Tips For Cultivating an Organic Backyard Garden without Spending Bundles Money
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
Organic vegetable gardening is something more farmers are getting into because it is cost effective and they are able to produce almost the same yield of crops. The principles of organic vegetable gardening must be understood and then you too can do this at home. Organic vegetable gardening does not allow the use of fertilizers, nutrients or pesticides. To make it all work, sunlight and water are required so nature is your partner here. We don’t provide these artificially so the ideal area and adequate drainage must be provided.
Besides sunlight and water, you can mix together leftover food, chipped bark, garden compost, leaf moulds and manure using a compost heap and then spread it throughout your garden to help the crops grow. Manure is sold in stores so you don’t have to scoop this from the toilet so don’t feel queasy, also chickens are great to have – just let them roam around in the garden. Dead animals or meat products are used by some people but you can’t put these in the soil. However, leave them for a couple of weeks in the bin and maggots will soon appear which is what you use to help fertilize your garden.
Another helpful creature is the earthworm because it digs deep into the ground and aerates the soil bringing various minerals to the surface which also provides better drainage. This long pink colored creature also leaves casting behind that experts say is five times as rich in nitrogen phosphorous and potassium. Nearly all gardening stores or garden centers will have this in stock.
Organic gardening is challenging since you have to deal with unwanted guests – some of these pests include army worms, crickets, gypsy moth caterpillars, slugs and squash bugs. In an organic setting the best weapon is the toad which is known to eat more almost every type of insect despite the fact that at one time people used fertilizer to kill them. Caterpillars and spiders are not in the toad’s diet so if they are lurking in the garden you should get a bird.
As long as you set the ideal environment for them, you don’t have to buy a toad or a bird from the pet store because they may come in to your home. You will have some new occupants protecting your garden within days if you can put up a bird house or a small pond. As they mark their territory and eat anything that dares enter their domain, the preying mantis and the ladybug are other insect killers which you can get to do the job.
Use an organic lawn fertilizer to fertilize your lawn. By using organic lawn fertilizers you are ensuring a pesticide free lawn and garden. For tips on how to use worm castings watch the free video.
Plants such as rosemary, sage or thyme and marigolds can be used to protect your vegetables as they are effective deterrents against butterflies and nematodes respectively. The best way to keep the soil fertile is crop rotation, despite all the flowers and creatures that nature has to offer. Plant a kind of vegetable every other season once the first one is harvested and alternate it with another vegetable type. The principles behind organic gardening are very simple.
