Organic Farming And Gardening

Organic Farming And Gardening

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Organic Gardening Tips For More Nutritious Foods by Matt Sumerstone

A fun fact about organic gardening tips is that they are most neglected gardening techniques but at the same time they are the most beneficial. There is clearly supportable evidence that using leaves and grass as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers has the added value of growing healthier plants and fighting dangerous pests and diseases, and it is cheaper. This is not even a new approach to gardening; it has been used for centuries to keep the soil rich, fertile and pest free.

Using materials from your own home supplies you with fresh leaves and grass to incorporate into a fine compost heap that can be used throughout the year. You save a lot of money because you will not have to pay money for the pre-made manure that is sold nowadays, you can even collect sawdust and chicken manure from your immediate community. Once the collected organic matter has decayed in a pit or heap it is when you can take a garden fork and dig it into your vegetable bed. Usually shallow cultivation will do the trick.

The plant environment, the soil, is also kept in good shape by regularly applying manure. Microscopic organisms and termites in the soil feed on harmful pests and diseases are also maintained in good proportions. Believe it or not but this is something very ideal for keeping the soil well aerated as these organisms tend to make their tunnels there and when they die and pass off excrement they also provide nourishing nutrients. Please remember this: micro and macro organisms do great at keeping harmful bacteria and viruses at bay and when they blend with manure the soil is able to retain water sufficiently by promoting drainage.

Another characteristic common to organic gardening is its diversity. Mulching is the application of leaves and grass that are yet to be decayed to the soil surface of one's vegetable beds. Not only does mulch preserve water by easing the rate of evaporation but it also keeps weeds at bay as inadequate exposure to the sun forces them to die or struggle to populate. Your growing plants are guaranteed of enough water throughout the day and when you do forget to water the garden you won. 't be going back to a cemetery.

Now consider what more will happen if you make use of certain plant competencies to further nourish your plants. Bean, clover and peas plants are known to possess nitrogen fixing bacteria that convert inert nitrogen in the soil and atmosphere into usable nitrogen for the garden. Nitrogen promotes the vigorous growth of vegetables and gives them the dark green color typical of healthy plants. This is what you do: randomly throw bean or clover seeds into your carrot patch, wait for them to reach about 10cm in height and them plough them into the soil. Moreover, if you plant pest repellent plants like neem you will also be able to ward off pests too.

More can be done with organic gardening and crop rotation is one of them. An example of this is that you grow onions where you grew beans and grow carrots where you grew carrots. This guarantees you protection from pests and diseases that lie dormant in your vegetable beds, rotation will distance them from the vegetables they associate with. A good thing to do with this is to create an environment that attracts advantageous insects like ladybugs and hover flies that enhance the natural plant habitat, dill and zinnia plants are good at this.

Growing vegetables and flowers using synthetic means can bring with it complications, organic farming is a perfect way to avoid these. If you do find an idyllic place for a garden: exposed to the sun and with good soils, then go right into it and give yourself the peace of knowing that your vegetables are healthy and fit.

About the Author

Matt Sumerstone enjoys writing about many topics, including sports, gardening, and home improvement. Visit his latest web site where he covers what to look for in outdoor party lighting and outdoor party lights.

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