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Seven Tips For Organic Gardening

Organic cultivation of mixed vegetables in Cap...
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Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?

1.One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.

2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child’s life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose – to kill living things.

3. Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

4. Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion.
The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 – 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.

5. Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.

Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.

6. A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.

7. Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.

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Dewayne's Home & Garden Showplace
Image by Today’s Garden Center via Flickr

Selecting the best organic fertilizer isn’t easy. There are so many to choose from, and most of the commercial ones have a lot of promises. Most farmers listen to their fellow farming enthusiasts and simply go with what’s well-liked, but as a home gardener I have to ask a lot of questions.

I found this article in an article directory and thought it might help my readers and fellow gardeners know how to choose the best organic fertilizers for their home garden.

Learning A Little About Organic Fertilizers

First of all, let’s identify what a good fertilizer is. It should be something that will help you make the most of the organic setting where you will begin planting. This means choosing a formulation will have to depend on the soil variety, climatic factors and the nutrient needs of your crops.

For instance, the soil around you is missing a certain mineral. You can use natural fertilizers to supply the desired mineral. This is possible because diverse types of organic fertilizers serve different purposes.

Next, mind your crop category. Azaleas and rhododendrons in particular can grow well in acidic soil. In the case of these plants, having iron, manganese and sulfur (and their derivatives) may help. Fertilizer formulas that can alleviate soil pH are crucial if your crop type can’t stand too much acidity.

Seaweed fertilizers can improve root growth. Another organic fertilizer to consider is bat guano, which can boost flowering and fruiting percentage. Bone meal may speed up root elongation and budding in seedlings. Alfalfa meal is one of the fast-release kinds of fertilizers to utilize if you are growing roses. You may also look into how organic fertilizers like kelp, fish emulsion and gluten meal can help your garden.

Liquid fertilizes such as fish emulsion can instantly provide trace elements to plants because the formula can be taken up fast. Because of this, an organic fertilizer in liquid form can be sprayed on leaves.

The main reason for selecting the best fertilizer for your crops should be the quantity of vitamins, amino acids and enzymes in the formulation, as well as the ease of absorption of these elements by the plants.

If you are not sure about the precise quantity of minerals in an organic fertilizer, check the label and look for the nitrogen content. A good lawn fertilizer will always include a hefty amount of nitrogen (eight to ten percent).

With so many organic products and materials on hand, you can select from many different types of fertilizers. Sometimes, finding the best fertilizer to make use of in your garden may take a while. But if you’ve the patience to observe the way your plants respond to each one, you will soon find the right one for your gardening needs.

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Good Advice For Growing an Indoor Garden

kitchen herbs
Image by ekpatterson via Flickr

Many novice indoor gardeners get disappointed when they plant something that doesn’t thrive. The good news is that it’s not that hard to have a successful indoor garden; you just need to follow a few basic tips for healthy plants. Cleaning your indoor house plants, having the best lighting, choosing the right container sizes and selecting the right plants for your home are just some of the things you should keep in mind. Here are a few tips that should get you started.

When you choose to grow an indoor garden, there are certain supplies you will need. Depending on if your home is an apartment or a rented house, space can be limited. If you don’t have enough window sills, consider hanging containers. There are also plant stands that you can purchase in a variety of sizes dependent on the space you have. They can come in single, multi-shelf and tiered. Decide on where you want to grow your indoor garden in your home before determining how many plant stands you might need to buy.

In the summer, indoor house plants need a stronger dose of light because of the humidity. The plants should be placed in the window sill and requires at least six to eight hours of light. In the winter, you can give the plants four hours of light but make sure the plants are not right up against the cold windows. There are many specific lighting requirements for plants so make sure that you select plants that work well with your home’s natural light. If you choose to supplement with artificial light, make sure to research the light bulbs you are using to verify that they go hand in hand with what you are growing. There are many lights that can easily kill what you are trying to grow indoors. Always ask the shop you’re buying your equipment from regarding what they recommend for your indoor lighting needs.

All indoor plants will need water and a watering device is essential. There is the simple watering can to something even more elaborate depending on what you need. You can choose from the expensive glass bulbs to stick into the soil of the house plants to something simple like adding a plastic water bottle to a stake inside the pot or container. There are many self-watering pots that you can buy now and mats like a capillary mat which can work great if you go on vacation.

Once you start growing your indoor garden, fertilizer is a necessary component to your garden. Most people think that if the garden is not in the ground, fertilizer is not needed. When you grow an indoor garden, the soil is stripped of its nutrients during the growth process. With organic gardening becoming quite popular, an organic fertilizer may be ideal for your indoor garden. If you don’t find it too difficult, compost and worm castings can be a good supplement for your indoor garden to ensure the nutrients are being met.

Avid indoor gardeners might be interested in hydroponic gardening as a way to grow flowers and vegetables for their home year round. One of the simplest ways you can do this is by using a hydroponics grow tent, which provides your plants with the perfect conditions to flourish.

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