Successful Organic Gardening Systems
What is it that most organic gardeners want from their amazing food gardens?
* Is it the substantial health benefits:
- knowing that your food is GM and synthetic chemicals and free?
- gathering your food from garden to table in minutes, retaining valuable, health enhancing nutrients?
* Or the pleasure of losing yourself in the delight of time spent in your garden?
* Maybe it’s about spending time teaching your children how to garden
* Perhaps it’s your creative outlet; designing, creating, maintaining
* Do you view it as your part in helping the environment; reduce, reuse, recycle?
I believe Organic Gardening brings us most (or all) of these things. Some of the practices that are a must for having a healthy, high yielding vegetable garden include strategies or systems that bring about healthy soil, deep watering, balanced insect populations and crop rotation / planning.
Having nutrient rich, well balanced soil, high in microbial activity can be achieved by continually adding organic matter to the soil. You can do this with compost (making your own compost has many benefits), green manures, crop rotation and a “no dig” policy. A high yielding garden is dependant on healthy soil.
Deep watering will encourage your plants to develop deep root systems. This enables them to take in more water and nutrients. You then have strong, healthy plants that do well with regular deep watering. Mulching prevents moisture loss, soil erosion and reduces weeds. Installing drip irrigation – especially when combined with a timer – will benefit you, your garden and the environment.
If you want to be chemical and / or spray free getting the right balance of beneficial and harmful insects throughout your garden is crucial. Yes, I said harmful insects! If there were no harmful insects for the beneficial ones to feed on all your beneficial insects will die or go elsewhere. Nature abounds in symbiotic relationships and this works very efficiently in the garden. Imagine if you had no predatory insects and were then inundated with carrot fly. There would be no stopping them, unless you resorted to chemicals – and you should never allow this in your organic garden.
Arm yourself instead with companion planting practices; practical methods to outwit the enemy (harmful insects) the way nature intended. Plant combinations that will confuse pests by masking the smell and shapes of plants which pests use to locate their favourite foods. In my Companion Planting guide you will also discover which plants benefit each other and those you must never plant together.
With the basics covered you just need to decide what you’re going to grow, how much of it and when. You know your family’s food needs better than anyone else, so there’s no point in growing 15 brussels sprouts plants if your family won’t eat them. You also need to know the right time of year to plant different families. For example: Cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, melons) need to grow in warm temperatures. In winter (unless you can artificially provide the right conditions) your crop will fail – so leave it till the ground has warmed, the days are lengthening and the risk of late frost has passed (mid spring in most areas).
Rotating your crops is also a good practice. Otherwise you will deplete the soil of particular nutrients / elements that a crop planted continually in the same place needs. This also means that the crop will perform worse each year as the nutrients it needs decline.
I like to spend winter evenings planning what, where and how much I’m going to plant in my veggie garden next season. Keeping a gardening journal comes in really handy when I’m planning. It reminds me what worked previously, what I’d like to do differently and whether or not I planted enough or too much of a particular plant to meet our needs.
If you think this is all a bit overwhelming, just remember progress, not perfection. Just get started and improve upon it as you go. So you really have no excuse. You have enough information to make a great start and you can build on it as you gain more experience.
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Hi, I am an avid organic gardener and am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia. It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening. This will improve both our individual lives and the wellbeing of our personal and global environments. Please visit my website for more great organic gardening tips & information. For Companion Planting info click here. Happy gardening, healthy living? |
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How Do You Keep Cats Off Your Houseplants?
Gardening Question of the Week
How Do You Keep Cats Off Your Houseplants?
This
question comes up all the time. mmcdannells wrote: “What are your ideas
to keep my kids cats off my plants? They have yet to go to the bathroom
in them, I am not giving them a chance but you know how a sneaky cat
can be. One of the cats lays on top of one of my houseplants, just
broke this one not long ago!! I moved a larger plant out of the main
kitchen window and put the cats sleeping boxed there since they broke
this bigger plant so many times wanting the sunlight I guess?, I gave
into the cats on that one. Moved that bigger plant to another spot and
set up lights for where it is now. However I would rather not give up
this other spot to the cats. I am frustrated…..
Find out how to do it here
Low Maintenance Teak Furniture
In all likelihood you have heard of teak furniture and have wanted to know why it’s such a big deal. This article contains some simple info regarding the building material that seems a little mysterious, even has a weird sound to it, but dominates the market of outdoor furniture.
Teakwood furniture is especially suited to use outside the home because of its super high oil content and resistance to insects and warping. Teak is a hardwood tree indigenous to the east and south of Southern Asia and much of Southeast Asia. Teak is nowadays frequently planted in tropical environments and is exported around the world to furnish gardens and patios as well as for shipbuilding materials. Teakwood furniture ages in the weather and gains a silvery color without requiring any shelter or care at all. Just leave your teak furniture on the patio during all four seasons and you will end up with furniture that looks elegant in a natural environment and also affords comfort and durability. Look for teak furniture built with mortise and tenon joints for the utmost quality build.
Teak furniture typically has a distinctively simple style of design. Clean lines take advantage of the beautiful texture of the wood. When you start looking for outdoor furniture, you’ll discover a very large selection of teak chairs, tables, and accessories to choose from. Because teakwood furniture can be left outside without being sheltered or cared for 365 days a year, the majority of teak tables and chairs are heavy, causing them to be super durable. Teakwood furniture is commonly made to increase comfort and style since there is no need for storing it away!
The focal point of your collection will be your table. Teak tables typically come in a slat style, offering texture and interest to the eating surface. Pick from round, square, rectangular and expandable teak tables to fit your outdoor dining setup.
What could be more critical than a comfortable chair when you’re looking for furniture to purchase? Teak chairs come in a wide variety of styles, some folding, some armchairs, and lots of attractively simple side chairs to accommodate a crowd. Go all out and try a teak steamer or Adirondack chair. You will not want to get up!
If your style is a more upbeat outdoor party, bar-height teak table and chairs are the best selection. Add proportion to your teak furniture collection by owning these bar height teak tables and chairs and get your guests mingling. In the garden or by the pool, teak bar furniture is compact and practical no matter how many people you have invited over.
The simple truth is, teak furniture is the best choice for your garden, deck or patio. It will last a lifetime. You will be happy in your teak bar chair and dozing in your steamer chair with no fears about care.
Virginia Bryson writes for Belle Abode about home furnishings and design, and consults on interior design in the Atlanta, GA area. For more information about teak furniture and patio furniture, visit http://www.belleabode.com/
Grey Water- Not Drinking Water- For Your Garden
The average home can reduce their water consumption by around 30% by re-using grey water on their garden.
The figures are compelling. Sure, they vary from household to household, but they go something like this?
An average household on a suburban block consumes some 60,000 gallons/300,000 litres of water a year- all of it drinking-quality water from the tap.
Around one-third, or 20,000 gallons/100,000 litres a year, is used on gardens and lawns.
That means that around 40,000 gallons/200,000 litres get used in the home.
Almost all of that (lets say 36,000 gallons/180,000 litres) leaves the home, and the block, as waste water.
Now, here’s the fun part. According to one major water body, approximately 60% of that is re-usable grey water. That includes water from the bathroom and laundry, but does not include black water from the toilet, or water from the kitchen.
60% of 36,000/180,000 is just over 20,000 gallons/100,000 litres.
Where have we heard that number before? Oh, yes, that’s the same 20,000/100,000 we put on the garden and lawns!
As we said, the figures are compelling. The question is, how do we do it in practice? Where do we find a product to take advantage of this free water, worth about $100 at today’s low prices?
Let’s start by excluding a few options from the discussion. At the bottom end of the scale, we’ll exclude bucketing water from the house, and gravity feeding a hose from the washing machine. Cheap, but time consuming, and limited in application. We’ll also exclude waste/grey water treatment systems that cost many thousands of dollars.
So that’s what the product we’re seeking isn’t. What would the ideal product be? It would
- be able to accept water from both bathroom and/or laundry.
- automatically pump water to the garden.
- pump itself out every 24 hours to meet the requirements of health and environment authorities.
- have a unit price under $1000.
There is now such a product on the Australian market, called eco-Care. Visit our website, and you can read more about it, and other Grey Water Systems.
We need to think about how we use grey water to get the best results, and avoid problems. A few points worth considering?
? Use grey water sub-surface if possible.
? Don’t use grey water near fruit or vegetables.
? Don’t use grey water containing lint and hair with fine-pore soaker hoses.
? Grey water is alkaline, so don’t drown acid-loving plants in it.
? Choose a less aggressive detergent and you can use the water on more plants.
? Read the detergent lab report at our site to help you choose.
? Don’t let grey water leave your property
? Remain actively involved in the use and maintenance of your equipment
Follow these few sensible guidelines, and you may be able to reduce YOUR water consumption by 30%, saving money, and the environment. -
What about water tanks, you ask? It’s a whole different subject, but I’d answer you this way?”They’re great, but use that high-quality rainwater inside the house, where we can’t really use grey water.”
John Payne is the Founder of Enviro-Friendly Products, a marketer of water tanks, solar hot water systems, grey water systems, leafless guttering and hot water recirculators. You’re invited to visit the Enviro-Friendly Products website, where you’ll find full product and contact details.
Organic Gardening – Success is in your Hands
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Why is it more and more people are turning to growing their own organic foods. Certainly most seem to be turning to growing their own organic foods because of the substantial health benefits that they provide.
Other reasons could be because they know that their foods are both GM free and do not have any synthetic chemicals on them, plus it may be the thought of gathering their own food from the garden and placing it on the table in minutes, which means they retain all the valuable and health enhancing nutrients that our bodies need.
They even may just do it for the pleasure of losing themselves in the delight of spending time in their own garden or even spending time with their teaching and teaching them how to garden.
Others have taken up not only for the points above but also they have found it is a creative outlet that they never thought they had or they just feel that they are doing their bit to help the environment.
However there are certain practices that must be followed if you wish to have a healthy and high yielding organic garden and such strategies or systems need to be put in to place to make sure the soil is healthy, keeping the plants well watered, ensuring the insect population in your garden is well balanced and planning and rotating crops correctly.
You need to have a nutrient rich, well balanced soil that is high in microbial activity and this can be achieved quite simply by continually adding organic matter to your soil. One of the best ways of achieving this is by using compost (you could even make your own which has its own added benefits), use green manures, ensure you have good crop rotation and a “no” dig policy. Remember a high yielding garden is highly dependent on the soil being healthy.
The use of deep watering regularly will help to encourage the plants in your garden to develop a deep root system and this helps them to take on more water and nutrients, which when provides you with strong and healthy plants. By using mulch on your garden you are able to prevent moisture loss, soil erosion and also reduce weeds appearing. If you are able to install an irrigation system (especially one fitted with a timer) will not only benefit you (you don’t have to remember to go out and water the plants each day), it will also benefit your garden and the environment.
Kerris Samson who now lives in Spain and has become a work from home mum. Since moving to Spain she has taken a keen interest in healthy living and leading a healthy life style which has led to her setting up a number of sites relating to these subjects. If you would like to know more please visit http://www.wholesomeorganics.info.
Creating Low Maintenance Gardens
While no garden is maintenance free, it is possible to create a garden with relatively few demands. Careful planning, proper plant selection and thoughtful design are essential to creating a low maintenance landscape which retains a garden’s aesthetic qualities.
Analyze your site thoroughly. Observe the sun and shade conditions and test your soil for Ph level and composition. Through site analysis you’ll be more informed as to what plants are appropriate for your garden. Gardens planned with forethought will require less maintenance as your plants will thrive and experience less stress.
Group new shrubs into planting beds; they’re generally easier to maintain in the garden than several sporadic individual plants. Though flowers are higher upkeep than other types of plants, few would want to banish them from the garden completely. Perennials require some work, such as deadheading, though the season but they return and flower year after year. After the initial investment and planting, perennials are easy to maintain. Annuals on the other hand, require deadheading, frequent watering and need to be replanted every year. If you decide to plant flowers in your garden, use only a few and place them where they’ll have the highest impact.
When designing your garden, remember, planting beds which are slightly curved or straight will be easier to mow around than those which are more complex. Edging planting beds will help keep weeds out of the lawn and grass out of the bed, reducing the need for weeding. There are many materials which work well as an edging. Plastic and metal edging are found at most nurseries and can be curved to follow the shape of the bed. Be sure to mulch the shrub beds after planting, this will help reduce the growth of weeds as well as help the soil retain moisture.
Reintroduce nature into your garden to create landscapes which are self-sustaining. A woodland garden is a great low maintenance landscape which utilizes many native species of trees, shrubs and perennials. Plants native to particular area will generally require less maintenance than those plants which are introduced. Native plants have proven their ability to survive in your local climate and site conditions. They’ll also be less likely to succumb to disease and extreme conditions. Native species will create more diversity in the garden as well as a habitat for native wildlife.
Wildflower meadows are another type of landscape which requires very little maintenance. Meadows are noted for their stability and wide diversity of plants resulting in vibrant colors and textures. Like the woodland garden a meadow will require very little maintenance after some initial work. Once a year, preferably in the fall after the seeds have dropped from the plants, mow the field with the blades at a high setting. This will allow the plants to get an early start in the spring. It also removes any tree and shrub saplings from taking over the site.
Aside from recreating native landscapes in your garden, proper plant selection is important when planning a low maintenance garden. For example, consider replacing some lawn areas with groundcover. Groundcover can greatly reduce the upkeep in the garden while adding a variety of textures and colors. Though groundcovers vary in the amount of required maintenance all groundcovers should be considered low maintenance. Only occasional pruning is necessary to keep groundcovers from creeping into the lawn or garden beds.
Pruning shrubs is one of gardening’s most important and laborious tasks. Some shrubs are fast growers which need pruning at least few times each season. Selecting slow growing shrubs will greatly reduce or eliminate the need for pruning. During the plant selection process, be sure to choose shrubs which will not outgrow their allotted space so there’ll be no need for transplanting in the future.
Evaluate your needs before you begin planning your garden. Consider the amount of time you’ll be able to devote to the garden. With proper planning and some initial investment of time and labor you’ll be able to enjoy and carefree garden for years.
T Hallinan is a landscape designer and builder in Massachusetts. Visit his garden resource website http://www.gardenlistings.com for all kind of helpful information. For more garden guides visit http://www.gardenlistings.com/resources.htm
