Guide to starting your own Organic Garden
Gardens are always a pleasurable sight, whether in patios, verandahs or in the backyard. Organic gardening may have some tough work at the beginning, but the rewards are huge – your grocery bills reduce considerably. So start your own organic garden in the backyard or in the balcony of a city apartment and see the plants grow. Here are a few guidelines to help you start right away.
Plan ahead on the plants you wish to grow, as the positioning of the garden or site depends on the plants. Herbs and vegetables need at least six hours of morning sunlight and proper draining, especially during spring and summer. Ornamental plants in containers can be placed at spots from where you can enjoy their beauty.
If you live outside the city or in a small town and are lucky to have a backyard, select the spot for your organic plants, keeping in mind the essential sunlight. If you are thinking containers, then your problems are less because you can place them at the right spots.
Whatever plant you grow, it is best to start with just a couple or a few seedlings. Work hard on the few and watch them grow while you learn on the way. Expand your organic garden gradually as you gain experience and dexterity; handling too many plants may be a little overwhelming in the beginning.
If it is in the backyard that you have chosen to grow your garden, clear the site of any other plants or weeds etc. Digging is the primary and most important part before you buy the seeds and plant them Now mix as much compost as possible, to provide plenty of food for your plants.
If you buy seeds or plants from the nursery you can be sure to be bringing home some traces of chemicals attached to them, as most nurseries use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Such plants may take some time to adjust to the natural organic way of growing. Before purchasing inspect the leaves and roots for insects or diseases. Or, if possible buy the organic seeds through catalogs, so that you are sure of what you get.
Once home water the plants thoroughly before you plant them; a moist root ball will alleviate the sudden shock of transplanting. Prepare the hole which should be as deep and twice as big in size of the root ball of the plant; put in the plant and fill with soil and gently pat it in. Pour water once more to wet the whole area, same process for yard and container planting. Finally, cover the entire surface area with organic mulch made of bark, hay, shredded leaves to keep the soil moist and also to keep the weeds down.
Mark areas in your garden with names of the plants or seeds just sown with labels, so you know which plant is peeping up and where in the spring. If you have planted more than one plant in a big container, it is practical to have flags posted next to them.
Join a local organic gardening community so that each time you buy seeds or plant the costs can be shared with others who need the same. Besides, sharing garden tools can lessen the burden on anyone who wishes to create organic gardens.
About The Author: Elias Cortez is a freelance writer and the editor of www.topnetbookpicks.com - a website which provides detailed reviews and information for popular netbook models such as the Toshiba nb305-n310 and the best netbooks for 2011.
The Herb Cottage is proud to offer high quality seeds from Botanical Interest, Inc., a family owned seed business located in Broomfield, Colorado. 