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Benefits to Organic Gardening
Benefits to organic gardening include the best, fresh delicious harvests without using harmful chemicals to help your plants grow.
In other words, not putting poisons on your plants when the bugs come to attack so you'll have safe, natural food.
Sounds like a great plan. After all, who wants food from a vegetable garden that's been sprayed with poison?
Thou Shalt Not
When I first started organic gardening, I viewed this as a "thou shalt not" approach to gardening.
Thou shalt not use pesticides. Thou shalt not use synthetic fertilizers. Got it.
So I did not, and each year, my garden was a dismal failure.
I could barely get the weeds to grow, let alone the carrots, beans and peas I wanted to produce.
I'd plant squash and watch in horror as the leaves would wilt and tiny white bugs would devour everything in sight.
And then I'd declare war and get out the Sevin Dust. Sprinkled it on everything. Killed most of the bugs.
Except now I was worried about the poison soaking into my skin and slowly killing me.
And the end result? Forget it. Try, meager, dismal, disappointing.
That's because I didn't understand the true benefits to organic gardening.
Benefits to Organic Gardening
Strengthening From the Inside Out
A composter like this one
turns waste into rich soil quickly and easily without taking up much space.
I realized that with organic gardening, you need to look at your garden the way you look at the human body.
Fill it with nothing but junk food, give it absolutely no nutrition, and your body will soon be prone to all sorts of nasty illnesses.
But if you're careful about what you put into your body, the change is dramatic.
The best way to ward off cancer is to eat tons of fresh fruit and vegetables every day.
Likewise, the best way to protect your garden from insects and disease is to provide your plants with the best possible food.
Provide your garden with the best possible growing environment, including rich soil you make in your own composter
and your plants will be better equipped to ward off insects and disease.
Those healthy plants not only stay strong but also produce plenty of fresh, healthy vegetables, one of the benefits to organic gardening.
This book
is an excellent resource on composting.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation and
The Benefits to Organic Gardening
It's all about preparation. The turning point for me came when I got the itch one fall to work in the garden.
Although it is not the best time for growing most things, it is ideal for working outside, since the weather is cooler.
That's when I built my first compost pile to improve my organic gardening and also began digging my raised beds.
The result was astounding. I had potatoes for the first time in my life. Real potatoes. And green beans.
And turnips and squash. A few half-hour sessions in the fall made all the difference.
The location of your garden is also crucial for successful and abundant organic gardening.
Also, in his book, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible ,
Ed Smith suggests an acrostic to remember the four most important elements of a successful garden.
W-O-R-D, standing for "Wide Rows," "Organically Grown", "Raised Beds," and "Deep" loose soil.
This compost activator
will turn your organic waste into rich, fertile soil much faster.
What Else Do You Need to Reap
The Benefits to Organic Gardening?
You should also mulch your plants to protect them and hold in moisture.
Also, provide a natural pest control by planting flowers that attract the beneficial insects that will control the bad ones.
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Extra Gardening Tips
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A garden kneeler and seat
makes daily weeding chores much easier by easing the strain on your lower back and knees while protecting your clothing from stain and injuries.
To protect your back, use a lifting tool
for heavy pots and other objects.
Long-term exposure to the elements will damage your tools and shorten their use.
Store your tools and other gardening supplies in a portable storage bin .
To make yard and garden cleaning easier, use a Kangaroo Gardening Container .
Invest in a sharpening tool
to keep your shovel and other gardening tools sharp and easier to work with.
Grow a successful hydroponic gardening with this helpful resource.
Protect your hands from insects and other injuries by wearing good quality gardening gloves.
More Homestead Gardening Links
Thinking about gardening the organic way? Follow these simple steps first.
Want to save even more money when gardening? Purchase bulk seeds for cost savings and self reliant preparation.
Get an early start on your gardening by starting your seeds indoors. Here are some tips.
Ready to grow your own vegetables, but you're not sure where to begin?
Learn which vegetables are the easiest to grow by clicking here.
The most comprehensive gardening instruction available on the internet!
Learn more.
Are you thinking about putting in a garden?
Follow these tips.
For healthy strong plants, put in raised beds.
Or avoid the digging altogether and put in these easier raised beds.
For truly rich, healthy soil, learn how to make your own compost.
Protect your plants and keep down weeds by mulching. Here are some mulching tips.
Build up your soil, and you'll keep pests down to a minimum, but what happens if pests do attack your garden? Here are some pest control tips
100's Of Wonderfully Frugal, Eco-Friendly and Highly Resourceful Gardening Techniques.
click here to learn more.
Gotten into poison ivy lately. Learn how to treat that awful itch. Here's how.
Do you have limited space? Consider growing your organic garden in containers.
Ready to have your own container garden? Here are some tips on finding the right garden container
Gardening can be much more than a hobby; it can also be a way to raise most of your food. Here's how.
An good resource for raising your own food is this ebook.
If you want the richest humus for your gardening, consider composting with worms
Save Thousands of Dollars a Year With This Fully Illustrated Guide.
Click here to learn more.
Want to have fresh greens for your salad all winter? Then build this easy, effective cold frame.
Get your garden off to the right start with strong growth and an early harvest. Learn how you can germinate seeds.
So why should you pursue organic gardening? Learn the benefits by clicking here.
True self sufficiency means being able to produce your own excellent-quality seeds. Here's how.
To save seeds, you must start with quality plants. Learn why you should purchase the seeds of heirloom plants by clicking here.
Have you thought about organic gardening but don't know where to begin?
Try these tips.
Have a Bountiful Organic Garden using a tiny amount of space.
Learn more.
As homesteaders, we primarily think about gardening to raise food, but beauty is also important.
Learn the importance of cottage gardening.
When planning your garden, don't forget to grow herbs. Not only do they smell nice and add flavoring to food, many also have healing qualities.
Learn more.
Got a bumper crop of potatoes or other root vegetables this season?
Learn an economical way to store them to keep them fresh all winter by clicking here.
If you want to extend your growing season, a small greenhouse might be just the ticket.
Learn more.
If you are thinking about adding on a lean to greenhouse, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Read more.
The winter months are a perfect time for planning your spring garden.
Learn more.
Summer garden not all you hoped it to be? Consider putting in a fall garden, but be sure to protect your plants from frosty nights.
Learn how.
The ins and outs of storing produce from your garden can be found by clicking here.
If you had an abundant harvest of root vegetables this year, don't let them go to waste; store them using this time-proven method instead.
Read more.
More Great Links
For more great gardening tips, check out The Garden Guy. Ron Cusano has been passionate about organic gardening since the 60's, and has a forum where gardeners can gather online to share information.
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