Organic gardening is a trend that is becoming increasingly popular every day, and I, for one, am extremely grateful for this. Did you know that when you eat conventionally farmed and marketed celery, you may be consuming up to 13 different chemical pesticides along with it? This is quite a scary thought.
Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-known medical health and wellness expert, has stated that there is absolutely no question as to whether these chemicals are bad for us. The question is only how bad they are for us. A great number of chemical pesticides have already been linked to ailments such as cancer, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and A.D.D. in children. The best way to avoid these dangerous chemicals in your diet is to grow your own organic produce.
The idea of beginning an organic garden can seem a little bit intimidating, but do not let it overwhelm you. The reason for this is simply that we have become so accustomed to using chemicals to solve our problems. This does not mean that chemicals are always necessary. It is absolutely possible to grow a successful, flourishing organic garden that will provide you with a bountiful harvest. Here are 10 helpful organic gardening tips to get you started on the right foot:
(1) Start with healthy soil. A foundation of healthy soil is absolutely critical for a successful garden. Before beginning your garden, I would suggest getting your soil tested at your local cooperative extension. Or, you can also buy a home test kit. The results of this test will let you know whether you need to raise or lower the pH level your soil, meaning whether you need to balance out the soil’s acidity and alkalinity. The magic number for most vegetable plants is a pH level of 6.5.
(2) Add the appropriate soil amendments. Based on your soil test results, you will need to add the appropriate amendments to balance your soil's pH level. There are a number of organic soil amendments you can add to your soil to help improve it. Make sure to always carefully read the label and all of the ingredients on a soil amendment or fertilizer, even if the label says “organic.” Even organic products may be chemically synthesized, so you must carefully look to make sure the product does not contain chemicals.
(3) Try an all-natural liquid fertilizer, such as ProtoGrow. You definitely don’t need chemicals to feed your plants. I recommend ProtoGrow because it contains a special blend of fish emulsion and kelp extract, both of which are very effective natural, non-chemical fertilizers. When applied to fruit and veggie plants, it helps them to produce large, nutrient-dense food. An important thing to consider here is that when you keep your plants healthy and strong, they are naturally more resistant to disease and pests. Many scientists theorize that plant illnesses only attack already weakened plants.
(4) Use compost. Regardless of the pH level of your soil, it is always a good idea to mix compost in with it. Compost delivers nutrients and healthy bacteria to your plants. It also helps you to achieve a healthy soil texture, allowing oxygen to reach the plants’ roots as well. While tilling your garden spot, before planting your garden seedlings, aim to mix together about 50% soil and 50% compost. If you have your own compost heap, wait about 3-6 months, or until the compost is dark, crumbly, and free of stink, before using it in your garden. If you do not have a compost heap, you can purchase inexpensive bags of it at your local garden store.
(5) Practice IPM. IPM, or integrated pest management, is the most responsible way to handle pests in your garden. One of the primary assets of this practice is to set an action threshold. This means that you will decide exactly how you will handle pests when you encounter them in your garden, and what numbers of the pests dictates that it is time to take action. For example, if you find just one Japanese beetle on your plants, pluck it off with a gloved hand and drop it into a bucket of soapy water. (It will drop to the bottom of the bucket and drown.) If you find between 2-10 Japanese beetles, pluck them off, then apply a natural deterrent to the plant where you found them. You can make a non-chemical deterrent by blending together two whole cloves of garlic, one hot pepper (or a teaspoon of dried hot pepper flakes), a pint of water, and a drop of dishwashing soap. Spray this on the leaves of the plant to deter the beetles. If you find 11 or more beetles on a plant, you may want to simply uproot it and throw it away. This is just an example of an IPM action threshold. You can create your own to suit your needs. Just remember that broadcast spraying of a pesticide is never a solution.
(6) Be patient. Do not expect tomatoes to grow overnight. Expect to learn from your mistakes, too. If your garden is swampy and not draining properly, you may need to build a raised garden bed and start over. All good things are worth waiting for, so be patient with your organic garden. In my crisis garden, some veggies, such as radishes, only take about 30 days from planting to harvest. Others, such as beans, may take up to 100 days. Nothing happens instantly, but if you plan ahead and be patient, you can have a continuous harvest throughout the entire spring, summer, and fall.
(7) Plant companion plants. Companion plants are those that when planted together, they help each other to thrive. For example, if you plant nasturtiums (pretty edible flowers) in your vegetable garden, they will help to protect your vegetable plants. This is because they will act like a decoy and attract caterpillars and grubs to their blossoms and away from your vegetables.
(8) Keep your garden clean. You must monitor your garden daily to keep it clean and pest free. Make sure to pick up any fruits and veggies that have fallen to the ground. Clear away rotting vines, leaves, stems, and debris to help keep your garden free of bugs, mold, and fungus.
(9) Write things down. If you find a great way to handle an aphid outbreak, write it down. This way, if it happens again the following year, you already know exactly what worked for you and how to handle the problem. This can be a huge time saver.
(10) Water wisely. If you water your vegetable plants briefly and frequently, this may cause them to develop shallow roots. Instead, give them a good soaking about once a week. On your daily walk through your garden, take a look at the leaves of the plants. If they are sad and wilted, then your plants need water. Make sure to always water the roots of your plants and not the leaves. A soaker hose is a good investment for this purpose. I would recommend also putting at least one rain barrel in your backyard, as this is a terrific way to conserve and recycle water.