tips for organic gardening

organic gardening is a type of gardening that uses no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. The whole idea of organic gardening is to create a healthy, balanced soil, which supports many benificial insects and organisms (worms, bacteria, fungi, aphids etc.)

The benificial insects and organisms break down the materials used as organic fertilizer(like compost). You also need to create an atmosphere for snakes, toads and birds. These guys will take care of most of your unwanted pests. Think of them as the guardian of the garden! This is a winning combination for healthy soil that will grow productive healthy organic plants.

TIP ON COMPOST: For a true organic garden be careful what you put in your compost pile! Example - If you hire a company to treat your lawn for weeds. They spray it with chemical herbicides and then you put your grass clippings into your compost pile. Guess what? You just contaminated your compost pile! This is one of the most common mistakes.

Healthy plants need many major nutrients and trace elements to survive. Organic fertilizers provide many trace elements, major nutrients, as well as organic matter. Synthetic fertilizers often cause a spurt of unhealthy growth. This makes your plants more susceptible to disease and insects. By using organic fertilizers, you can break this cycle. The organic matter helps hold the nutrients and water the plants need. It also provides food for soil organisms that recycle and hold nutrients. With all these good nutrients in the soil, your plant can grow at a steady, healthy rate.

Synthetic pesticides also harm more than their target insect. They can kill many of your benificial insects at one time. Synthetic pesticides work in a few ways. Some kill insects on contact. Example - The pesticide is sprayed directly onto the pest. Another way is when the pesticide is absorbed into the plant from the soil or threw its leaf tissue. Example - Now the pesticide is in the plant. So the insect takes a bite of the leaf and know it is eating the poision that will kill it. Synthetic herbicides can be harmful weeks after application. Organic gardeners work to control just the pest insects.

We can't forget weed control! In order to have strong healthy plants it is very important to control those nasty weeds. This is most important right after planting. Weeds can germinate before the seeds you planted. Weeds will strip much needed water and nutrients from your plants. You might not know this, there are millions of weed seeds in the soil. And you planted how many seeds? I'll guess it's not a million!

Weed control is pretty simple. Get out the rake and a cold glass of water. (The water is for you to drink!) Depending on the size of your garden, this works great. When you start to see little sprouts that aren't welcome, run the rake threw. If you do this regularly it is an easy task. If raking isn't for you, put mulch down. You are still going to have to rake, but not as much.

TIP: Mulch controls weeds very well while providing organic material as it breaks down over time. Stay away from the mulch with the dyes in it. Well, how do you know? Stay away from the red, black, and other none natural colors. I would find a tree service or stump removal company in your area and ask them if they have any they want to get rid of. Usually they will give it to you for free.

I hope you found these Great Organic Gardening Tips helpful. There is a publication with alot more info for you. Click Here! or here