Organic Gardening

7 Simple Tips to Growing Your Own Organic Vegetables
You’re in the produce department of your grocery store. It’s almost as if you’re looking at everything through a sheer curtain or veil. None of the vegetables are bright colored or healthy looking. They appear wilted and drab.

Remember when you were a kid and all the vegetables looked like they were just ready to burst out of their bins? The tomatoes were bright red and plump, the lettuce crisp and perky. When you bit into a tomato, you could practically hear it pop just before the juice ran down your chin or onto your plate. And the taste â€" when was the last time you had a tomato that tasted like a tomato? It’s probably been a very long time.

There is a way to recapture those sights, sounds, and flavors from your past. And you can get it right from your own back yard.

But it requires time, work, and some research. If you’re up for the challenge, there is nothing more rewarding than eating food right out or your own garden. Food you know is grown with care and love, and is free of chemicals. Organic gardening.

Right up front, you should realize that organic gardening takes a level of commitment in time and labor many people are not prepared to invest. If you like the idea of putting safe, wholesome, homegrown food on the table for you and your family, then read on. You’ll find some facts, suggestions, and tips for creating your own organic vegetable garden.

What makes a garden organic?

Most gardeners describe organic gardening as simply rejecting the use of anything chemical or artificial to control insects or to fertilize plants. Instead, they apply natural materials and methods in order to retain the health of the soil, the food, and themselves.

Why is organic gardening such a good thing?

Organic gardeners will tell you that the quality of the vegetable is nutritionally superior to anything you can get in the supermarket because the soils are kept nutrient-rich with natural materials. Not depleted and artificially fertilized. And the flavor is amazing.

Additionally, organic gardening can create a great sense of safety and relief in knowing your food is free of potentially unhealthy chemical toxins. Along with that comes the satisfaction of digging your own dirt and producing your own food. Not to mention the physical benefits of fresh air and exercise.

So, you have a yard with plenty of room for a garden. You’re committed to the investment of time and labor. Where do you begin?

1. Pick your location and make a plan.

Every good project starts with a good plan. Gardening is no different. James Stephens from the University of Florida suggests you first figure out the amount of produce you want. Do you want just enough for you to eat through the summer? Do you plan to can it, freeze it or sell it?

Then find a sunny location in your yard with well-drained soil, close to a water supply.

2. Get your soil ready.

Add organic fertilizer and soil conditioning material at least three weeks before you plant seeds or seedlings. It takes that long for organic material to start working in the soil. Get it worked in and mixed well to prevent interference with seed growth and development.

3. Organic materials are the foundation of organic gardening.

Professor Stephens at the University of Florida suggests the following list of organic materials: animal or plant manures, compost, cover crops, or mixed organic fertilizers.

They benefit the soil in many ways, including adding major and minor nutrients, making the soil more water retentive, and improving the structure and condition of the soil -- allowing plants to grow more easily.

4. How and when to use natural and organic fertilizers.

Animal manures such as cow, horse, hog, poultry, sheep, rabbit, and goat are considered to be the best forms of organic matter and fertilizer for an organic garden, says Professor Stephens. It’s best if they are worked into the topsoil two to three weeks before planting.

Natural deposits such as phosphorus, potash, micro-nutrients, and lime are also recommended and applied in the same way as animal manures. Natural deposits are found in rocks, shells, and sands. They add valuable nutrients as well as aid in soil conditioning.

5. Less is more when it comes to watering.

Your little plants are starting to sprout, so you proudly go out everyday to water and look over your crop. Watering every day is good, right? Wrong.

Seasoned organic gardeners recommend a good and thorough early morning soak once a week only, preferably on a windless day. This allows water to reach and encourage deep root growth. Shallow daily watering only reaches the surface inhibiting strong development.

6. Controlling damaging insects and diseases the natural way.

This is no easy task once a problem takes hold. But there are non-chemical ways to control diseases and insects. Here are just a few suggestions:

*Make sure plants and seeds are disease and pest free before you ever put them in the ground.

*Inspect your plants regularly, checking for pests and diseases before they get a chance to take over.

*Keep your garden clean and refuse-free.

*Remove weeds (because they attract pesky insects).

*Handpick insects off your plants.

*Remove diseased plants before they infect others.

There are plenty of additional control methods such as insecticide soaps, insect traps, and other preparations containing naturally occurring materials you can try.

7. Don’t let weeds steal your plants' thunder (or their nutrients)./www.totalhealthrevolution.com/organicsecrets.htm

Keep the joy of the end result in sight â€" those succulent, flavorful, and nutrient-rich vegetables of days gone by.

Dominique W.Brooks, MD, MBA offers articles, e-books,and e-courses about better health for you and your family.

Organic Vegetable Gardening For Beginners
To be successful at organic vegetable gardening you must draw up detailed plans. The soil is your first consideration; how to make it rich and fertile, and how to prepare it so harmful pests won't attack your vegetable garden. The two ways that organic vegetable gardening differs from conventional gardens is the usage of fertilizer and how to keep pests under control. Phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium are the three components essential to your organic garden.
For lush, green foliage you must have nitrogen. For strong roots and stems phosphorus is needed. And for the important protection from disease and brief cold snaps, potassium is a must. Let's call them the big three. The big three are available in commercial fertilizers however they are synthetic. In organic vegetable gardening the big three are added in a much different way.
The best way of enriching your soil is by compost. Dig some pits in your back yard to start your compost from kitchen refuse. Use things like pine needles, corn stalks, leaves, carrot tops, fruits or vegetables that have spoiled, manure, egg shells and coffee grinds. Some organic gardeners use weeds in their compost but I do not recommend this for obvious reasons. As the compost materials decompose they release bacteria and fungi into the soil that you are preparing. The bacteria and fungi convert nutrients like nitrogen to ammonia and nitrates that will be usable for your vegetables. Use substances such as seaweed, potash salts, tobacco stems and wood ash to help make potassium in your compost. By making your own compost, you are controlling the mixture and balance to achieve the right combination for your organic vegetable garden.
To be absolutely sure that your compost has completely broken down and is now offering up the right balance, start working it into the soil at least two weeks before you plan on planting.
The pH in the soil must be right for healthy plants. Test your soil, if it has a ph of 0 it is very acidic, while a 14 is extreme alkaline. Of course a seven indicates neutral soil. To raise the pH of the soil inexpensively use ground limestone. An additional benefit of the limestone is that it contains magnesium something that most soils lack. If, on the other hand, you have extreme alkaline soil use sulpher to bring the pH down.
Pest control in organic vegetable gardening is also different that conventional gardening. In many conventional beds gardeners wish to eradicate all pests with pesticides. Many in organic gardening only wish to keep the pest population down so to have a balance in the garden. Obviously, whenever possible, plant pest resistant vegetables. In order for harmful organisms to grow, they need bright sunlight so keep thick mulch around the plants to deny the organisms that needed sunlight and to help hold moisture into the ground. If you find you have a heavy infestation here is a natural pest control formula:
In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Follow this tips and you are on your way to raising a healthy and plentiful organic vegetable garden.


Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at <a target="_new" href="http://www.GardeningLandscapingTips.com"> Gardening Landscaping Tips </a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a target="_new" href="http://www.GardeningOutside.com"> Gardening Outside</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.GardeningHerb.com"> Herb Gardening </a>