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Organic Gardening for
Successful Homesteading
Organic gardening means not using 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.
And then I discovered a new approach.
Two Great Links
Want to see an awesome example of self-reliance at its best? Check out this great site! Visit Our Simple Life.
Find a wealth of gardening advice and information at Beautiful Home Gardens.
Strengthening From the Inside Out
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, and your plants will be better equipped to ward off insects and disease.
Hard to believe, but true. Bugs will attack the sickly plants first. So will disease.
So what's the trick?
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
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 the 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, 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.
What Else Do You Need?
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.
More Helpful Information on Homesteading and the Organic Garden
Most of us keep a homestead for the practical purposes of raising our own food, but cottage gardening can show us the importance of adding beauty to our surroundings. Here's how.
A great step towards self reliance is learning to grow medicinal herbs. Learn what healing herbs you can plant in your homestead garden by clicking here.
A great way to cut back on costs is by purchasing your seeds in bulk, but unless you learn how to store those seeds properly, you'll end up wasting your money. Learn tips on purchasing and storing bulk seeds by clicking here.
You can get an early start on your organic gardening and save money by starting seeds indoors. Here are a few tips.
Are you looking for easy vegetables for beginning gardeners? Here are a list of some of the easier vegetables to grow.
One of the most crucial decisions you'll make in planning a garden is the best garden location. To find the right spot for your garden, here are a few tips.
By using raised beds, you'll have a spot that is easier to work with soil that warms up much faster in the spring. Here are some tips.
Better still, by using Patricia Lanza's Lasagna gardening principles, you can have easier raised beds without the digging. You can get the know-how here.
You won't have a productive garden unless your garden soil has sufficient nutrients. Making compost is the best way to return those nutrients back to the soil. Learn how.
By mulching around your garden plants, you not only retain crucial moisture in your beds, but you also add nutrients to the soil. Here are some tips.
In addition to making your own organic gardening spray, you can also control pests through the flowers you add to your garden. Here's how.
Work in your garden long enough, and you're bound to cross paths with poison ivy. For help on dealing with that awful, itchy rash, click here.
Do you have limited space? With container organic gardening you can grow a garden in a limited space, even on a balcony. Learn more.
Thinking of pursuing container gardening? You'll need the right container for the type of plant you're growing. Here's how.
If you're ready to pursue the self sufficient life through gardening, you'll want to read this article.
Did you ever think you could compost indoors? You can through the use of vermiculture, the practice of composting with worms. learn more here.
How about growing your own lettuce and other salad greens in winter? You can with the use of a cold frame. To learn how to build and use one, Click here.
Are you new to gardening? Read some tips on starting a vegetable garden by clicking here.
Heirloom seeds are a wise investment not only because you are saving an age-old variety of vegetables, but also because food grown from these seeds are far better for your health. Learn more.
Once you have those heirloom seeds, you need to save seeds from your best-producing plants. Here are some tips.
Germinate seeds before you plant them, and your seeds will sprout in record speed and your seedlings will be stronger, establish at a faster rate and be more likely to survive.
Also known as chitting seeds, this is frugal gardening at it best.
Learn 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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Simple Remedies at Home
That Save Money
Did you know...
Herbal remedies can be used to treat a wide range of minor ailments including:
- Bladder infections
- Canker Sores
- Coughs
- Depression
- Eczema
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Menopausal symptoms
- Insect bites
- Influenza
- Menstrual cramps
- Sore throat
- Warts
And many more!
Learn more by clicking here.
Subscribe to my free ezine!
Successful Homesteading is a bi-weekly e-zine covering everything about self-reliance and the healthy, frugal life.
Imagine! Great tips on organic gardening, self reliance, frugal living and frugal recipes on a regular basis and sent straight to your ebox!
Click here to subscribe.
Build Your Own Chicken Tractor!
You Can Build a Chicken Tractor Provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to build a chicken tractor and also provides helpful information on how to get free wood and how your chickens can pay for themselves.
Click Here learn more.
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