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Posts Tagged ‘organic gardening tips’

Raised Beds – 5 Reasons Why They’re Great For Successful Organic Gardening!
By Winnie Abramson

If you are starting a new organic garden, you should definitely consider planting in raised beds instead of directly in the ground. Here are the top 5 reasons why.

1. Fewer weeds will grow and you’ll have fewer problems with pests.

2. You’ll have greater control over your soil- you can fill your beds with high quality organic soil and mix in lots of compost and other amendments.

3. The drainage will be better- flowers and vegetables prefer not to sit in water, as can happen with those grown in-ground.

4. Your soil will be warmer- raised beds have higher soil temperatures earlier in the season, allowing you to get started with your planting sooner.

5. Raised bed gardening is easier on your body- when the plants are higher up, there will be less strain on your back. Raised beds should be rectangular. A good width is 4 feet as it allows you to reach across from both sides (you don’t want to walk in your raised bed as this compacts the soil, a definite no-no as it damages root systems and decreases valuable aeration).You can make your beds as high as you like- a higher level is desirable for less mobile individuals (those in a wheelchair, for example). If you are building more than one raised bed, make sure to leave a pathway wide enough for a wheelbarrow to travel in between your beds.

You can build your own raised beds, and there are many materials that work well for this purpose. Wood such as redwood or cedar is a common and attractive choice, but choose a rot-resistant variety, if possible (avoid pressure-treated wood as it contains potentially harmful chemicals). You can paint or stain the wood you use, but make sure you choose an environmentally-friendly brand of paint/stain that won’t contaminate the healthy organic food you are growing.

Other options are concrete blocks, stones, bamboo, and recycled plastic. You can build your raised beds using instructions found on gardening sites on the internet, or purchase a kit that allow you to quickly and easily build your raised bed.ou can also make a raised bed without using any material to enclose it, but the shape won’t hold as well, and it may be subject to erosion. A good option if you prefer not to enclose your bed is to make a raised bed using the lasagna gardening method- this means you lay down cardboard or newspaper over your desired area and then basically pile all sorts of organic matter on top (see Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza for more information). For best results, you should make your lasagna bed 18-24 inches high.

Building a raised bed requires some effort, but once it’s done and your plants go in, you’ll be richly rewarded by how how well they grow.

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!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Winnie_Abramson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Raised–Beds—5-Reasons-Why-Theyre-Great-For-Successful-Organic-Gardening!&id=1715938

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!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Winnie_Abramson
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-Compost—Help-the-Environment-by-Cutting-Down-on-Garbage-and-Help-Your-Garden,-Too!&id=1716121