SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Organic Gardening
Organic
Gardening Tips & Advice
What
Exactly Is Organic Gardening?
More and more people are switching to organic
gardening now - but exactly what is organic gardening? In this
article we will look at the 5 vital methods that will keep
your garden on the right side of the organic divide.
1. Considering The Garden As A Whole
Organic gardening takes a holistic approach, seeing the garden
as one entity. Within this, different elements like soil, insects,
worms, microorganisms and all of the different plants work
together to create a mini ecosystem in the garden.
Everything is important, not only the fruit and vegetables.
Your decorative plants, trees, lawn and even your garden furniture
should be treated with a view to the environmental implications
of all of the choices that you make.
2. Making The Most Of Your Garden's Strengths
All gardens have strong points and weaker points. Consider
the situation, soil type, climate, neighboring environment,
sunny and shaded areas, and play on the strongest characteristics
of your garden as you plan its organic development.
3. Welcoming Wildlife To The Garden
Most forms of wildlife can be seen either positively or negatively.
Most people welcome birds to their gardens - until they start
eating all of the delicious berries. We may not like wasps
but they are predators that can be very beneficial to our gardens.
In an organic garden, all pest control will be natural. This
can include:
- introducing
natural predators to control your pests
- keeping
seedlings and vulnerable crops protected with covers or nets
- using
soapy water to wash plants that are vulnerable to aphid infestations
- selecting
compatible plants that will keep pests away from neighboring
plants
- removing
medium sized pests like slugs and certain caterpillars whenever
you see them.
If you want to kill slugs and caterpillars, drowning or squishing
are the most environmentally friendly methods. You can use
traps for some creatures.
4. Caring For Your Soil - Not For Your Plants
The soil is the basis of your garden. To your plants, it is
both their home and their main source of food. Care for the
soil well and your plants will take care of themselves.
Composting and mulching are great ways to look after your
soil. Compost your kitchen waste and any other compostable
matter that you have in the house. Use dead plant material
too. If you are trimming trees and shrubs, cut the branches
small to include them. Let your compost rot untouched for a
full season.
If you have a compost tub, it should be bottomless and placed
on soil so that worms and friendly bacteria can enter to process
the waste and turn it into a wonderful fertilizer for your
garden. When it is ready it will look like fine soil. At least
once a year, you can take it out from the bottom of the tub
or pile and spread it around the garden.
If you use compostable materials such as bark and fallen leaves
as mulch, placed on the soil between your plants, it will both
control weed growth and enrich the soil as it rots.
5. Consider The Environment In Everything That You Do
Choose organic seeds and seedlings whenever you can. Avoid
genetically modified plants and over-hybridized plants that
are often weaker than those based on wild varieties. Even seedless
fruiting varieties are unnatural and a plant whose fruit carries
no seeds may not trouble to put a lot of goodness into its
fruit.
When you buy fruit and vegetables at the store, buying organic
will also help to keep your garden organic. Any waste from
non-organic food that is added to your compost is putting traces
of chemical pesticides into your garden.
Collecting rain water saves wasting valuable drinking water
and may also be better for your garden. Most water from your
faucets contains chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals that
are added to drinking water for sanitation reasons but are
not necessarily beneficial to plants (or even humans - but
that is another issue!)
Choose plants that are suited to your climate. This will save
water if you live in a dry region, as well as giving you stronger
and healthier plants wherever you live.
As you can see, having an organic garden is not just a question
of stopping spraying your roses! Consider every aspect of what
is an organic garden and you will find you have created a bower
of natural beauty in your backyard.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
> Home
> Gardening
Articles: Main Page
|
