Three Essential Tips For Your Organic Garden

The benefits of a home organic garden are well publicised and also well deserved. Keeping harmful chemicals from your diet and your property whilst improving your health and the quality of your land and garden is a very smart idea. But there are three essential steps to make your gardening more enjoyable and rewarding.

Firstly, know your soil. This is easy. There are only three types of soil - clay, sand and silt. The best soil is a mixture of all three types, but certain vegetables do grow better in certain types of soils. Sandy soils have large particles and gaps and drain easily. However sandy soils do not have the nutrients of the heavier clay and silt soils. Clay and silt soils are made up of very small particles that combine tightly and do not allow water to drain as easily. When you have balanced your soil equally between the three types of soil it will be nutritious for your vegetables, but will aslo drain well. Add organic matter regularly to your soil as this will improve the soils structure and provide additional nutrients for your vegetables.

Secondly, grow native plants and vegetables. They are suited to yor climate so they will give you the best rewards. Native plants and vegetables will have better survival rates against insects and infections and will also attract the birds and the bees to do their handy work.

Finally, have patience. Gardening is rewarding, and having a meal with your loved ones with food from your own garden is a fantastic feat. However, plants take time to grow and you may not instantly have success with each new plant or vegetable that you plant. But stick with it, work on improving your soils and give yourself the best opportunities by growing native plants and you will surely have a bountiful garden year after year.

5 Reasons to Grow Your Own Organic Food

Organic gardening is a way to provide food for your family without using chemical additives. Whether you have enough space and time to become fully self sufficient or simply want to add some quality to your diet, organic gardening is one of the best ways to make your life more sustainable. 

  

1.    Sustainable living. 

With the present nosedive in economic fortunes who can predict how long we will be able to maintain our oil-dependent food supplies. Non-organic food depends on oil to help manufacture the fertilizers and pesticides, so even if you are buying locally grown food there is still an impact on the environment. Many commercial irrigation techniques are unsustainable in their water use. By growing your own organic food you can reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably.

2.    Flavour. 

The days of organic food being grown by a few hippies and looking and tasting second rate are well and truly over. Watch any top chef on the food channel and they will repeat time and again the importance of your ingredients. Most of them will stress the importance of organic food as a source of great taste. Try a comparison at home; buy a tomato from the supermarket and one from an organic food store or garden. Compare the flavours. Supermarket produce is grown to look good and have an extended shelf life. Your own home grown organic produce will be grown for flavor.

3.    Good health. 

It seems like every month there is some evidence that another chemical used in food production may cause reactions, allergies or other adverse effects. The chemical companies tell us that these things are really safe and provide effective ways of increasing the crops. However, old chemicals are repeatedly banned and new ones may not be tested thoroughly enough to identify long-term effects. Why take the chance with your family's health? It is simple to produce home grown organic food. Most of us need to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables that we eat. An affordable way to do this with quality produce is to grow your own organic food.

4.    Independence 

Do you really want to spend the rest of your life at the beck and call of multinational corporations? Will you continue to put your family's health in the hands of others? When you garden organically you begin to take control of your life. You gain an understanding of the inter-connections of all parts of life. You will realize the importance of the little things and how they can improve the lives of the bigger things.

5.    Cost 

If you are starting completely from scratch it may cost a little to set up your organic garden. But it is money well spent. For example a packet of organic tomato seeds costs just a couple of dollars. Half of those seeds can keep a family in tomatoes for 5 months of the year. And the next year you can plant your own seeds from your organic plants. With a little effort in seed saving you will never have to buy tomatoes in season again. Of course, you can do this with all of your produce. You could save hundreds of dollars every month.  

Paul Callaghan is a an organic gardener and freelance writer based in New Zealand. 

You can follow his blog at:

http://www.organicbeginner.blogspot.com

Importance of Organic Gardening

Organic gardening can simply be depicted as the process of growing and producing fruits and vegetables naturally - only the things provided by nature. Gardening is known to add extra quality and quantity to one's life thanks to the benefits that come along with the process. Of particular importance to note, tending to a garden makes one forget the things that might be bothering them. 

First and foremost, what better way to feel good knowing that your gardening acts are helping safeguard the future of the next generations? This is because organic gardening is less harmful to the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 38 states have had reported cases of contaminated ground water. A further finding from the Soil Conservation indicates that 30-32 billion tons of soil erodes from American farmlands each year, which is attributed to commercial farming. Thus, organic farming has residual impact on ground water and protects the top soil from being eroded.

The second reason why most people embrace organic farming is the mere fact that the food contains less harmful chemicals that can be consumed by your family. It is a fact that toxins found on pesticides have a major purpose of killing any living thing. Organic gardening on the other hand is preferred for its zero tolerance to use of pesticides. It is for this major reason that organic gardening has grown widely in popularity.

Whereas the general process of gardening can be boring, organic gardening is anything but boring. For instance, organic gardening allows you make your own compost from kitchen waste and from the garden. It is true it is time consuming as compared to purchasing ready made fertilizers and chemical pesticides, but you get to learn about agriculture and of course it is a rewarding activity, to say the least.

Living in such harsh economic times, one would do anything to cost cut and save that extra hard earned cash in the most affordable way possible. Organic gardening doesn't need any costly chemical pesticides and fertilizers. For instance, you can make use of organic fertilizers of stale coffee and coffee grounds. If you wish to get rid of aphids from your vegetables, why not plant marigolds?

Still on point, you can mix 1 cup of cooking oil and a tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Then take 3 tablespoons of the concoction and mix with water then spay on your plants. On the other hand, if you have to retain moisture and keep the weeds out, you could do mulching using pine needles and grass clippings.

By and large, findings indicate that children ingest 4-5 times cancer-causing pesticides from what they eat than adults. This only means that it can lead to various health complications in the future life of the child. Organic gardening is the only sure way to minimize such incidents.

Avid full time hobby bonsai grower. As been practicing bonsai and gardening for more then 10 years. Owner of mishobonsai.com, a website with resource for Bonsai seeds and tree seeds. It is also dedicated to providing informations on bonsai tree as an hobby and specific guides of species suitable to grow as a bonsai tree.

Learn About Organic Garden Design on a Budget and Reap The Benefits of Cheap Healthy Food

A garden has always been the perfect place to unwind and relax! However, more and more people are now growing their own fruit and vegetables as the perfect solution to tough economic times. This ensures a supply of healthy seasonal food which reduces the household budget and if the garden adheres to organic principles, also means that the produce is free of chemicals.

Here are some tips to help you in your own organic garden design:

Organic garden design tip 1: Your organic garden should use what suits your location rather than trying to force a garden to produce that which was designed for another climate or location. You will find you don't need to work so hard growing plants that come from your local area so don't struggle with those that are not natural to your environment. You will have a much better guarantee of success when you adopt this approach.

Organic garden design tip 2: Spend some time to establish a plan for your garden. Get good ideas by visiting public gardens, take snapshots of your favorite gardens, collect magazine pictures, and then make a list of your desired plants and where they will go. Remember to make sure that they suit your area and climate, and if you have limited rainfall check they will survive with little water.

Organic garden design tip 3: Spend some time understanding the impact of your garden on the native animals and birds in your area. Think about their food source (nectar, seeds, and nuts) and position your plants according to the environment you want to create.

Organic garden design tip 4: Be patient! Gardens will evolve over time and you should expect to revise your plans as you come to terms with the size and shape of your plants or when you simply change you mind.

Organic garden design tip 5: Don't be afraid to ask a neighbor for advice - gardeners love to share, and will appreciate your feedback and admiration. They will also want to give you cuttings and seeds that you can use.

Organic garden design tip 6: Make your own fertilizer - it's easier than you think! Why have your grass clippings, leaves and garden garbage hauled away, and then buy fertilizer? Making your own will help the environment by reducing waste and improving your soil.

Organic garden design tip 7: When buying your plants, make sure to inspect them for diseases and insect problems. As well as nurseries, you can also source your plants via mail order which means smaller plants but they are usually less expensive than nurseries. Arboretums and botanical gardens often hold plant sales which give you a chance to buy when prices are low.

These are just a few ways you can develop your organic garden design on a budget. By doing these things you will minimize your cost and enjoy the result even more.

Tee Rogers is passionate about gardens, from both aesthetic and practical perspectives. She designs and develops gardens which extend and complement the natural environment in which they are located, and avidly attends to her organically grown fruit and vegetables. If you are interested in learning more about organic gardening, please visit her recommended blog http://all-lifestyle-learnings.blogspot.com/2009/02/enigma-of-gardening.html