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Starting an Organic Garden
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.

vegetable garden

I remember the old days of farming, when it was only possible to grow what would grow well in a particular soil. Soil and weather conditions determined suitable crops and the way they needed to be cared for.

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.

healthy vegetables

Go to your local agricultural department, or local garden centre, or join a local garden club, and by all means get yourself the area heat unit map, and climate map. Think about which plants need shade and which ones don't.

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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Organic Chemical Free Gardening

Every year, thousand of chemicals are poured into the environment and millions of gallons of water are needlessly wasted. How? By growing plants. Sure, most of this is done by large agricultural producers, but some of it is still done in personal gardens. And that means that you can make a difference by changing your gardening practices. There are many agricultural producers who have done it, and you can use the same tricks to help your own garden, and the planet.

Pick appropriate plants. Not all plants are appropriate for the area you live in. While you might be able to control the temperature, humidity, and rain conditions inside your house, you canít do it out in the garden. If you pick appropriate plants for your area, you may be able to avoid using fertilizers and saving on water too. Research, what plants are native to your surrounding areas and try planting them in your own garden. Wildflowers, are just that, they can pretty much be left alone and will thrive in most areas.

Pick natural repelling plants. You donít need to rely on poisons to keep away garden ruining pests. Many plants produce chemicals that repel these animals naturally. By putting them in or around you garden, you can keep your garden safe with little effort and no chemicals. Plus, you can pick parts of these plants and use them to make products to keep them away from you too.

If you donít want to plant natural repellents in your garden, you can use them to spray your plants without harming them or adding artificial chemicals to your garden. Many herbs like hot pepper, vanilla, and lavender can help repel insects from your garden.

Pull weeds. Weíre all looking for a quick and easy way to safely get rid of weeds without chemicals, but the good old fashioned way is still very effective. It you take time every day to pull the weeds you can find, youíll only take a few minutes so it doesnít seem like a lot of work. You can even get the kids involved, just be sure to do it properly so you donít spread the seeds around. There are even some common weeds that are edible, just make sure there are no pesticides that could have gotten on them.

Crop rotation. Farmers all over the world use crop rotation to naturally fertilize plants. The concept is to change what crop youíre putting in a certain field each year. Plants use different nutrients and put other nutrients back into the soil. If you rotate crops that replace the nutrients the other plants use, you will have to fertilize the soil less.

You can use this same concept in your garden by planting different plants every year, or just rotating where you put specific plants in the garden.

So, youíve made all these changes and are using a low-water, chemical free garden? Well, you still havenít done the most important thing: pass it on! One garden can make a dent, but more can make a bigger difference. Tell your friends, teach your kids, you can even visit their school and teach your kids friends! Every little bit helps make a better world.

Starting an Organic Garden is Easier Than You Think

Getting Started With Organic Gardening

Deciding What to Plant

High Density Gardening

Organic Chemical Free Gardening

Starting an Organic Garden
is Easier Than You Think