will repel raccoons, snakes, and insects. When they lick the surface, they’ll experience a high degree of burning sensation and not shelter themselves in your garden.
Let bug-eating birds do their part
Here is a re-written version aimed at a 8th or 9th grade reading level:
Birds that eat insects can help manage pests in your garden. Put out bird baths and seed to attract them. Once they regularly visit your yard for food, they will also eat harmful insects on your plants.
A big issue for organic gardeners is controlling pests. An infestation of aphids or cutworms can quickly destroy a garden! They can wipe out entire rows of plants in just days or hours.
It’s better to prevent infestations rather than treat them after they start. You can do this by spraying plants with solutions that deter common pests.
There are organic sprays you can buy, or make your own using recipes from gardening books. Most are like teas made with hot peppers, garlic, or other deterrents.
Try to grow native plants suited to your area. They have natural resistance to local diseases. Some varieties are also pest-resistant.
Planting early may help you avoid the peak bug season. Insects are only active for part of the year. If you harvest before they emerge, your plants are safer.
Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs, praying mantises, and ground beetles. Some plants like mint and rosemary attract good bugs that prey on pests.
Watch plants closely to spot problems early, before they get out of control. If you see a hornworm on your tomatoes, remove it quickly. Frequent monitoring lets you stay ahead of issues.
If one pest causes trouble, take pictures to identify it. Search online or ask your county extension office. Once identified, ask them how to organically control that specific pest.
You can protect plants with netting to keep some pests out. But this also prevents helpful insects from reaching your plants. It should be a last resort if other methods fail.
The key is attracting natural predators. They can manage pests without chemicals. A balanced ecosystem keeps your garden healthy.
Conclusion
Pest control is challenging for organic gardeners. Losing plants to insects may make you want to use chemical sprays. Many organic growers face this frustration! Don’t feel bad – pests are frustrating, especially after caring for plants all season.
But remember, organic gardening has many benefits. It’s worth the extra effort. Your family will be rewarded with healthy, safe food!
Going organic means avoiding dangerous chemicals. This protects your family and the environment. With some extra work, you can manage pests naturally.
Start by identifying the pest and learning about its life cycle. This helps time management methods for maximum impact. Choose pest-resistant plant varieties suited to your climate.
Attract beneficial insects that prey on pests. Things like ladybugs, lacewings, and birds naturally reduce insect problems. You can also use organic sprays made from oils, soaps, or hot peppers.
Set up physical barriers like row covers or collars to keep pests off plants. Remove pests by hand or water spray. Spot treat only affected areas to allow good bugs to thrive nearby.
It takes vigilance to stay on top of issues before they spread. But this vigilance also lets you appreciate nature’s balance up close. With some patience, your garden will reach a healthy equilibrium.
The satisfaction of organic food is worth weathering some pest problems. Don’t get discouraged! There are many tools to manage pests without chemicals. With observation and care, your garden will thrive.