Getting Into Organic Gardening is
Easier Than You Think

Getting into organic gardening may seem like a challenge, but it’s easier than you think.

Even if, like me, you are not quite ready "to go organic" all the way, all at once, you might still use some organic practices.

You will soon find out that organic gardening is really about how you use nature as your guide and how you will disturb the environment as little as possible.

You will be using preventive ways to avoid using and treating diseases or pests and maintaining the fertility of your soil.

You are not just concerned about what you grow and how you grow it, but you are thinking about how you approach the health of the earth.

A lot of those philosophies are part of the organic gardening lifestyle.

In other words, organic gardening means working with nature by keeping the soil fertile, looking after water resources and thinking about insects that might help your garden.

Here are some tips on getting started.

Getting Started With Organic Gardening

There is only one way to ensure the success of your organic garden and that is to start with the soil. Very simple but very necessary. (Unless you are considering hydroponic, which is another subject.) A good loam soil can make your life a lot easier. Have your soil tested for pH.

Most plants grow best in neutral soil, although there are some exceptions.

Start to get the fertility level of your soil up by adding some organic fertilizer - Yes! it is available - and get the compost job going from day one. You might even have to buy some organic matter product from the local garden centre, but just do it. I bought a load of composted "bull manure" from a local farmer. A little "BS" is a wonderful thing.

In organic gardening, compost is your friend, and so are worms. Consider buying some worms, they will live in your compost pit until you are ready to put them on your garden.

Composting is also an environmentally responsible thing to do, but be careful to use proper containers because vermin also love compost but for different reasons. Organic matter and humus; your new friends don't neglect them.

Now you have your soil under control and you have located or in some cases, re-located your garden so it gets the most sun - depending on where you live of course, and you have a method to provide water to your plants. It's a reality of life, most plants won't grow without sunlight and water, you will soon discover a few more realities of your new lifestyle.

You will realize that you might have to tolerate some new friends in the form of weeds and insects, not to mention larger life forms like deer, rabbits, groundhogs and the like. Believe me, they are all vegetarians. Don't be tempted to reach for the shotgun, there are other ways to deal with these problems.

Find out which plants and crops do best in your area.

Sometimes the best way is to talk to other organic gardeners in your area so you don’t have to spend too much time on watering, weeding and fertilizing plants that don't like where you live.

Find out about weather conditions as well. If you are living in an area that gets a lot of rain, then choose plants or crops that need lots of water such as root plants.

In the north of England where I came from you could grow leeks, cabbages, sprouts, turnips, potatoes and carrots with very little effort. If you live in a sunny area, then your choices should enjoy the dry conditions.

Deciding What to Plant

There are two ways of deciding what to plant where.

If plants need similar types of care – sunshine, water and so on – then consider planting them together as this will reduce the time you have to spend caring for them. Certain plants encourage other plants to grow and other plants may encourage and attract beneficial insects, or discourage harmful insects.

Depending on the size, or the space you have for your organic garden you might consider some basic crop rotation methods.

Some plants may replace the soil nutrients like legumes that fix nitrogen from the air, keeping your garden healthy and thriving. Consider getting some beneficial insects which will help your garden to flourish even more.

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