Establishing an organic garden is a smart way to work towards a healthier diet. Growing an organic garden does take some planning, though. You might be wondering where you need to start to have your very own organic garden.
Pick your plants with an eye to maximize the yield you can get. A lot of times a hybrid that will tolerate cold weather or disease will give you a higher output than heirlooms.
Choose the right soil for best results. Depending on the type of plants you desire in your garden, your natural soil may or may not be appropriate. You may also cultivate an artificial area comprised of just one type of soil.
Stink Bugs
Keep an eye open for stink bugs in your garden, especially during the fall months. They enjoy tomatoes, peppers, beans, and many different varieties of fruits. If they go unnoticed, they can cause large amounts of harm to your garden, so remember to take protective measures to reduce the population of stink bugs there.
If you would like to have flowers in your garden that last through the spring and summer seasons, plant bulbs. Bulbs will grow every year and are easier to take care of than seeds. The types of bulbs you use will determine the time of year your flowers will bloom, giving you the pleasure of blooms from spring to summer, if you plant them right.
To help them out, try poring leftover water from steamed vegetables on them. Tea and coffee grounds can also serve as acidifiers in the soil of your gardenias or rhododendrons. Chamomile tea is a good remedy against fungus.
Choose one stand-out plant to be a focal point. Any great garden design involves using a focal point to grab someone’s attention and keep it there. Usually this is a big plant that is somewhat different from the other plants in the garden.
Heather can bring you beneficial insects. Bees love heather, and when the heather blooms in early spring, it provides a good nectar source for them. Spiders, ground beetles and other useful insects are drawn to heather beds because they don’t tend to get jostled around. Being mindful of this, wearing gloves appropriate to horticulture is sound strategy when pruning any heather in or around the bed.
If you are growing your organic plants inside of your home or office, it is vital to make sure that the right amount of light reaches them. If your house or apartment doesn’t get a lot of natural light, one option is to grow something that only requires medium or low light. You can also try using artificial lighting to help.
Preparing a plot for planting a perennial garden can be done quickly and without difficulty. Use your spade to slice chunks of turf up, then flip each piece over, and spread wood chips on top to a depth of four inches. Wait two weeks or so, and then you are ready to jump right in with digging and planting.
Don’t underestimate pine as a great mulch. Some plants do better in soil with high acidity as they are highly acidic themselves. Pine needles are an excellent form of mulch for these types of plants. Cover the surface of the ground with a two-inch layer of the pine needles; as the needles break down, they will release acid into the soil and nourish your plants.
Calibrate how much you water based upon the time of the year and the weather conditions. You should consider water quality and soil type when watering your plants. Try to water your plants at the same time every day, as time of day also affects how much water they need. Gardeners in warm, moist climates should avoid watering leafy plants as this makes them more vulnerable to fungal growths. Instead focus on watering the root system.
When you start planting your organic tomatoes, stagger your planting time by planting two groups of plants, three weeks apart. If you plant everything at the same time, you will have an overabundance followed by nothing. If one crop is ruined for some reason, the next one will be healthy.
An organic shade garden is a good choice for any beginner. Shade gardens are designed to be hardy and low maintenance. They save much time and work because they require less water. This could also enable slower growth, and there will be a lot less weeds to eradicate.
Open your imagination as to what type of plants you would like to plant into your organic garden. Mulch is the friend of plants that need acidity to thrive. These kinds of plants need to be mulched with thick layers of pine needles during fall each year. As the needles decompose, their acid will deposit into the soil and nourish the plants.
Organic Horticulture
As should be obvious by now, organic horticulture requires a bit of forethought and planning before implementation. Also, to get the best results, you must stay focused and keep up with it. If you keep the tips provided here in mind, you can find your way to organic horticulture success. Enjoy your harvest!