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Archive for the ‘Organic Garden’ Category

Companion Planting and It’s Benefits
By John Yazo

Companion planting is a way of gardening. It is also a part of gardening that is needed if you are going organic with your gardening practices. With this method of gardening you are creating an environment that works with nature. It is a system of growing two or more plants in the close area of each other to deter insects that are pests, attract beneficial insects, attract wildlife like birds and toads to help control insects, to help prevent plant or soil bore disease,add nutrients to the soil to benefit it’s companion or they are planted to improve the growth or flavor of different crops.

There are hundreds of plant combinations and it takes some trial an error to make it work. There are plants that will benefit one but not the other when planted next to each other and others that will benefit each other.

Planting a combination of plants together like corn, squash and beans is a perfect example of companion planting. The corn acts as a support for the beans as the beans supply nitrogen to the soil for the corn to feed and the beans also serve as a ground cover to suppress weeds while keeping the ground shaded and becomes a living mulch.

The method of companion planting is an ideal way of gardening when you are limited for space. Raised bed or container gardening are two ideal types of gardening that the companion planting method will be a benefit to your crops.

Companion planting is a fun and interesting method of planting that has been around for hundreds of ages.

Experiment yourself and see what combination works for you.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

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How to Make Liquid Fertilizer From Your Compost
By John Yazo

There is something better than compost, compost tea. It is a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer made from compost that can be applied either as a foliar spray or soil drench method. There are several benefits that compost tea have over the traditional method of adding compost to the soil. When compost tea is sprayed to the foliage of plants it helps to suppress foliage disease and it increases the available nutrients to the plant. The use of compost tea as a soil drench enhances the existing microbes in the soil. These microbes are very important in improving the soils structure by enhancing the decomposition of organic matter in the soil. This is where plants get the nutrients they need to survive.

A basic way to make compost tea is by placing a cloth bag filled with compost into a pail of water and letting it soak for a couple days.The water solution is then applied to the plants as a foliage spray or used to water there root system. There is another method of making compost tea by the use of aeration and water. This process keeps the oxygen levels in the compost tea from depleting which in return enhances the aerobic microorganisms that are the ones that are the most beneficial.

Compost tea can also be made for a specific use. It can be made to be dominated by either bacteria or fungi. Which way you want to dominate it depends on the plants you are growing or the soil condition you are improving. Compost tea can be a highly sophisticated method depending on how much you want to work at it.The benefits that you can get from the use of compost tea are extremely rewarding.

Any way you choose to apply it you will have a nutrient rich water solution that can be use to feed your plants and help defend insect and disease problems in your garden.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Yazo
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-Liquid-Fertilizer-From-Your-Compost&id=1743933

Nearly Work-Free Vegetable Gardening
By Ian Pennington

Growing vegetables from your own garden is one of the best ways to provide your family with healthy and fresh produce. But starting a garden can be a time consuming and intimidating process, particularly for beginners. Fear of the amount of labor and time involved in planting and maintaining a garden keeps many would-be gardeners out of the garden and in the supermarket instead.

Much of this fear may be misplaced, however. There has been much experimentation in the gardening community in recent years aimed at developing innovative ways to reduce the amount of time and labor spent gardening, often with sensational results. Although there may be no such thing as completely work free vegetable gardening, there are definitely ways in which you are able to dramatically reduce the amount of labor and time you need to spend in your garden.

One of the best ways to lessen the work spent preparing and weeding your garden is through a gardening method known as “Lasagna Gardening” or “Sheet Mulching.” Lasagna gardening is a non-traditional, no-till method of gardening that relies on blanketing a garden plot with multiple layers of mulch obtained from locally available, and preferably organic, sources (such as weed clippings, chopped leaves, animal manure, compost, sawdust or seaweed). The lasagna gardening method greatly reduces the time and labor needed to prepare a new garden plot, and some gardeners report that they spend almost no time at all weeding a well-mulched lasagna garden. This may be as close to work free vegetable gardening as one can get.

Here are some additional suggestions to greatly reduce the amount of time and labor spent in your vegetable garden:

- Grow prolific vegetables. Vegetables like summer squash, pole green beans and indeterminate tomatoes produce large quantities of produce for extended periods during the summer. The amount of labor they require is very small in comparison to the harvest you will reap.
- Keep your garden small. It is easy to be overwhelmed by your garden, and many gardeners end up either producing much more than they can consume or giving up entirely. You will only need one or two zucchini or tomato plants to feed most families.
- Choose vegetables well suited for your climate. Although growing a long-season winter squash in Maine or keeping a heat-sensitive lettuce variety from bolting in Florida may be noteworthy accomplishments, they are also time-consuming projects. Stick to growing vegetables that are best suited to your region.
- Choose vegetable varieties that have a reputation of being easy to grow. Many seed catalogs will mark certain vegetable varieties as being especially easy to grow. Select these varieties if they are available.

By using gardening methods such as lasagna gardening and focusing on growing the most prolific, easy to grow vegetables for your region, you are on your way to nearly work free vegetable gardening.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
To learn more about
Work Free Vegetable Gardening, please visit
Garden World Online for
current articles and discussions.

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How to Grow Your Own Organic Vegetables
By Naomi West

If you are trying to change your lifestyle and trying to eat vegetables that are healthy for your family then why not grow your own garden full of organic vegetables? You can do this right in your own backyard and believe it or not many people are doing just this. All you need are the right tools and the patience to learn how to do it properly.

To begin you will need to make a large space on your property in order to have a good sized garden. Most gardens leave a space of 10 feet by 10 feet to give their vegetables plenty of growing space. This will also help you to plant several different kinds of veggies without them getting in each others way. If you don’t think you have the much space then you can always ask your local nursery what they would recommend. You may have to have two different small gardens to grow the things you want.

Strip the top layer of sod of where your garden will be. During this process you will need to remove three to four inches of the ground surface to help remove the grass and the rots of weeds. Weeds can destroy your garden and the things growing in it so you want to make sure that you remove them all before you plant the seeds.

Near your garden you are going to start your very own compost heap. The compost is one of the best ingredients to helping your vegetables to grow. The compost heap can be made up of grass clippings, fruit rinds, and natural waste from your home. Making your own compost heap is messy – but it will save you money and will be a natural fertilizer for your plants.

Before you plant your desired vegetables you will need to soak the top layer of your garden’s soil. The surface needs to be completely flattened with a shovel in order to avoid puddles. When the ground is not even the water will not be able to distribute evenly to all the plants.

Now divide your garden into a minimum of four sections. This will help you to manage what is growing. Place wooden stakes between each section and label what is growing where. Each vegetable is different and requires different care. Having labels will help you to remember where the veggies are.

When it comes to what you are growing it is all up to you and your environment. You want to grow organic vegetables that both you and your family will eat and love. Visit your local nursery and tell them what you would like to plant. They will let you know in what season you should grow them and whether or not they will grow ok in the soil that you have.

While your organic vegetables are growing keep a close eye on them and make sure that they are growing properly. Remove any weeds or plants that should not be growing. If you notice that one or two of your veggies are beyond repair then you would be wise to remove them completely from the garden. This will help them to spread the damage to the other plants.

When you grow your own Organic Vegetables you know that there are no harmful pesticides or chemicals that will hurt you or your family. Instead you are eating vegetables that are good for you and taste great. My Organic Gardening Tips can help you to find more Organic Garden Tips.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Grow-Your-Own-Organic-Vegetables&id=1751248

Winter Planning For Your Spring Organic Garden
By John Yazo

Now is the time to plan your organic garden for spring planting. Winter is a great time to sit back and think about how your garden did this past season and what you would of done different or would like to do different in the spring.

Winter is a good time to make a sketch of your garden and make changes to the layout. This is also a good time to research different methods of gardening that can be incorporated into your gardening practices like crop rotation and companion planting.Crop rotation and companion planting are two good methods to incorporate into organic gardening. They will help in the defense of insect and disease problems in you garden along with the improvement of your gardens soil structure and to replenish nutrients back into to the soil that your plants need to thrive.

Composting is another thing you can experiment with through the winter months. Try new methods like worm composting. It doesn’t take much room to do and the end product of compost is excellent to be used to add nutrients to household plants and your outdoor gardens.

If you are thinking of trying to plant a different crop or a different variety of the same crop you have been planting, now is a good time to look through seed catalogs and research the different options that you may be interested in planting in the future.

This is also a good time to experiment with germinating your own seeds and to start a small indoor garden. Try planting just a few plants to get started. See how they do indoors. You just may be surprised on what you can grow all winter long.

Winter is a great time to get organized for your spring gardening. Your not as rushed with all the other chores that hit you all at once in the spring..

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening.Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Winter-Planning-For-Your-Spring-Organic-Garden&id=1655640

Leaf Mold is an Excellent Soil Conditioner
By John Yazo

When fall comes around there is no shortage of leaves. There is something that you can do with the leaves that will benefit your garden. Turn your leaves into a free soil conditioner.

Leaf mold is a soil conditioner with low fertility. It is mainly used to improve the structure of soil by improving both water retention and drainage. It is also excellent to be used as a mulch,it can suppress weed growth and prevent evaporation. The earthworms love it and work hard to blend it into the soil for you. It is also good to use as a potting mix amendment for raising seedlings. A Mixture of equal parts of leaf mold, loam and compost make a good multi-purpose potting compost mix.

Leaves also are a great way to cover exposed soil in your garden beds over winter,piling leaves onto the soil surface will protect the soil from erosion due too heavy winter rains.This will protect the soil structure and the leaves can be dug into the soil or added to your compost pile in the spring.

Leaf mold is very easy to make. Just rake and collect all your leaves then put them into one place and let them to rot. You can also make a leaf mold bin just like a compost bin with 4 stakes and some wire mesh, or you can even put leaves into plastic bags to decompose. The containers that you use don’t really matter, as long as the leaves get moisture either by rain or you will have to wet leaves. If you’re using plastic bags then you will need to provide a few air holes in the bags.

Now all you need is time and patience. Some of the leaves will take longer to break down than other ones will. Once spring comes around you will have partially rotted leaves that can be used as a mulch. If you want fully composted leaves then leave them decomposing until fall. Once you start making leaf mold year after year you will soon have a full steady supply.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Yazo
http://EzineArticles.com/?Leaf-Mold-is-an-Excellent-Soil-Conditioner&id=1669169

Organic Gardening Soil Maintenance
By John Yazo

The key to success in any organic garden is the soil. Building a healthy nutrient rich soil and keeping it maintained is very important. This needs to be the top priority on your gardening list. To have a healthy and productive crop you need healthy soil.

There are two things that need to be known before you can put a plan together to maintain your gardens soil. First you will need to know what type of soil you are working with and second you will need to know what types of crops you are growing in that location.

To find out hat type of soil you have you will need to do a soil test. There are two different tests that you will need to do. The first test is to find out what the texture of the soil is and the second test will be to let you know the ph level and the nutrient values in the soil. These tests can be done by purchasing a soil test kit at your local garden center and preforming them yourself or you can take a soil sample to a agricultural testing lab.

Once you have the results from the soil tests you can start putting a plan together for what is needed to improve your garden soil. There are two parts to the plan that have to be thought out. A short term plan so you can start planting, which includes what types of soil amendments are needed to improve the soil structure and what nutrients are needed for the crop you are planning to plant.

Then there is the long term plan that is more involved. It includes the maintenance of the soil. This will include a three year plan that includes crop rotation. You will need to put a list together of what crops you are planning on growing. Then you will need to know what type of soil conditions and nutrients that each of these crop like. For example, if you rotate corn with beans the beans will replenish the nutrients that corn like back into the soil. Beans are a high producer of nitrogen. Beans can also be planted as a companion plant along with corn.

Soil for organic gardening needs to be feed regularly with organic matter like compost. This is what keeps the life in the soil thriving. The use of compost tea enhances the microbes in the soil that create the nutrients that the plants need to feed from.

With a little planning you can create a healthy environment that will benefit your organic garden greatly.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Yazo
http://EzineArticles.com/?Organic-Gardening-Soil-Maintenance&id=1669213

How to Make Compost – Help the Environment by Cutting Down on Garbage and Help Your Garden, Too!
By Winnie Abramson

Gardeners know that compost is a wonderful amendment to the soil. Fortunately, making compost isn’t hard. You can create a pile out of your kitchen scraps and yard waste pretty simply and eventually it will decompose without much input on your part.

There are many compost bins on the market and these are great if you don’t have a lot of extra room, you like to keep things neat and orderly, and if you don’t particularly want to look at an “ugly pile”. Bins/containers can also ensure that the contents get turned properly and heated optimally for good breakdown, so you will likely end up with a finished usable product sooner than if you just build a pile and let it sit there.

If you have an out-of-sight spot, though, a pile is the simplest and cheapest way to get the job done. And if you put in just a bit of work, you will see great results from your efforts.

For adequate heating, it is best to make a pile that is 3 feet by 3 feet. Water should be added to keep the pile as moist as a “wrung out sponge”. So keep it covered with a tarp if it’s raining a lot and it’s getting too wet, and water it with a hose when conditions are very dry.

Compost piles usually contain 1-2 parts green materials (high in nitrogen)- this means grass clippings, green plant trimmings, and food scraps (all fruit and veggie scraps, grains, organic tea and coffee, and eggshells can be added; experts say not to add meat, bones, dairy products, eggs or oils) to 1 part brown materials (high in carbon)- this means leaves, straw, hay, wood shavings, newspaper, and cardboard).

When building your pile, you should layer the greens and browns and add water to help jump start their breakdown. Then keep an eye on the moisture level and turn the contents with a pitchfork every week or two to make sure it continues to decompose evenly. The more you turn the materials over and get things stirred up, the faster it will decompose.

There are many websites that offer composting advice, as well as tips and techniques. These can be helpful to get things going, and they are a good place to turn if things don’t seem to be going well with your pile.

If you don’t have any land and/or you are looking for another way to recycle your food scraps, you can try using a worm bin. The original and best book on the subject of making compost with worms (vermiculture) is Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof.

Whichever way you choose to compost, know that all of your “green efforts” really do make a difference. Thanks for doing your part to save the environment, and enjoy the healthy soil you’ll create with your composting efforts!

Winnie Abramson, ND is a naturopathic doctor. She is the founder of http://www.healthy-green-lifestyle.com, a website that helps readers improve their health and decrease their environmental impact with holistic nutrition and green living tips, healthy recipes, organic gardening advice and photos, and links to eco-friendly companies. She also puts out a free monthly newsletter called “Healthy and Green”: you can sign up here!

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Propagating of Plants From Seed
By John Yazo

Plant propagation by the method of seed is also known as sexual plant propagation. It is the least expensive, easiest and quickest way to produce a large amount of plants quickly.

This is a method that is a essential part of heirloom gardening. The seeds are open pollinated and are saved year after year from that years parent plant. This helps to create for a healthier plant when good organic gardening practices are used. Planting from the same plant generation after generation helps to strengthen the plant, making it healthier and better adoptable to the area.

The proper care needs to be taken when harvesting and storing the seeds. The seeds need to be saved from the healthiest plants to avoid disease from being carried to the next generation. When purchasing seeds each year the plants don’t get the opportunity to adopt to the area that they are planted. Commercially sold seeds are produced under controlled conditions and it is very unlikely that the conditions are going to be the same in the garden that they get planted.

Once the seeds are harvested they need to be properly dried. If they are not dry before they are stored they will mold and rot. These seeds will no longer be any good for planting. The properly dried seeds then need to be stored in an airtight container and a then labeled. Most seeds will keep for up to five years.

When the time comes to start planting you should use the oldest seeds that you have stored first. If you have any doubt that the seeds are to old you can simply do a germination test on then. This is a simple test and can be done by soaking a few seeds and then placing them on a damp cloth in full sunlight and they should germinate in seven to fourteen days. You should always store more seeds than you need so if you have a year with a bad crop you wont run out and have to start all over from bought seeds.

Some seeds have a tough exterior shell and you can use a technique call scarification to help the seeds germinate. This can be done by two methods. The first is soaking the seeds for twenty four hours before planting to soften the exterior shell or by the second method of scratching or cracking the shell to allow moisture to penetrate the shell.

There are also other seeds that need to go through a low temperature change in order for them to break out of there dormant state. This period of going through this temperature change is known as stratification.

With the proper potting soil mix, atmosphere and lighting propagation with seeds is a simple and easy way to produce the plants you will need for your gardens.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Propagating-of-Plants-From-Seed&id=1766025

Rotate Your Crops For Healthier Vegetables
By Marilyn Roberts

Whenever most of us think about crop rotation, we tend to think about large scale farming operations. The fact of the matter is, it is a good idea for us to rotate our crops whether we are farming the back 40 or if we have a small garden in our backyard. Doing so will make sure that you are getting healthy and strong plants that grow and produce vegetables throughout the entire growing season. Why is this the case?

As we grow our gardens, each individual plant is going to pull nutrients out of the soil in order to survive. Depending on the type of vegetable that you plant, it will pull a different set of minerals out of the soil. That is why it is important for you to rotate your crops on a yearly basis. If you don’t do it, the soil will be depleted of certain nutrients and the vegetables will not be able to grow as well as a result. By rotating your crops, you are allowing them to pull the nutrients out of other parts of the garden and giving an opportunity for last year’s spot to reproduce what is lacking.

Of course, there are some other things that need to be taken into consideration whenever you are rotating your garden. Although you don’t need to make that big of a deal out of it, it is important to make sure that you aren’t shading smaller plants by rotating bigger plants in the way of their sunlight. You can rotate the larger crops on the west side of the garden and rotate the smaller crops on the east side of the garden, both to the north and the south. In this way, they will still all be able to get the morning and afternoon sun.

Try to map out your garden on a yearly basis and plan ahead so that you are able to successfully rotate your crops and keep them growing strong. Even though it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, it does make a difference that you will be able to recognize if you skip a year of rotation. It does take a little bit of work in order for you to do this but the planning and effort will be all worth it once you have another beautiful year’s crop of vegetables on your dining table.

For more helpful gardening tips visit http://www.gardeningabcs.blogspot.com and you will be on your way to growing a beautiful garden and healthy vegetables.

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