When it comes to gardening the green way, every organic garden needs extra TLC. This can be achieved by using smart, eco-savvy gardening techniques. Doing so will increase both the quantity and the quality of the produce you grow in your organic garden. Keep reading for tips on how to transform your organic garden into the best that it can be.
Allow your children to actively participate in planting your organic garden. An organic garden will help your child learn more about plants and insects, and it’s a wonderful bonding time while growing healthy produce.
Once your seeds have germinated they will not need to be kept as warm as before. Move your plants further away from your heat source as they grow. It is wise to take plastic covers off of the containers in order to eliminate humidity and excess heat. Observe your seeds carefully so that you can make these changes as soon as they start sprouting.
Pine Needles
Pine can be a wonderful mulch. Some garden plants have a high acidity, and prefer acidic soil. Pine needles to line the bed of your garden are easy to find for these kinds of plants. Sprinkle the pine needles over your beds. As the needles decompose, they add to the acid level in the soil.
When it’s harvest time, you should utilize a basket that you put laundry in to carry your veggies. The laundry basket is a perfect strainer for any produce run off. Just rinse the produce right in the basket; the water will drain through the holes.
Use equal parts dried and green plant material for your own compost. Your green material can be made up of produce waste, used floral arrangements, lawn cuttings, leaves, and other yard waste. Paper and straw are dry plant materials. Avoid using animal manure, charcoal or diseased plants in your compost.
Ruffle the seedlings carefully with a piece of soft cardboard or your hands twice a day. Even though it sounds strange, it will help plants get bigger.
If slugs are disrupting the balance of your garden, you can diminish their population by using a beer trap. Take a glass jar and bury it in your garden so that the top of it is level with the soil. Fill that with beer just under an inch from the top of your jar. The scent of the beer will bait the slugs into the jar and they will become trapped.
A diversity of materials can be used to construct raised beds. These include brick, stone, and wood. If you choose to use wood to construct your bed, choose a species that is naturally resistant to rot and avoid treated wood entirely. Some great choices to choose from are cedar, locust and cypress. Never use compost from treated woods in a veggie garden; the chemicals can contaminate your food. If you are already using treated lumber, you can use plastic liners, or a different barrier, in order to protect your garden.
While organic gardening costs more and requires more effort, the produce that will come out of your garden will be healthier for you. Though the use of chemicals has its own benefits, organic farming is a rewarding experience that ends with natural, healthy produce.
As you can conclude from what you have just read, having an organic garden can provide you with nutrient rich and fresh fruits and vegetables. While it is labor and time intensive, your garden will be quite amazing as a result.