Healthy soil.
Healthy soil is the basis to organic gardening.
Your plants need food to grow; so regularly feeding the soil is the first step to a healthy garden.
Veggie plants, berries, perennial flowers and shrubs all need a balance of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to grow well.
Most soil has some of these nutrients, however the plants use them in order to grow and produce their fruits, flowers, and seeds so adding in fertilizers at least once a year is an important step to keeping your soil healthy.
A strong root system will produce a healthier plant as it will be able to fight off any problem or pest that my come along.
Rotate your vegetable crops.
Rotation is another way to keep you soil healthy and keep pests and disease from your garden plants.
Rotating vegetables basically means not planting the same vegetables in the same spot for at least 3 or 4 years.
Each veggie plant uses different nutrients from the soil, so by moving the vegetable to a new spot each year your soil is not being totally depleted of that specific nutrient.
Various veggie plants attract different pests and diseases as well, so moving the plants discourages these pests or diseases.
Proper Watering.
Along with nutrients, sunlight, and good air circulation, plants need the proper amount of water to grow well.
Often we water too much or too little.
A good rule of thumb is most gardens and vegetable patches need about 1 inch of water each week a little more if it is extremely hot and dry.
It is important to give the plant enough water so that it reaches the root system; the roots can be a foot or more below the surface so deep watering every few days is better than just a surface watering every day.
After you finish watering a good test is to dig down into your garden to see how far the water actually penetrated, you want the soil to be damp at least 6 inches below the surface.
Use mulch.
Use organic mulch such as compost, aged animal manures, straw, leaves, hay, and wood chips to conserve water and as they break down they are adding organic matter to your soil.
Make compost.
Making compost is an easy and effective way of recycling your garden debris and using your kitchen waste to produce an amendment to put back onto your garden beds or around your berries and shrubs.
Keep your garden clean.
Keeping your garden clean is another way to discourage pests and diseases, which will create a healthier garden.
If you have any diseased plants make sure you place them into a garage bags right after pulling or cutting them, that way you are not spreading the problem to other areas by carrying them through your garden.
Debris lying in your pathways or garden beds is a perfect place for pests to live, so take the time every spring and fall to make sure your garden is clean and tidy.
Healthy soil is the basis to organic gardening.
Your plants need food to grow; so regularly feeding the soil is the first step to a healthy garden.
Veggie plants, berries, perennial flowers and shrubs all need a balance of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to grow well.
Most soil has some of these nutrients, however the plants use them in order to grow and produce their fruits, flowers, and seeds so adding in fertilizers at least once a year is an important step to keeping your soil healthy.
A strong root system will produce a healthier plant as it will be able to fight off any problem or pest that my come along.
Rotate your vegetable crops.
Rotation is another way to keep you soil healthy and keep pests and disease from your garden plants.
Rotating vegetables basically means not planting the same vegetables in the same spot for at least 3 or 4 years.
Each veggie plant uses different nutrients from the soil, so by moving the vegetable to a new spot each year your soil is not being totally depleted of that specific nutrient.
Various veggie plants attract different pests and diseases as well, so moving the plants discourages these pests or diseases.
Proper Watering.
Along with nutrients, sunlight, and good air circulation, plants need the proper amount of water to grow well.
Often we water too much or too little.
A good rule of thumb is most gardens and vegetable patches need about 1 inch of water each week a little more if it is extremely hot and dry.
It is important to give the plant enough water so that it reaches the root system; the roots can be a foot or more below the surface so deep watering every few days is better than just a surface watering every day.
After you finish watering a good test is to dig down into your garden to see how far the water actually penetrated, you want the soil to be damp at least 6 inches below the surface.
Use mulch.
Use organic mulch such as compost, aged animal manures, straw, leaves, hay, and wood chips to conserve water and as they break down they are adding organic matter to your soil.
Make compost.
Making compost is an easy and effective way of recycling your garden debris and using your kitchen waste to produce an amendment to put back onto your garden beds or around your berries and shrubs.
Keep your garden clean.
Keeping your garden clean is another way to discourage pests and diseases, which will create a healthier garden.
If you have any diseased plants make sure you place them into a garage bags right after pulling or cutting them, that way you are not spreading the problem to other areas by carrying them through your garden.
Debris lying in your pathways or garden beds is a perfect place for pests to live, so take the time every spring and fall to make sure your garden is clean and tidy.