Organic gardening can either be a major headache, or a very relaxing hobby. The following advice will show you how to grow an organic garden successfully.
Let your kids help
Include your children in your efforts to organic gardening. Children will benefit from the fresh air while bonding with you in your efforts to provide healthier food alternatives for them.
Build an animal habitat
If you’re really serious about environmentally-friendly gardening practices, refrain from developing some of your land and use it as an animal habitat. This can be a good area for the types of insects that pollinate plants. It can also be a sanctuary for birds, which will help some plants thrive. This can greatly improve the production of your organic garden.
Keep tools handy
One way to ensure efficiency while gardening is to keep your tools close by. Use a large bucket, or wear rugged pants with several pockets. Tools you’ll need to garden efficiently include towels, gloves, pruning shears and other plant-specific tools.
Use organic mulch
Add three inches of mulch to your flower beds. A thick layer of mulch will prevent weeds, reduce watering needs and fertilize your garden. This will also make your flowers appear beautiful and finished all year long.
Do not underestimate pine as great mulch. Some plants need acidic soil to grow properly, because of their own acid content. If that’s the case, the easiest thing to do is use pine needles for beds. Spread the needles over the beds in a layer that is approximately 2-inches deep. Over time, the needles will begin to decay, supplying the soil with acid as they do.
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Coffee Grounds
Try using coffee grounds on the soil. Coffee beans are loaded with nitrogen, which offers nourishment for plants. Nitrogen is often the most important nutrient when it comes to plants thriving, and a solid source of nitrogen, like coffee grounds, urea, or compost, can boost growth speed and increase height.
Consider using old newspapers
Do you prefer to eliminate weeds without the use of harmful chemicals? A good thick layer of newspaper can be laid down to control weeds. In order to grow, weeds need sunlight. The newspaper will block sunlight and weeds won’t be able to grow. You can use newspapers because of how nicely they break down, they can be added into compost. You can cover the newspapers with mulch to make them look more attractive if you like!
Start plants in containers
When you plant the seeds in containers, be sure the planting’s depth is three times bigger than the seed. However, you should always know that some seeds cannot be covered, even the slightest bit, because they need to be in direct sunlight. Two common examples of this type of seed are ageratum and petunias. With so many different types of seeds, it is important that you check seed packaging or utilize other resources, such as the Internet, to discover which seeds require exposure to direct sunlight.
Build raised beds
Create raised beds with stone, brick or untreated wood. Be sure to use wood that is naturally resistant to rotting and that has not been treated. Examples of good woods include cedar, cypress, and locust. Take care to avoid wood that has been chemically treated when your garden will hold vegetables, since unknown substances in the wood can make their way into your future food. If you have used treated lumber, line your beds with plastic.
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Wrapping up organic gardening
As this article has demonstrated, organic gardening is more complex than some may think. While it takes quite a bit of effort and lots of patience, your pay off in the end will be a fantastic organic garden. Simply by reading through the techniques provided to you in this article, you should find yourself much more informed and capable of organic gardening.
