When you analyze all of the individual components of gardening, it can be somewhat complex. This is especially true if you want to garden naturally. You may need to learn everything from soil pH to controlling pests without chemicals. Growing an organic garden can be a bit difficult for a newbie. To succeed, you must learn as much as possible about organic gardening principles. For valuable advice, keep reading.
One of the problems that people come up against when trying to grow organic plants indoors is a lack of natural light. If you’re living in a home that doesn’t receive much sunlight, you should consider growing plants that thrive in environments with low to medium amounts of light. If this is not an option, or you have your heart set on a particular type of plant, consider adding additional growing lights instead.
When planting your organic garden, spacing is an important thing to keep in mind. Many people underestimate the space needed for plants to grow to their full size. Failure to provide adequate room will restrict growth because it forces plants to compete for valuable nutrients and oxygen. Think ahead and give each plant room for expansion, by properly spacing the seeds.
Try not to let the chores associated to your organic garden build up. Every time you go outside, you should take care of a few things so that you do not have too much work to do when you have the time to go back to your garden. Grab a handful of weeds, throw down some mulch, or toss some water on it anytime you walk by.
Plant Material
Use equal parts of green and dried plant material in your compost pile. Green plant material consists of spent flowers, veggie and fruit waste, leaves, weeds, and grass clippings. The leaves you rake in the fall, straw, sawdust and the like are dry material. Do not include charcoal, ashes, meat, carnivorous animal manure or diseased plants.
You can kill weeds naturally. Use several layers of newspapers for weed control. Weeds need sun for growth, just like any other plant. Newspapers placed atop weeds will starve them from light and they will eventually die. Old newspapers are a valuable addition to your compost heap. One way to enhance the appearance of your garden if you are using newspapers is to add an additional layer of mulch.
Organic gardening can be more difficult than gardening with chemicals, but the end result makes it worth it. Harsh chemicals may be easier to use, but they can affect the nutrition and taste of your vegetables.
Overall, a layer of mulch is beneficial for the soil. The soil will be efficiently protected. It keeps the soil cool on very hot days, thus protecting the roots in the ground. Mulch acts like a barrier that ultimately decreases the rate of evaporation. As an added bonus, weed growth will be stunted.
Over-watering your plants is not healthy because too much water may inhibit the roots from getting nutrients out of the soil. Always check the weather forecast for chances of rain before going outside to water your plants. If it is going to be a wet day, you don’t need to water the plants yourself.
Organic Gardening
Any gardening at all can soothe the soul, but organic gardening provides additional benefits. Organic gardening techniques allow you to be involved in the entire planting and growing process, while using only the safest and most sustainable resources.
When choosing plants, dig a little deeper. For instance, if you buy tomato seedlings for an organic plot, be cautious if you find green, lush-looking starts that have underdeveloped root systems. These starts can stay on the tomato seedlings for a long time, and the seedling won’t start to grow until these starts have gone.
Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.
Originally posted 2014-03-22 08:33:19.
