Are you thinking about a garden for your backyard? Did you know that some of the easiest gardening methods are organic? You do not need to till, dig, or weed. You also do not need to buy herbicides or pesticides, which are bad for the environment.
When thinking about sustainability, you may think of sustainable bath products, but an organic garden really is the ultimate in sustainability. Here are some organic gardening tips to make your garden a success:
- Know what zone you are in: This will tell you when the first and last frost is in your area. Knowing which zone you are in and when to plant will help you grow thriving plants.
- Know the sun and shade areas: Mark the spots in your yard with sun, part sun, and shade. You want to plant your vegetables in the sunniest area with at least six hours of sun per day, but eight or 10 hours is best. Then match your plants to the appropriate sunny and shady areas.
- Understand the soil: Adding organic components to your soil such as compost and manure is the #1 principle for a good organic garden. If you buy manure, be sure to use it on a bottom layer if you think there are weed seeds in it.
- Spread compost over your garden bed in the late fall. Cover it with winter mulch such as hay. In the spring, the bed is ready for planting. Just use a hand trowel to dig areas that need to be planted.
- Vegetable gardens usually need more feeding when you plant, so use a balanced organic fertilizer with phosphate, nitrogen, and potash.
- Do not till: Tilling your vegetable garden digs up weed seeds that sprout the entire growing season. Adding good soil, composting, and putting cardboard underneath any existing grass will keep out weeds.
- Give plants plenty of room to grow: Plants start small so it is easy to put them too close together. If you do, they will grow into each other and damage your yields.
- Water right: Most garden plants need an inch or so of water per week, in addition to your composting. Water deeply once per week with soaker hoses or drip systems. Deep watering encourages the roots to grow deep. Water early in the morning to reduce water loss during the heat.
Organic gardening is actually quite simple, affordable, and very effective at growing vegetables. Give these simple tips a shot when you are growing your vegetables next year!