It can seem daunting to begin with an organic vegetable or herbal garden for the first time, but there are few better ways to be good to the planet while also being good to yourself and enjoying yourself.
Organically grown vegetables and herbs are safer, healthier and also taste better than those grown with the help of chemical products, plus you can save get for free what would cost you at the grocer’s.
Te first thing that you should do, as it will take a little while for this to be ready, is to separate your kitchen waste from the rest and build a compost heap. This can also be done indoors. Compost will prove a great boon as it is the best natural fertilizer for an organic garden and its vegetables and herbs.
Your home-made compost will also fulfill a secondary purpose: it will help your organic garden to retain moisture, and as a result you will need to water your edible plants less often. Put all your kitchen waste and also any garden cuttings you may have onto the compost heap, but avoid great quantity of fish and meat remains.
You’ll also need to source organic seeds or sprouts for your organic vegetable and herbal gardening project. In most cases, commercial seeds are not organic so you will have to make doubly sure to get the right starters.
There probably are specialized shops that sell organic seeds for gardening in your area, but you can also buy them through an online shop and have them mailed to you. Online is probably better for most users, as you get the convenience of choosing from home from a bigger catalogue, and as for all mailed products you can return organic gardening supplies if they are not up to your expectation.
To begin seeding, don’t start your organic garden outdoors right away! Use a glasshouse or put your seeds inside the house, where it’s warm. Let them sprout on a piece of damp cotton or paper and then transfer them to small pots and let them grow a bit.
Once there are two little leaflets on your seedlings, put them into bigger containers. The best are pots made of plant material, as you can plant these straight into soil and let them biodegrade. If you are planting organic herbs, you can put them outside or in window pots next to your kitchen.
Next, think about your soil needs for the organic garden. You will need several bags of organic soil, depending on the size of your herb and vegetable plot. Good organic soil will result in fewer bugs and mites, and will make your plants healthier. Substitute old soil with a new batch, if necessary.
Fill your windowsill pots with organic soil, or put a layer of at least six centimeters in your outdoors organic garden as topsoil. Ass compost and you will be on the right track to grow delicious and healthy organic herbs and vegetables.
Check out OrganicHerbalGardening.com for comprehensive resources on how to organize your herbal garden. Click on a link to find all the information that you may want about organic gardening at your fingertips.
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There are a few organic materials that work great as a garden mulch material. Some work better that others though, but sometimes you just have to use what’s available.
As the mulch breaks down over time it will help to nourish the plants but it’s main goal is to shield the soil and to eliminate evaporation into the atmosphere.
A good store bought mulch may also help to stop weeds from starting. However a homemade organic mulch is probable where the weed seeds will come from. But if they are caught early they should be easy to deal with.
Straw is usually used and it is a very good mulch because it is very porous and it allows moisture through easily. It often comes in a compressed bale and it can be broken up to cover a large area.
It’s cheap and it can be used as an undercoating to a more attractive and costly mulch, not to mention that worms just love the stuff.
There different types of straw. Rice straw is one type and is available in the fall months. Often it is weed free and can be used instantly, but it deteriorates very fast.
A better choice is wheat straw. It will last a while and it has a good consistency. Place the wheat straw when it’s dry because when it gets wet from rain water it is very hard to move around.
Alfalfa is a bit more expensive but it does offer a few advantages. It has more nutritional value for the soil plus it also makes an great feed for livestock. It’s also seedless so it will not produce any unwanted plants in your garden area.
The good news is you really do not have to spend any money. Most of what you need is just yard waste.
Fallen leaves can be put to excellent use in your garden bed and make a good garden mulch. They will soften the effects of heavy rain on your soil as well as protect your plants from freezing temperatures in the winter.
When using leaves go over them with a lawn mower, this helps to stop clumping. If the leaves are dry enough just crush them with your hand and spread them around. Leaves are very porous and they will break down fast enriching the soil in the process. Click here for more Free information on garden mulch.
