Organic gardening can be a very enjoyable hobby. It involves particular growing techniques, along with the gardener’s choice of equipment and seeds. This vast world has so many different kinds of seeds, equipment, and techniques that it can seem a bit confusing as to where you need to begin. These tips can help you make sense of the confusion.
If you plan on starting an organic garden, you should always properly cover your seeds. If your seeds are not properly covered, then they will not grow. You should aim to cover most of your seeds about three times as deep as the thickness of your seeds in order to ensure optimum growth. However, certain seeds, such as alyssum and snapdragons, should not be covered because they need a lot of light to germinate.
If you are beginning an organic garden, you should make sure that you re-pot your seedlings into larger containers with a compost mix as soon as your seedlings begin crowding each other in their original containers. If you do not do this, your seeds will eventually suffocate themselves and die.
A great trick for organic gardeners and a neat way to reuse plastic milk jugs are to use them as a form of self irrigation for your garden. All you need to do is poke little holes into the bottom of plastic 1 gallon jugs, bury the jugs next to your plants and make sure to leave an opening. Fill the jugs allowing the water to seep slowly into the ground.
You don’t need to buy all new plants to have a successful organic garden. Try using plants that are in the landscape. These can either be native to the area, or they can be imported from areas that had similar climate conditions and soil. They require less water, less care, and they will not die in the winter.
Stay out of your garden after it has rained or whenever it is wet. Diseases and bacteria thrive and spread more easily in damp environments. Bacteria can easily attach to your shoes as you walk through the wet garden and be transferred from plant to plant. Instead, wait until the soil is dry to enter your garden.
Use compost to improve your soil structure, texture and aeration. Compost will also help to increase your soils water holding capacity so you will have to water less often. Compost also promotes soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development. When your soil is happy and healthy your plants will grow healthy and strong.
When planting an organic garden, be sure to use a weed-free mulch in your garden. Weeds will inevitably spring up in the empty dirt, so laying down a layer of mulch will give you a much needed barrier against those weeds. This will help you to control unwanted growth and spend less time weeding.
While organic gardening can be a personal hobby for everyone, it does share the main goal of wanting to grow healthy and happy organic plants. As you have seen in these tips, there are various approaches, but they all share the goal of being a successful organic gardener. To continue the organic theme get garden furniture which comes from natural products like wood or rattan.
