What is organic gardening?

It’s the method of gardening which utilizes only materials derived from living things, ie. all natural plant foods and pesticides.  Once you know the basic tenets of this practice, organic vegetable gardening is simple.  And the payoff is enormous.  No toxic chemicals, no waste, better for the environment as a whole not to mention a crop full of natural delicious vegetables.

Remember these basic tenets and you’ll have a successful crop in no time!

Soil

It all begins here.  Amending your soil with organic material such as composted manure, yard and kitchen scrap compost will get your dirt off to a good start.  The inclusion of organic material provides a solid basis of nutrients for your plants which helps to cut down on the need for commercially made fertilizers and improves soil structure making it easier for your plant to absorb the important minerals they need. Sandy soil will not hold its moisture well. Heavy clay soil may prove too dense for healthy root development. Well-tilled soil is a must!

Organic Mulch

Organic mulch is a protective layer used on your soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, prevent weed growth and best of all, if it’s organic mulch, it will improve the condition of your soil, providing nutrients as the material decomposes. How great is that?

Sowing Seeds

Seeds are the heart of your future garden and require a good start to produce a hearty bounty. Sowing seeds can be made easy, but first you must know several facts going in. When do you plant them and how deep? How long before they germinate and how long before they produce? How much water do they require? These are all good questions and are crucial to a successful vegetable garden.

Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizer is the food that fuels your plants. What do your plants like to eat? N-P-K. Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium. These are represented by the three numbers you see listed on the package of store bought fertilizer. In addition to N-P-K, your plants will enjoy a healthy dose of other organic foodstuffs like worm poop and pee (we call this worm tea), eggshells, Epsom salts, bone meal, blood meal…  The list goes on, but the key word is all-natural.  Mother Nature knows what she’s doing and these sources provide essential vitamins and minerals for your plants.

Compost

Compost is one of the secret ingredients to a healthy and happy vegetable garden, because your garden grows from the roots up and the roots are embedded in your soil. Be sure to amend it with compost. How do you make compost? Can you buy it? Are there different kinds? Yes is the answer to all of your questions. Head to my compost page for full details.

Organic Pest Control

When planning your garden, educate yourself on which plants repel insects, which plants invite them, and what each bug eats.  For instance, ladybugs eat aphids.  A good thing, because aphids will suck the life from just about any plant!  By inviting ladybugs into your garden you are employing a natural form of pest control and not toxic chemicals.

How to Kill Weeds

How to kill weeds seems to be a constant question in a gardener’s life, but its necessary to learn the answer. You can minimize the job and make your life simple by visiting your garden each and everyday.  Seriously.  From weeds to worms (and I don’t mean the good ones), you’ll find it MUCH easier to maintain if you do so on a daily basis.  I realize this is Captain Obvious speaking, but I had no idea how quickly weeds and bugs can overtake a garden! Click here for more on weed removal.

Companion planting

When designing your garden, it’s important to adhere to spacing guidelines for your plants. By keeping them close, their leaves will shade the ground beneath them. This not only cuts down on weed growth, but helps the soil retain water, cutting down on water usage.  Organic gardeners are excellent custodians of the environment.  Too close, and you’ll invite the growth of fungus and disease. Including a wide variety of plants in your garden and planting them according to their relationship with others helps in many ways.  Companion planting is the answer. For instance, bean plants fix nitrogen into the soil which corn plants use to produce healthy cobs.  Corn provides support for the climbing vines of the bean family.  Add squash to the base and you have instant weed control! Check out my companion planting page for more!

Crop rotation

This is the practice of rotating a plant’s location from season to season.  Relocating your plants cuts down on soil depletion and disease infestation.  In addition, plants like beans will actually put nutrients into the soil that can be used by the next crop, ie. corn.   Disease will be reduced because the organisms that infect one plant pose no harm to the next, so rotating eliminates the likelihood a disease will spread. Head to my crop rotation page for details.

Water

Conserving water is a key component of organic gardening.  Good watering practices include the capturing and storing of rain, the use of drips hoses and plenty of mulch.  With a sprinkler system, a large amount of water can be lost to evaporation.  If sprinklers must be used, it’s best to water in the early morning or early evening hours.  Using mulch around your plants is another way to conserve water, because it keeps the soil moist longer, requiring less water to be used. Tip: Bury an empty bottle next to your plants, poke holes in it, then fill it with water for deep root watering.

Cover crops

These are the plants you grow in between seasons. They help to replenish the soil with vital nutrients and prevent soil erosion. They can also be used to feed the beneficial insects in the absence of your vegetable crop and keep weeds at bay. Check my cover crops page for more details.

Sustainability

Organic gardening is all about using sustainable methods and what better way to be self-sustaining than to use your own seeds!  The practice of saving seeds has been around for centuries and ensures you “know what you grow.”  But to ensure purity and avoid cross-pollination, you must keep some distance between the same plants of different varieties.  You don’t want to be disappointed when you plant those tomato seeds next year and discover the result is a hybrid—and not the decadent beefsteak tomato you were looking forward to.  Only heirlooms can produce the original fruit, not hybrids.

Organic vegetable gardening is all about sustainable practices.  It’s conservation at its best, because you are using what you have and what you can find in nature.  From fall leaves to leftover food, you waste nothing in an organic garden.  Plants help each other, insects play a role…why even Mother Nature helps by delivering an extra shot of nitrogen in every rain drop! But more than being a good steward of the environment, organic gardening makes for a healthier you.

Seasons and When to Grow

Now that you know the basic tenets of organic gardening, the next question is when should you start planting? Well, this depends on where you live and what you like to eat. Or grow, in the case of those interested in selling their produce at the local farmer’s market.

The northern half of the United States will generally grow outdoors during the summer months while the southern half of the U.S. enjoys two growing seasons per year, spring and fall. But gardening is not that simple. With the advent of greenhouses, hydroponics and “livable landscapes,” the growing season has increased for gardeners everywhere. However, a good rule of thumb is to follow this basic when to grow temperature guide dividing plants into warm and cool climate preferences.

For more details on each subject, click on one of the topics below!