Growing Organic Vegetables - Useful Tips
Author: Liz Canham
Are you fed up with vegetables grown out of season, from who
knows where which may look bright and shiny but which taste of
absolutely nothing? Are you frightened as to what all those
pesticides and other chemicals are doing to your family's
health?
Well the answer is simple; grow your own organic vegetables and
fruit. You will need to be prepared to devote quite some time
and effort but the end result will be well worth it. Just think
of those wholesome, tasty fruits and vegetables which you'll be
able to put on your table at all times of the year.
What is organic gardening and why should you go to all that
effort?
It is the growing of produce, flowers, shrubs and so on without
the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers which, organic
gardeners believe, will result in flavorful, healthy and
nutritionally beneficial food. This is because the soil is
fertilized naturally and insects are kept away using natural
materials too so there's no risk of ingesting or inhaling toxic
chemicals. An additional benefit is the fresh air and exercise
which you get digging and maintaining your own vegetable plot.
Possibly, although you're keen on this idea of growing your own
organic food, you don't know where to start, so here are a few
tips.
Firstly, make a plan. You need to decide where your veg garden
will be, how big and what you're going to grow. Remember if you
want food for all seasons, you'll need much more space than if
you just want a few salad leaves for summer.
Now measure and dig out the area that you want to grow
vegetables in, to a depth of about twenty five centimeters,
turning it well. Dig in compost or horse, cow or pig manure for
bulk and some organic fertilizer and leave it to work into the
soil for around three or four weeks.
By this time, you're ready to plant your seedlings which you
will have grown from seed in organic compost and you'll need to
water them. There are two schools of thought regarding the
watering of seedlings. One is that a weekly soaking is more
beneficial because it strengthens the roots as they reach down
for water; another is that when seedlings are very small, they
should be well watered daily or they are at risk of becoming too
dry. You could try giving them a good soaking preferably early
in the morning or late in the evening, inspect them daily and if
they look in danger of wilting, water again.
On your daily inspection tour, keep an eye out for aphids and
other damaging insects. Prevention is better than cure so ensure
that crops are free of disease before you plant them and keep
the garden free of weeds and other debris. If you do find
evidence of infestation, either pick off insects by hand or
spray them with a mixture of washing up liquid and water or
commercial organic insecticide soaps.
Weed prevention is also important or the weeds will take all
the goodness from your soil. Hoe between your rows of plants
every few days or when you see weeds appearing. Applying a mulch
around your plants or even laying black plastic or other
material will help to keep the weeds at bay and will also help
to retain moisture.
Finally, pick your produce and enjoy the fruits of your labors;
the flavor and goodness will make all that effort worth while.
About The Author: Liz Canham Liz is a keen gardener who has
exchanged the relative ease of gardening in Southern England for
the trials of gardening on the Costa Blanca in Spain, where her
garden is at a 45% angle on the side of a mountain. Gardening
For All - http://www.lizebiz.com/trk.php
