My OG Blog

tansy

The final step for starting your organic garden is to control pests. You have decided to grow an organic garden so this means ABSOLUTELY NO CHEMICALS. How do you accomplish this? Well it really goes back to proper garden design and planning. There are some really great organic gardening books out there about companion planting and companion gardening.

The key to controlling pests in your garden is to create an environment which is friendly to the beneficial insects and animals which will control the population of the pests. For example tansy is a great companion plant it attracts many beneficial insects such as lady bugs, spined soldier bugs, spiders, hoverflies, praying mantis, predatory wasps and many other beneficial insects. So it is a great idea to plant tansy in amongst your veggies, and they’re pretty too! Marigolds, basil, garlic and a host of other strong flowers and herbs act as a repellant keeping pest away. Plant a ring of them or set pots of them around the outside of your garden and it will help keep the pest from entering.

There are many plant combinations, features you can add to your garden and crop rotations that will help you control the pest populations in your organic garden. This is an area of organic gardening that I find truly exciting and fascinating and I will be adding many more articles about it in the future.

The next step in starting an organic garden is to maintain it. Making sure your garden is watered and weeded is an important part of its success.

It is usually best to water in the morning so it has a chance to soak in before it evaporates or in the cooler evening hours if you don’t have time in the morning. It is best to water most plants at the base and allow the water to soak in deep. Don’t over water, check below the surface a couple of inches if it is moist you probably don’t need to water. The larger the plant the deeper its roots so young seedlings will need to have the moisture closer to the surface than mature plants, however if you water too often the roots will not go as deep and the plants will not be as strong. If the soil doesn’t have good drainage and stays soaking wet it can pose problems with root rot, harmful fungi and algae growth.

As your garden grows it is important to keep the weeds out of it. They compete for the water and nutrients that your vegetables, herbs and flowers need to flourish. The first time you weed should be after your seedlings are well established. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the seedlings are about the same height as the weeds or of a size where the seedlings could be transplanted whichever comes first. If you try to remove them before the seedlings are established you may damage the still very delicate root systems. Then it is best to keep an eye on things and remove weeds on a regular basis, every day or two. If you chose the raised bed garden with prepackaged soil there will be very little weeding to do right from the start. With both the traditional and the raised bed garden there will be less and less weeds as the season progresses and your fruits and vegetables become large enough to shade the ground beneath them making it a less hospitable environment for the weeds. When weeding you want to make sure to get the entire tap root out so the weed will not reestablish itself from the root.

Change your impact! Stay tuned for the last Step for Starting an Organic Garden, pest control.

Step 7 of starting an organic garden is planting your garden. From the planning step you already have an idea of what you want to grow in your garden. You will want to plan where you will place them in your space to best utilize it. There are some great organic gardening books out there to help you decide how to best utilize your space. I have written a short article on companion planting which includes a table of good companions, bad companions which you may also find useful.

Another aspect you will want to consider is what grows best in your area. The best resources for this are your local extension office, a reputable local nursery or successful local gardeners. When you are first starting out it is a good idea to stick to plants that are easy to grow and as you gain knowledge and experience you can try some of the more challenging varieties. Remember to keep it fun!

It is best to choose heirloom varieties of seeds since they are guaranteed to produce identical fruit to their parent. If you are concerned about keeping your garden totally organic make sure to purchase your seeds and seedlings from an organic supplier. Commercially grown seedlings may still have residues of the chemicals used to start them which may migrate into your soil.

Change your impact! Stay tuned for the next Step for Starting an Organic Garden, maintaining your garden.

The 6th step for starting an organic garden is to fertilize the soil with all of the stuff you have been composting. If you  chose to go with the raised bed garden and used a prepackaged soil to fill your bed you will be able to skip this step for now.

To properly fertilize the bed spread about a 2 inch thick layer of the compost you made in the earlier steps. If your compost is not quite ready to use you can purchase prepackaged compost at your local garden center for this step. Once you have spread the compost over the garden start working it into the soil with a spade and a claw rake. Break up large clumps of dirt with a digging fork or the rake. You want to keep working the soil and compost together until the consistency is that of fine gravel. Be sure to work the compost deep into the soil at least 6 inches.

Change your impact! Stay tuned for step 7 planting seeds and seedlings.

If you have decided to go with the traditional organic garden the 5th step consist of breaking ground. If you have decided to go with a raised bed garden you get to skip this step. However I would like to point out a couple of important points about raised beds.

First when you add the soil to your raised bed make sure you put in enough soil so it is at least 6 – 8 inches deep, you should be about 2 – 3 inches below the sides of your raised bed to leave room for water and the addition of compost. Remember since you are adding already loosened soil it will settle, so you need to overfill it.

Keep in mind what you want to grow in the bed if you are growing deep rooted vegetables like carrots and potatoes then you should have closer to 12 inches of depth. If the sides of your raised bed are not deep enough to achieve this remove enough soil from the bottom of the bed to get the depth you need.

Put a weed barrier on the bottom of the bed. The weed barrier needs to allow for drainage you can use a landscape fiber but personally I use several thicknesses of old newspaper. It works just as well maybe even a little better and it’s less expensive.

If you have decided to go with the traditional style of garden you will need to break up the ground. Use a spade or garden fork to dig down into the soil and turn it over. Remove weeds and their root systems as you go. You should dig down to a depth of 8 – 12 inches I would recommend closer to 12 because it will help to better control the re-growth of weeds in that area. Keep working the soil with the spade or fork and a garden rake until it has all been turned and loosened.

Change your impact! Stay tuned for the next Steps for Starting an Organic Garden. Applying fertilizer.

Step 4 of starting your organic garden is soil preparation. At this point you should already have decided whether you are going with a traditional organic garden or a raised bed garden. The process for soil preparation is a little different for them.

First we will talk about preparing the soil for a traditional organic garden. You will need to remove all of the grass and weeds from the area. Make sure to remove the entire root system (or as much of it as you possibly can). Either pull them or dig them out, this is usually much easier if the soil is moist but not wet. You may want to either water the area the day before or work on it the day after a nice rain. Once the weeds and grass are removed you should scatter old leaves, grass clippings and other organic yard debris over the area, this will act as an organic additive which will increase the micro biotic life in the soil, and microbes feed on pathogens which may attack your garden.

If you have decided to go with a raised bed garden you will need to bring in soil from another location. There are a few options for attaining the soil: you can remove topsoil from another area of your property, you can purchase bulk topsoil from an area landscaper or nursery, or you can purchase it by the bag from a local garden supply. With the first option remember to make sure all of the grass and weed root systems are removed before adding it to your garden again add the organic matter as you would have for a traditional garden. If you decide to buy in bulk you will probably still want to add some organic matter to the soil but the weed and grass roots should be removed for you. In my opinion buying bagged soil is the best option, since the soil is sterilized you will not have the problem of weed seeds being mixed in with it and it will save you hours of combating them when your garden starts to grow. See my other post Tips for Building a Raised Bed Garden to see the advantages.

Change your impact! Stay tuned for the next Steps for Starting an Organic Garden: Breaking Ground.

Step 3 for starting and Organic garden is planning the layout of your garden. First you need to decide what you want to grow. Plant root vegetables next to bush vegetables this will help you make the most of the space you have chosen. If you are planting early season vegetables plan to plant a late season vegetable there, this will allow various nutrients to be taken and returned to the soil throughout the growing season. There are many organic gardening books available about companion plants (see a chart) that will help you make the best possible use of your space.

Next you will want to plan to plant some flowers and herbs in your garden. Flowers and herbs will attract beneficial insects to your garden like ladybugs and bees. Flowers will also attract birds which has its up side and its downside, the birds will help control not so desirable insects but they also enjoy dining on some of the fruits of your labor. For the most part birds are a good thing and I will discuss ways to control the not so good things in the future. Plan to plant a ring around the garden of marigolds, basil, thyme or garlic this will help keep deer, beetles, undesirable insects and rabbits out of the garden.

Change your impact! Stay tuned for the next step for Starting an Organic Garden, Preparing the Soil.

Step two for starting your organic garden is to choose a location.  You will want to make sure it gets plenty of sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight) and has good drainage. You do not want to pick an area where water stands around for a day or two after it rains. You will need to decide whether you are going with a traditional or raised bed garden, and decide the size of the vegetable garden you want. Make sure you choose a size that will be easily maintained and will accommodate the goals you have set for it.

Other key points to keep in mind:

• If this is your first experience with organic gardening, start small you can always add on next year when you have a better feel for things
• Raised bed garden vs. traditional, a raised bed will allow you to grow more vegetables in a smaller space with less work but it’s initial cost will be a little higher
• Choose a location which is easily accessible, you don’t want to have to stretch a ton of hose or carry buckets of water any further than necessary

Change your impact! Stay tuned for the Next Step for Starting an Organic Garden, Designing the Layout.

Organic gardening is the process of growing and sustaining a garden using all natural methods. By starting an organic garden you will be utilizing the latest trends in environmental controls, green living and sustainable living habits. You will become more self sufficient and reduce your impact on the environment while saving money both in food costs and waste disposal costs.

Step One: Set up a composting bin or pile. Add organic waste such as vegetable waste, grass and garden cuttings, dried leaves, un-dyed shredded paper, sawdust and manure from herbivores (grain eating animals). If composting in a pile make sure to turn I regularly with a fork or shovel. If using a drum turn the mixture by tipping the drum on its side and rolling it two full rotations, then resetting it upright daily. After two or three weeks you will have organic fertilizer to spread over the garden. There are many composters on the market that can make composting easier but they are not vital to making good compost.

Change your impact! New articles will be available soon on the next steps for creating your very own organic vegetable garden.