aquaponic organic

The basic of organic gardening is working with nature instead of fighting against her. It means giving the plants you want to thrive (fruits and vegetables) all the help you can muster and depriving those you don't want to flourish (weeds) of what they need. It also means keeping pests out of the garden without resorting to poisons. If you take the following steps, you will discover, as I did, the adventure of growing your own organic produce.

Planning - Like so many other areas of life, an organic garden is only as good as the planning that goes into it. Try not to take on too much at first. Choose four or five vegetables that are popular at your home and do not need a long growing season. While you are reading up on vegetables, check out companion planting. Plants like people prefer the company of some other plants more than others. Placing plants together helps and not inhibits each other's growth, increases the size of your harvest.

Soil - One reason that organic gardens are able to act well without artificial fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides is the quality of the soil they contain. We organic gardeners take particular care of our garden soil because we know that good soil makes health plants and really, truly healthy plants are better able to ward off diseases and bugs. Test your soil using a home testing kit from a garden supply store and follow the instructions to supplement your existing dirt naturally.

Raised Beds - Although not a necessity in the organic garden, it is my experience that raised beds are the most effective. They adhere to the principle of organic gardening, which is "work with and not against nature". Raised beds offer good drainage, warm up faster in the spring and contain soil that does not become compacted from being walk on.

Planting - Check with planting guides to decide planting dates and suggested spacing for plants. Before setting out plants, leave them outside in a sheltered area to "harden" them off for a couple of days. When setting plants in the garden spread the roots out and add water before covering the plant with dirt, then gently water the plant again.

Compost - Compost is what feeds our plants as they grow. What I like about composting is that it takes something (waste vegetable matter) that would normally end up in a landfill and recycles it into super plant food. In essence, those potato peels you throw away become fresh vegetable for your table.

Weed and Pest Control -This is where the real organic gardener shines. The use of mulch and raised beds makes weeds less of a problem. A number of natural insect control methods are available including crop rotation.

Organic gardening provides us with safe, wholesome produce that is good for us as well as the planet.