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Practical Organic Gardening Methods
Finding the Right Location for Your Garden
Practical organic gardening methods include choosing the best spot for your garden. It's one of the most important steps of organic gardening.
You will either have pleasure and a bountiful harvest or years of headaches depending on the location.
In her book, Organic Food Gardening Beginner’s Manual, Julie Villani says considering a few points now will make your organic gardening easier and fun. Here are eight tips on picking the perfect spot for your organic garden:
Practical Organic Gardening Methods
Tip One: Sunlight
This is especially crucial if you plan to grow vegetables over the winter.
You will want a garden location that gets at least six hours of sunlight each day.
If you live in an area where the temperatures are milder, then you will want a garden that gets its maximum sunlight in the morning.
If the summers are hot where you live, look for an area that gets some afternoon shade.
Practical Organic Gardening Methods
Tip Two: Steer clear of trees
Avoid planting by large trees as they provide too much shade and will compete with your garden for nutrients and water.
Tip Three: Keep It Close to Water
If you want your garden to produce in bountiful supply, it will need lots of water, so make sure your garden location is close to a reliable water source.
The last thing you want to do is to carry heavy buckets of water to your garden every day.
Practical Organic Gardening Methods
Tip Four: Consider Collecting Your Water
Keep a cistern near your garden location to collect rainwater.
That way you'll save on water costs if you live in town and fuel costs if you live in the country.
(It takes electricity or gas to run a pump if you are on a well system).
Get the water out of the cistern either through a pump or by using good old fashioned gravity.
You can also use recycled household water on your lawn, ornamental shrubs, fruit and nut trees, but don't use it on your vegetables, herbs or soft fruits – in other words fruit that is not grown on trees – unless you have tested it to make certain it is safe.
Practical Organic Gardening Methods
Tip Five: Think About The Wind
If you live on the plains like I do, then you know the wind can wreak havoc with a lot of things, including your tender garden plants.
A wind-break can help reduce the wind and give your plants a chance to thrive.
You don't want to completely block the wind, as that will create turbulence, so instead use layers of trees and shrubs, or put trellises nearby that are strong enough to support vine-type vegetables, such as squash.
These will reduce the wind without creating troublesome turbulence.
Tip Six:
Think About Sufficient Drainage
We live on a wooded lot, and sunny spots are few and far between.
Unfortunately, the only available spot for our garden was at the bottom of a hill.
Every time it rains, the area is covered with six inches of water.
We dealt with this problem by building raised beds that were at least 18 inches high.
Your plants hate standing in water, so the next time it rains, look at the ground you are considering for your garden location, and build raised beds if needed.
Tip Seven: What About the Soil?
This is the least important issue when considering your garden location, because the soil can always be improved.
Start composting now, or consider putting in easier raised beds that do not require digging.
Over time, even the worst of soils can be improved with rich soil you make yourself.
Practical Organic Gardening Methods
Tip Eight: Keep It Close
A garden location that is close to your front steps is easier to keep weed-free.
That way, you can pull out two or three of the unwelcome plants each time you walk to and from your car.
Harvesting vegetables and herbs for meals will also be easier if your garden is close to the kitchen.
So there you have it. Follow these tips and your next garden will be easier, more bountiful and downright fun!
Extra Gardening Tips
Comprehensive Course on Gardening! Increase the value of your home by 30%.
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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.
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