Whether you are a master gardener or just beginning, it is always worth refreshing yourself on some essentials before beginning. As a pursuer of wellness, I am particularly intrigued with organic gardening and how to be successful at this venture. 🙂 I am pleased to introduce the professionals at Top Gardening Services in London. Enjoy their tips for starting and maintaining an organic garden!
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What is Organic Gardening?
To many people this concept is still very unclear. Organic gardening is a production system known across the globe, which has a number of benefits for both human beings and for nature. It focuses on enhancing soil biological activity, conserving biodiversity and promoting ecological balance.
Photo Courtesy of Pixabay
Put simply, organic gardening is an effective and healthy method of growing food that benefits the planet and every living organism. It is non-harmful in that it involves no synthetic fertilizers and pesticides or any harsh chemicals. It uses healthy, non-contaminated soil, which is high in nutrients. As you know, soil feeds the plants. Everything they need to survive, such as nutrients and water, is available in the soil. Thus, it really makes sense to improve soil’s texture.
Where to begin…
Ideally, you will start by testing the soil. This means that you will need to collect a sample and send it to a lab as soon as possible before it changes over time. The experts will analyze the soil’s pH level, acidity, composition, and nutrient content, as well as levels of contamination. That way, you can learn what nutrients you lack and the ones you need to provide for your plants to grow.
Next you want to focus on what you can do to improve the soil. It needs some good “food” and water. Food includes the following all-natural and non-toxic alternatives:
*Mulch: This serves to insulate and enrich the soil around plants. Mulch is made of compost,
grass clippings, bark, straw, or decaying leaves. Some people use newspaper, but since you want
to go organic, it is best to opt for one of the other options mentioned above.
*Compost: This acts as a fertilizer. It is made of decayed organic material. It attracts
beneficial organisms and is packed with healthy substances.
The next step is to choose a site. Your plants will need more than five hours of sun a day. Choose wisely. Make sure to also select plants that do well in your climate zone. As much as you want to grow diverse plants, it is essential to stick to crops that will thrive in your area.
What next?
It is very beneficial to draw a plan in advance. Make sure to include enough space for your plants to grow. It is wise to place tall vegetables or flowers north. You would not want them to cast a shadow on the other crops.
Further, use the methods of either raised beds or rows. Raised beds drain faster, reduce weeds, warm up quicker and prolong the planting season. Rows are more common for flat gardens. Both methods have their pros and cons and are listed as follows:
1. Raised Beds…
Advantages:
•Raised beds are neat.
•If the soil is contaminated, raised beds are the best option because they will protect roots from harmful substances in the ground.
•Raised beds do not require soil improvement.
•If plants are high enough, critters will not be able to reach them.
Disadvantages:
•If the climate is hotter, roots are likely to dry out more quickly.
•A raised bed requires tools and supplies to construct.
•Bagged soils are not high in minerals.
•It requires digging every few years, contrary to what many people think.
•It is labor intensive.
2. Rows…
Advantages:
•They are great for wide-row gardening.
•This method is inexpensive.
•There are no additional materials necessary for constructing rows.
Disadvantages:
•Rows use more space.
•Rows do not protect plants from getting waterlogged.
•This method does not protect plants from contaminated soil.
•The gardener needs to select location carefully.
In addition, you will need to know the planting periods for the plants you desire to have in your organic garden. Educate yourself on the plants in your garden, whether they tolerate cold weather or if they need an environment with more full sun. Some crops, such as spinach, radishes, lettuce, peas, kale, onion, garlic, etc. tolerate a bit of frost, while others such as tomatoes need to be started indoors.
Additional Information…
•There are beneficial bugs and harmful bugs. You will need to learn to distinguish between them.
Some bugs eat larvae that feed on your plants (e.g. spined soldier bug, ladybirds, etc.). Hence, do not kill every bug you see on your plants. Always check if it can be a benefit to your crops. At Mother Nature Network, there is more information about helpful and harmful bugs as well as how to tell the good ones from the bad ones. You’ll also learn how to identify as well as how you can control them. In addition, Rodale’s Organic Life offers additional information about beneficial insects, their feeding habits, etc.
•It is wise to rotate your crops. If you always grow one plant in the same area of the garden, you risk ruining the soil.
In conclusion, these are several essentials and basics of organic planting. The largest difference between regular gardening and organic gardening is in the products it uses. Everything has to be organic, from fertilizers to the seeds themselves. Remember, no chemicals and no pesticides.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact us at TopGardeningServices Dulwich. We look forward to hearing from you.
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*Photo(s) courtesy of Pixabay.
Avocado Mommy 