Most of this information comes straight from the organic gardening pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.
Organic gardening is steadily gaining popularity, and the good news is that virtually every kind of plant and flower can be grown organically. It is important, however, to choose the plants and flowers that are best suited to your own environment. Choosing plants that are suited to the environment in which they grow is one of the best ways to reduce the use of fungicides, pesticides and other chemicals in the garden.
For example, it may be difficult to use organic gardening methods to grow tropical variety of plants and flowers in a cold climate, just as it would be difficult to grow cold climate plants in the tropics. That is why it is best to use the flowers and plants that are best suited for your own environment.
One great way to choose the right plants for an organic garden is to choose native varieties of plants. Choosing native species is a great way to know that the plants you choose will do best where you plant them, without the need to use chemicals.
Using native species of plants does not mean a dull or boring garden. Native species of flowers and plants are available in just about every color of the rainbow, and in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures as well. A beautiful mixture of native plants can produce an organic garden you will be proud to show the world.
After you have chosen the perfect varieties of flowers and plants for your garden, it is important to choose only the healthiest specimens for your garden. That is because choosing unhealthy plants, or those that are infected with disease or infested by insects, could unwittingly introduce these problems into your garden, and make gardening organically that much more difficult.
Choosing the healthiest plants and flowers, on the other hand, will get your organic garden off to the best start, since healthy plants are better able to fight off pests, and to resist bacterial, viral and fungal infections. The healthy plants in your garden will be able to fight off these common ailments without the need for chemicals.
After the plants have been chosen and brought home, they should be transplanted as quickly as possible. It is a good idea to have a good supply of finished compost available when starting an organic garden. Starting a compost bin is a great idea for any organic gardener, since high quality compost often contains nutrients that even the best commercial fertilizers do not. In addition, creating your own compost means less waste going to landfills, and this can produce a healthier environment as well as a healthy garden.
When working a compost mixture in the soil, it is not necessary to go deep. Most plants root only to a depth of about six inches, so working the compost mixture into the first six to eight inches of the soil in the organic flower bed should be sufficient.
When transplanting seedlings from plastic nursery containers, it is important to carefully remove the plant from the container. You should carefully tear away those roots that have grown past the container. Before planting the transplants, be sure that the soil has been adequately prepared with good organic material. Having organic material in the soil not only will provide a great source of nutrition for the young plants, but it will so encourage the growth of beneficial organisms like earthworms. Earthworms can work the soil better than any garden instrument, and they are an integral part of a successful organic garden.
Is there really any information about organic gardening that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.
If space is available near a sunny window, start seeds four to eight weeks before the plant-out date in your area (average date of last killing frost). Starting too early usually results in spindly plants due to crowding and lack of sufficient light.
Almost any container with drainage holes in the bottom will work for planting. Paper milk cartons cut in half, Styrofoam cups, tin cans, plastic trays and pots are common containers used. For convenience, however, you may wish to start plants in the plastic trays and pots available at garden supply centers.
Use a rich, well-drained soil. Potting soils made for African violets and other house plants usually are suitable and do not have weed seeds. They are, however, more expensive than soil mixes you can make at home. If you use soil from the yard, it should be top soil that is well drained and not high in clay.
The best soils are often found around established shrubs and trees. Add sphagnum peat and sharp sand to the soil in a ratio of about one-half volume of each, and mixed thoroughly.
To kill weed seeds and some damaging soil fungi present in your commercial soil, place the soil mix in shallow trays or baking pans in an oven for 45 minutes at 250 degrees. For best results, the soil should be moist.
After the soil has cooled, fill containers firmly but do not pack. Allow about 3/4 inch from the soil surface to the rim of the container. Place seeds on the soil surface. Use a piece of window screen or old flour sifter to sift soil over the seeds to the depth indicated on the seed packet.
If you use compartmentalized trays or individual peat pots, place two or three seeds in each pot. Do not cover too deeply, as this may reduce or prevent seed germination. Just like planting directly in the ground, a general rule is to cover no more than four times the diameter of the seed.
Apply a fine spray of water to avoid washing the seed, causing them to float to the soil surface. Household window sprayers are suitable.
Cover the containers with plastic sheets or panes of glass and place in a cool room (60 to 65 degrees) away from direct sunlight until germination. By doing this, you will almost eliminate the necessity of watering the bed again before the seeds germinate. Be sure to keep an eye on it though. DON'T let it completely dry out!
Germination can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of months, depending on what you are growing, so patience will have to be on of your virtues. When seeds germinate, move them gradually (over two or three days) into brighter light. When the seedlings have developed the first true leaves (the leaves above the cotyledons or "seed leaves"), thin to one plant per container if using partitioned trays or peat pots. Use tweezers to pinch off unwanted seedlings rather than pulling them, to avoid disturbing the remaining seedling.
If seeds were planted in larger containers, transplant into individual peat pots or other small containers. An alternative is to thin the seedlings so they are spread about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart and leave them in the larger containers. This method, however, makes inefficient use of seed and space.
Water your seedlings carefully. Small containers used for starting plants dry out quickly. On the other hand, soil kept soaking wet inhibits seedling growth and may kill the plants.
About one week prior to planting-out time, gradually expose seedlings to longer periods outdoors unless temperatures are below 50 degrees. At the same time, reduce watering to a minimum as long as plants do not wilt. This will help the plants adjust to full exposure without undergoing undue shock at planting time. When it comes time for planting in the ground, carefully remove the plant from its container keeping the roots intact. Dig a small hole in the garden plot and place the plant into the hole. Cover up the roots completely nearly up to the bottom leaves of the plant. Pack down the soil around the plant and water! You're on your way to becoming an organic gardener, but there's still much more to learn! There are pitfalls to gardening that you must address to have a successful garden. First, we'll address those pesky weeds.
Both B. Keith Johnson & Jaden Santon are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.