Today I’ll
be offering some tips for organic gardening. There seems to be a misconception
that organic gardening is harder than *regular* gardening, but honestly I don’t
see it. Applying potentially harmful chemicals, then making sure you are
scrubbed clean after application, and supervising children so they don’t snack
on veggies that haven’t been washed, is much more a hassle in my book. Not to
mention you’re doing happy little bees, birds, and butterflies (your garden’s b/f/fs!)
a huge favor by going organic.
Let’s start
with the proper fertilizers. I know there’s a lot of pH stuff that’s important
for this vegetable vs that vegetable, but I never get that complicated since
it’s only for my family and not a mass production. My favorite, and most
readily available to me, is horse poop. Yup, my four hay burners actually earn
their keep by making huge quantities of fertilizer. I don’t use it straight, I
find where it’s been mixed with pasture dirt and has had time to become rich
black top soil.
Lots of
stables and farms will offer you all the horse/goat/chicken/rabbit/etc. poop
you can shovel for free. Check your area resources or Craigslist. A word of
caution, if the poop hasn’t had a chance to mulch into the soil for a year
don’t use too much. Also, chicken poop is strong stuff—a little goes a loooong
way. You can also shortcut and buy premade organic fertilizer by the bag if
shoveling poop ain’t your thang. And no, your dog and cat can’t contribute,
plants don’t like their poop.
When it
comes to weeds, well roll up your sleeves and get ready for fresh air and
sunshine. I personally find pulling weeds meditative, and also it’s a great way
to get kids away from the internet for a few hours. Keep the dirt loosened
around your plants and it helps keep weeds at bay and also makes them easier to
pull. Not to mention getting water and oxygen into the soil. You can always lay
down straw, old newspaper, or mulch between rows for weed control.
And those
pesky bugs that want to make a meal of your plants? What I’ve found is absolute
gold is garlic powder. Apply directly to plant leaves to deter pests like
persistent leaf hoppers, or mix a few tablespoons in a spray bottle with water
to make a spray. I also plant marigolds around my plants, not only do they
attract good critters, they also help repel the bad. Plus if you plant radishes
with your plants, the radish tops will attract the bugs.
With larger
pests like tomato worms you’ll have to inspect your plants if you find leaves
that have been nipped off and pull the large green caterpillars off. Which is
another thing young children seem to enjoy doing if you make it a game.
Which flows
into my next tip—invite the good critters to your garden! Song birds LOVE those
tomato worms, caterpillars and grasshoppers which you don’t want. I love
watching Cardinals dart in and out of my tomato plants looking for snacks.
Consider growing a couple of sunflowers if birds don’t naturally hang around
your garden spot to attract them. Also, plant lots of different types of
flowers (word of caution: if you have young children or pets, make sure they
aren’t poisonous like hemlock) which hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies like.
They happily pollinate your garden. And one last must have is earthworms. They
work tirelessly beneath the ground to keep the soil conditioned.
Lastly try
to buy heirloom varieties of plants. These are plant species that’ve been
around for a long, long time. They tend to be hardy and more pest/disease
resistant than newer types. I’ve also found they readily “volunteer” which
means they sprout from seeds dropped on the ground year after year (which is
why I end up with a ridiculous amount of tomato plants every year.)
So there
you have it, I hope this inspires you to try to grow a few plants, and to try
the cool new rage of organic gardening. It’s not hype, and it’s not a lot of
hard work! I love pulling a plump ripe tomato off the vine and digging in right
on the spot—not really something you can do if it’s coated with pesticide. J
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