Organic Gardening | A Guide to the Basics

It is now becoming more apparent that food grown organically is better for you. Organic gardening is becoming more than just a fad and is developing into something that could change how we do our gardening forever. Until that time, there is much work to be done in order to spread the movement. This work includes encouraging organic gardening at the grassroots level, and that starts with education. In this article we are going to focus on some of the main aspects of organic gardening: organic fertilizer, organic vegetables and organic pest control. Before we get too deep into the article, let’s make sure we are on the same page with regards to what organic gardening is. Organic gardening generally refers to gardening that does not involve chemical based pesticides or fertilizers.

Whether you are growing marigolds, or you are growing pumpkins, you want to have great soil and excellent fertilizer. One of the most important aspects of natural soil management is fertilization. Proper management of your soil will lead to healthier plants that live longer and can survive more adversity. Organic fertilizers should be applied throughout the spring, summer and fall at regular intervals to ensure the soil has all the nutrients it needs on a regular basis. It is also important that your soil has an optimized pH level in order to maximize the effects of organic fertilizer. The main advantages of using organic fertilizers are that they release nutrients at a slower rate which optimizes absorption, and they are also safer for both the environment and people.

Organically grown vegetables have been said to contain higher amounts of nutrients and have also been said to taste better than their chemically grown cousins. One of the most effective strategies used in growing organic vegetables is to group the vegetables by type. When your veggies are grouped by types, you can quickly isolate problems should they arise. This also leads to more effective planting next year, when you rotate your crops (this leaves a better balance of nutrients in the soil). When it comes to developing your garden plans, the growth of your organic vegetables will be heightened by effective and frequent weeding. Weeds can sometimes stifle the vegetables as they try to grow, therefore you should always be vigilant of these earthly predators.

Lastly, when it comes to organic pest control, you can take advantage of natural alternatives to chemical pesticides regardless of what you are growing in your garden. Organic pest control exploits natural substances and ingredients to take care of common pest control problems, and this varies from nontoxic pest control practices (which still use chemicals). The method of organic pest control you use will largely depend on the type of landscaping plants you are trying protect, as well as which pests you are trying to avoid. For example, aphids are best fought with ladybugs; slugs best captured by a half-buried beer container and fruit flies avoided with basil essential oil.

You can see that when it comes to organic gardening, there are many layers to this fast growing technique. This article will serve as an excellent beginners guide, however there is much more to be taught and learned.

This is a guest post written by Dontel Montelbaun, a lead writer for www.livetogarden.com.