Tiff


I am wanting to start my own little vegetable garden. Organic if possible. How do I get started? How do I know if the soil is all right? What all do I need to maintain it?

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jbarnicoatmsw


I just put in a raised bed garden for veggies and this is my first vegetable garden ever!

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a guy


I want to use it for my vegetable garden in pots? Also what is the best way to use the chicken manure in potted plants?

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samekid480


I have a vegetable garden and bugs are eating my basil and also something is eating on my green pepper plants. I think the bugs might be leaf hoopers. My tomato plants look fine so far. So, I’m looking for a homemade recipe that will help prevent and kill these pest. Would a red pepper spray work or dish soap? Any ideas? Thank you!

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Organic Gardener


Show them how much you enjoy gardening. Spend time in your garden. It is especially easy to stimulate a child’s interests when they see you having fun.

Make gardening easy. Don’t expect a perfect garden. Allow your family to work at their own pace and within their attention spans and age range, especially children.

Dig it! Kids love to dig. This is a great way to teach the basics while letting them play and just have fun. 

Let them play an active role in planning. Take your children to the local nursery and let them pick seeds or transplants to start their garden. Take your time and let them browse and enjoy all of the beautiful plants.

Grow a theme garden. This is a great way to let your children use their imagination and express their creativity. The sky is the limit. Some great ideas are gardens that coincide with the holidays, alphabet gardens, a garden themed in their favorite colors, a sensory garden where you can experience different smells, tastes, textures and sights, or a “Freedom Garden”.

Give children their own “kid sized” tools. They don’t have to be expensive. You can go with an old spoon and a bucket that you have around the house or you can venture down to the garden center and purchase garden tools made for children’s hands.

Give them a space to call their own. It doesn’t have to be big. This will teach them ownership and responsibility, and your children will be able to take credit for their own little space.

Get crafty! Press or dry flowers to make a beautiful arrangement, make potpourri, or make a pomander ball. Children love making things and will be amazed at the crafts and gifts that they can make from the garden.

Grow a vegetable garden. Your children will be amazed that they can grow their own food. Be sure to use organic pesticides.

Use gardening to brush up your children’s math and science skills. Let them count the seeds they are planting, or teach them how plants are living things. Not only will you capture their attention, you will be polishing their skills as you go.

Have a contest. Kids love to be rewarded. Be sure to give each child a reward; the biggest tomato, the prettiest flower, or perhaps the best tasting herbs (a little Spray-N-Grow will help!)

Don’t try to do it all! Pick a few of these tips that you know are best for your family and have fun with them. After all, gardening is meant to be fun and easy. And with a little help, something the whole family can enjoy.

Original Article



Cathy

Abhishek Agarwal


People who have tasted organically grown vegetables swear by its taste and find it extremely difficult to revert back to old eating habits. They often comment that one can taste the sweetness of the sun in the organically produced vegetables. So if it is the first batch of peppers during summers, the juice filled tomatoes, the first lettuce of the spring season or the pumpkins and squashes reaped in the season of autumn, the vegetables never tasted as better as they do when organically produced.

There are several other facts besides pleasing taste buds that justify the gradual movement of today’s society towards organically grown vegetables. Reliable scientific data testifies to the ill effects of fertilizers and chemical pesticides used in the orthodox cultivation methods. There is a clearly defined connection between diseases like cancer, neurological damages, hormonal imbalances and the chemicals that are used in non-organic cultivation. Organic vegetable farming is the need of the hour if we want to protect our children from the disastrous consequences of chemically produced vegetables. We all are aware that kids due to their lower tolerance levels are much more vulnerable to chemical residues as compared to adults.

Following are some important points that you must keep in mind during a transition to organic farming. These points will help you in maintaining the correct natural balance among the plants, animals, soil and the insects:

1. You must stop using all kinds of herbicides, synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. These chemicals do a lot of harm to human bodies in the long run.

2. You must develop the habit of not throwing the kitchen scraps into the garbage box. Instead, start turning that scrap into organically rich nutrient for your garden by making compost heaps.

3. Don’t go about killing the caterpillars and bugs in your garden. A lot of them actually help you in protecting your vegetable garden. There are books you can refer to obtain more knowledge about such good pests and bugs.

To get along successfully with the organic farming, you will have to learn to stop compacting your garden soil. Compacting normally done to get rid of the air gaps in soil bed. You must rather develop the habit of making pathways between the rows of planted crops, thus enabling you to reach and tend to each plant with ease. It is recommended to till the soil only once each in the season of spring and the fall.

Organic farming and water sprinklers don’t go together. The water sprinklers deliver water too fast for the soil to absorb effectively. Hence, it is a good idea to rather use a hose and use it slowly to wet the soil bed comprehensively. You can also try rotating the locations of crop cultivation year on year. This helps in effectively preventing pests and crop diseases.

In the organic method of vegetable cultivation, you will need to keep the garden bed regularly covered in organic mulch like grass clippings, straws or the chopped leaves. Such regularity will curb the weed growth and help the ground absorb water more effectively. This is one of the best methods to achieve optimum results for the organic vegetable garden.



John

John Yazo


Organic gardening is a method of gardening in harmony with nature. It can be done with a minimal amount of cost by using methods of recycling organic matter that you already have on hand and the propagation of heirloom plants that are in your yard..

Saving money gardening takes planning. It is very easy to let the costs get out of hand when you purchase plants and other supplies for a garden, whether it be for a vegetable garden, flower bed and even landscaping. Once you put a plan together you just have to stick with it. The biggest mistake that is made is to many plants and supplies are purchased before a garden is planned out. It is very easy to go to a garden center and see all the plants that you want to plant, then come home to find out there isn’t enough room to plant them.

Methods like the propagation of existing plants in your own yard is a big way to save on landscape plants, recycling organic household along with yard waste is a great way to improve the soil in your gardens and supply nutrients to your plants.

Growing heirloom plants that are open pollinated is also away that you can save by collection and storing your own seeds for the following years to come. Having your own seeds on hand will also give you the ability to grow your own transplants and save on the cost of purchasing plants every year. Starting your own transplants isn’t that hard to do and the seeds can be started in containers that you already have around your house, egg cartons are great to use for starting your transplants in.

Planning your garden is the best way to garden on a budget.



Jennifer

Dave Truman


Spring is on its way and many people are looking forward to planning and planting their vegetable garden. There are so many options, it can be hard to know what to choose and from whom to purchase your seeds. Because there are so many online vegetable seed companies to pick from, the choices can be overwhelming. This article will help to point you in the right direction.

Buying vegetable seeds online can be a very good choice. Many companies do not package their seeds ahead of time, which helps the seeds stay fresh longer. Likewise, many stores will ship the next day so you are guaranteed quick delivery. You will also find a very large selection of seeds that you may not be able to find at your local store. Even greenhouses or nurseries cannot provide a comprehensive array of viable vegetable seed options. If you are looking for that rare organic tomato seed, chances are you can find it online.

Most online vegetable seed companies offer some type of warranty. Some say that if a seed does not produce within a certain time frame, they will refund your purchase price or replace the item. This is the most common type of warranty you will come across. Other guarantees say that they will refund your money if you are not satisfied for any reason. Regardless, make sure you understand the terms before you buy.

Prices are usually fairly comparable, but check a few things before you purchase them. See how much you are really getting. Some sites may be cheaper, but they may be selling a lighter weight. Also be aware of the quality of the seeds. For example, heirloom seeds produce the best tasting tomatoes. There are also a lot of different types of the same vegetable. Be sure you are comparing the exact same vegetable or you will not get an accurate picture.

Have an idea of the type of vegetables you would like to plant. Do you want an eclectic collection of classics and exotics. Are all organic vegetables your thing. Or do you just want an old fashioned vegetable garden with the staples of cooking in it. Whatever you choose, you can find a company that will cater to your preferences.

Make sure that you patronize a reputable vegetable seed company. If you are unsure about where to start, ask some of your friends where they purchase their seeds. If you know someone in the neighborhood who has a great garden, ask them where they get their seeds or if they have any recommendations. Another way to get tips is to join an online gardener’s chat group. Gardeners are always willing to help someone who is looking for advice.

Starting a vegetable garden can be an immensely rewarding experience. Have fun with your vegetable garden, but don’t forget the things we talked about. They can save you time and frustration later on. Buying your seeds from a reputable online company is a convenient and economical way to get your garden started.



Allison