Turning to Organic Gardening
Organic gardening is a chemical-free and earth-friendly method of gardening. Organic gardening and conventional gardening differ on how they control pests and nourish the soil. Conventional gardening uses chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers while organic gardens use organic means of enriching the soil and organic weed killers and fertilizers.
Organic gardens follow natural practices that include:
Organic Soil: Quality soil is the main component of creating a successful garden. By providing nourishing natural substances to the soil, you will be well on your way to growing healthy plants and vegetables. For an organic garden, it is essential to add natural additives such as organic compost, manure, chopped leaves, and mulches. Before adding natural compounds, you should do a soil test to determine whether the soil has any mineral deficiencies. To improve the quality of the soil, you can add a number of natural products that are rich in nutrients. Natural additives can include organic compost, fish emulsion, and blood meal. If you do not have the time to make your own natural soil feed, there are many natural products available for purchase. Such products that are rich in nutrients include seaweed meal, straw mulch, and worm casts. Making worm compost is a great way to compost organic waste
Organic Pest Control: Every garden will attract pests that will eat some of the plants and vegetables. Conventional gardens use pesticides to control pests. These pesticides contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment, humans, and animals. Attracting or buying bugs that will eat pests such as aphids will help reduce their numbers. Bugs that kill aphids include damsel bugs, lady bugs, and lacewings, and more. There are also organic pest control products on the market. Homemade tomato leaf and garlic sprays will also repel aphids.
Diversifying your garden will help reduce pests. Planting strong smelling herbs will repel plant eating bugs. Birds and insects that feed on aphids will also be attracted to a diverse garden and will reduce pests that harm your plants. To control weeds, there are number of organic weed control products on the market. Removing weeds daily is the best way to control weed infestation.
Crop Rotation: To maintain rich and healthy soil, it is recommended that you rotate your crops. Crop Rotation involves planting crops so that plants and vegetables are not grown in the same spot each year. This will ensure that the soil does not lose its nutrients. It will also reduce the risk of disease. The nutrients left behind from one set of plants can be used by another type of plant the next year. The best way to rotate your crops is to draw a map of the garden that outlines where each plant is located. You can then refer to it the following year to make sure you do not plant the same type of plant in the same location. Crop rotation and growing diverse plants will help deter pests.
The benefit of organically enriching your soil, using organic pest control, and rotating your crops ensures a healthy garden. This method will also attract bees which will result in pollination of the plants.
The biggest difference between organic gardening and conventional gardening is that organic gardens do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Successful organic gardening can be achieved by understanding how to create organically productive soil that is rich and fertile, the type of crops to plant that includes the appropriate plants for the particular climate and season, and implementing organic maintenance practices.
Because of the illnesses and diseases such as cancer that are now being linked to chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides, more people are turning to organic gardening. Developing an organic garden may seem like a bit of hard work, but the reward of creating a healthy garden will be very gratifying.
Watch the video related to organic gardening
What features should you look for when buying or making a compost bin? Find out and get tips on how compost bin design can help to aerate compost for your garden, in this free organic gardening video. Expert: Gale Gassiot Bio: Gale Gassiot makes her own organic compost or “gardener’s black gold.”
Help answer the question about organic gardening
Tags: compost, composting, garden, grow, organic, own, your
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 am
It is vital that no matter what the compost bin or style you feel is right for you, it is properly aerated and has a hole large enough for you to get your compost out of. In addition, your bin should be something that is convenient for you something that you can get to and from easily, and that will be practical for all of your gardening needs.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 am
The best compost bin is on the open ground.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:08 am
The hay thing is a good idea, because as the hay decays it will add nutrients and help retain water while trying to blot out the weeds.
If hay is not available though, the easiest things to do would be to cover the area you want to use with a black tarp or series of large black garbage bags. Without the sunlight to help it grow and the extra heat baking the plants beneath it, the weeds should all die off and leave the area bare or with white or yellow grass.
You can then rent a garden tiller and break up the entire section with the machine. Take out any roots and rocks, and add black earth, peat moss (or equivalent), and an appropriate organic fertilizer or compost. Then just pick the plants you want to grow and away you go.
I would suggest that you start small, and then you can expand the garden later. Our family garden started as a 6' X 8' plot and now is about 12' X 24' as we found other plants to grow and varied the vegetable locations.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 am
Don't wash out the spiders they eat the bugs that eat your garden it's like a natural pest control and they won't harm your plants. Also try getting cedar wood chips, many bugs are actually repelled by cedar they don't like it, putting it around your plant's could help them that's what I did.
Plus depending where you live the weather could be a factor, they turn yellow because of too much water The black spots could be from a fungus infection at the roots, what I would do is buy soil from the store and mix it with the woodland soil, woodland soil could be low in nutrients. Make sure your plants get enough sun light.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:55 am
give them alot of sun and leave them alone and also Vinigar mild soap and water will do the trick like ur mother said and don't cut too much leaves onlt the dead ones
and give them lots of love they have feelings 2!! leave them in the sun
1.spray misty water in the morning and evening
2. Water 3/7 days
3. see the conclusion!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:44 am
Worms for vermicomposting can be ordered but are much easier and cheaper to get at your local bait shop. Regular earthworms don't cut the bill quite as well as the red wigglers or to get technical. Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus rubellus are both used successfully in vermicomposting. But the easiest way is to go to the bait shop and ask for red wigglers/redworms.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 am
google
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:50 pm
no energy what so ever
December 4th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Mixture of materials to put in bin, it needs air. it needs to be kept warm, it needs turning every week ideally. new materials as often as possible. Pee on it often. (I jest not) With a rotating bin it is possible to make good compost in 8 weeks.
December 5th, 2008 at 5:48 am
i have tried a couple of compost bins. To be honest i have gotten the best results just making a pile and leaving it, turning it every couple of weeks. Two drawbacks in my opinion of bins is air circulation and creating a barrier for insects to enter. i had a black compost bin which from what i read was a popular model. The contents never got hot. This baffled me for a long time then i decided to just make a pile in a sunny area. after a good rain it gets piping hot.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Just pile your grass, leaves and other plant material in one place. Put a few branches around it. Don't add any meat or other items that might smell. Water whenever you feel like it.
Put fencing around it if you want. Even plant morning glories to grow over it. Just don't worry.
December 5th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Use 'Sevin'. It comes in liquid or powder form. It can be found at your local garden center.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:21 am
omg quit posting u suck
December 5th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
this is very cool. I have a problem with critters…they dig underneath & get in that way —
Does this have a wood bottom? And if so does that keep the skunks & raccoons out??
December 5th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
re ur size constraints, compost can be made in one gallon batches. also, it is newer technology to have a bin u can roll. like a garbage can. no turning plus easily it is taken to the area needed and no wheelbarrow/shovel work.
December 6th, 2008 at 4:26 am
This is great! Thanks
December 6th, 2008 at 1:41 am
December 6th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
elm beatles attack all kinds of elm trees ,dutch elm disease is a fungas that the elm beatle carry. it mayneed a little more water. do not over fertillize.