5 Tips for Growing Your Own Organic Food
Instead of spending tons of money at the supermarket, try spending some time in your garden to
produce some organic veggies of your own! It’s really not as difficult as it might seem. Organic
gardening really isn’t that different from other forms of gardening except that you will be paying
closer attention to how you tend to your plants.
1. Organic Beginnings - Do your best to find organic seeds. This can be difficult because not many
seed packages will come right out and say “hey! We’re genetically modified!” Do some research
on the seeds that are available in your local nursery to find out if they were genetically modified.
2. Avoid Chemicals - Ditch the “cides”. Insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, these things are all full
of synthetic chemicals that are toxic to the environment. Plus they don’t discriminate. Not only will
the kill off the intended victim, but they will also harm anything else they come in contact with.
Lady bugs and other predatory insects can help you to keep pests at bay. Maintaining healthy soil
and fertilizing your plants will increase their resistance to attacks from pests.
Fertilizers can be your organic garden’s best friend but if you’re trying to keep it organic, avoid
using those of the synthetic variety. Instead, create your own compost pile to use. Compost is a
great fertilizer and if you do it yourself it’s free minus the cost of your leftover decomposable
garbage.
3. Mulch - Switch to organic mulch. Mulch is probably one of my favorite gardening subjects simply
because it makes such an amazing difference when it comes to weed and pest control. There are
tons of organic mulches on the market but I personally prefer to use grass clippings from my lawn.
If you do decide to use grass clippings, make sure synthetic fertilizers weren’t used on your lawn
to help it grow.
4. Do the Upkeep - Keep up on the weeds in your garden. Weeds are more harmful to gardens
than many people tend to think. They have to potential to smother your vegetable plants and steal
their food and water supply. Mulch is only going to help your garden if you remove the weeds first
and pull the few that infiltrate through the mulch barrier.
5. Watering Basics - It’s weird to think that there are basics when it comes to watering your garden
because it seems so basic in and of itself but believe it or not, there are actually correct ways to
water. The first thing to consider is when you actually water. You should never water at night.
Watering at night increases the likelihood of fungal problems. The best time to water is between 6
and 8 am so that the leaves have a chance to dry off before cooling down.
Another mistake that people make when watering is watering too often. When you water, the idea
is to keep the soil moist but not flooded or completely dried out. Like other living things, plants are
susceptible to drowning too. Apply water at the base of your plants and let the water run deep. In
many cases watering every day is not necessary. That being said, keep a close eye on your
garden and pay attention to how your plants look and the moisture level in the soil.