Beginning Organic Gardening
Keeping Deer and Bunnies out of your veggie garden?
I’d like to have a vegetable garden this year. I’d like it to be as close to totally organic as possible. Problem is, I have tons of deer and I don’t want them to be eating everything I’m trying to grow.
Also, what about insects? Is there anything that can be done about them?
I’ll probably get it started w/ some organic, store bought soil, then begin composting for next year’s fertilizer.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions?
Using old socks fill them with your hair, your dog’s fur, dryer ling, soap chips, anything human/dog smelling. Hang around the garden. Save urine in a coffee can (I used ‘aroma seal’ plastic can), sprinkle around the perimeter of the garden. Had no deer or rabbits in my vegie garden.
Sweet allissum, marigolds repel most insects. There are other flowers to use as “companion plants”, garlic, chives,.
For your compost; magick juice = 1 can beer, 1 can NON diet cola, 1 cup weak tea, 1 tsp baby shampoo (oil soap works), 1/4 cup amonia, mix together and pour on each time you add new material to the compost.
Here are a few links. good luck.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=organic+companion+plants&fr=ush-ans
Beginning Organic Gardening
Going Green! Organic Gardening
Organic gardening is all the rage and for good reason. Risks to pets, people and the environment are just beginning to be understood. Becoming an organic farmer takes a little planning. Typical garden problems need to be proactively managed as opposed to correcting them after they happen.
Pesticides and toxic chemicals can build up in your system or have long-term effects on your health. Pesticide exposure has been linked to nerve damage, cancer and birth defects.
Children and infants are at a dramatically increased risk for damage done by chemicals and pesticides. Children have excretory systems that are still developing. This means that they are less able to rid their bodies of chemicals consumed. Chemical damage can alter the biology of their bodies permanently, causing all sorts of problems. Developing organs and tissues can suffer when chemicals block absorption of nutrients.
Needless to say, avoiding chemicals and pesticides in your garden is a good step towards protecting the health and well being of yourself and your family.
To grow an organic garden, you need to anticipate problems that you may encounter. Keep a garden diary to document problems that you encounter and treatments that were effective for you. This way, you can adjust your planting patterns and types of plants each year. Many people find that it takes a bit of research to really have a successful organic garden.
If you have had a garden in your area before, you probably already know what to expect. For example, you may be able to predict that your garden will get fire ants and rabbits will make themselves at home. If you already know what you will be up against, preventing problems will be easier. Talk to your neighbors if you are not sure.
Prevention is key. You really do not have to worry about many bugs. Nature has a good balance of its own and over ninety percent of bugs will not harm your plants. Simple organic solutions can help you keep bugs and animals that you do not want out of your garden.
For example, human hair spread around the garden will keep out rabbits. Lavender and basil deter ants. Rosemary will repel mosquitoes. The way that you arrange your plants can help protect certain vegetables, too. Garlic and peppers planted around Tomatoes and squash will help protect them from harmful insects and rodents.
Finding the right balance of beneficial bugs and plants may take a little time and effort, but the fruits of your labor will be well worth it. Once you have the right combination of plants, caring for your organic garden is as simple as watering. Keep your garden hose on a hose reel for quick and easy access. You will love your organic garden and how easy it is to take care of.
About the Author
About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.
Organic vegetable gardening?
I’d like to get into organic gardening for my family and I . I have absolutely no idea where to begin. I’d like to grow carrots, peas, lettuce, beans, zucchini, squash. Can anyone offer any helpful hints or websites. Thanks
I have been making my living growing produce organically for the past 14 years. For 8 years i was certified organic. I assume you don’t care to get certified, you just want to grow pure food.
http://www.idigmygarden.com/forums/ is a great forum to learn the ropes. Organic gardening also has a really good forum and the magazine is an excellent resource http://www.organicgardening.com
It will take many years to get you soil in shape and learn the techniques for successful organic growing so don’t expect a great garden for a few years. Start small, no more than a 10′ x 10′ (3m x 3m) garden the first year or you will get overwhelmed in august when the weather is hot, the insects are out and the weeds are growing high.
Mulch everything with straw (not hay as hay tends to have a lot of weed seeds) and mulch well-at least 6″ thick. Straw mulch will keep weeds down, moisture in the soil and blight from happening on plants like tomatoes. It also adds organic matter to your soil.
Have a good hoe, rake, wheelbarrow, trowel and Garden Fork as your basic garden tools.
Start a compost pile ASAP, compost will be the main thing you will feed to the soil/plants. Compost is the best thing to build healthy soil and organics is all about building healthy soil as any organic grower worth their salt knows soil is alive and healthy soils means healthy pest free plants.
Good luck
DIY – Starting an Organic Garden