Nowdays people are more health conscious and are paying more attention to what goes into their stomach. Because of this, organic vegetable gardening is making a comeback. In places where food is scarce people are planting their own vegetables. This article will provide you with useful advice on how to start your own organic vegetable garden.
Organic vegetable gardening does not use fertilizers and chemicals which can be harmful to humans. It also does not use genetic engineering or irradiation. Instead, it uses simple farming techniques like tilling the land, giving it enough water and sufficient exposure from the sun.
When harvesting is finished, something new is planted which is better known as crop rotation that helps keep the soil fertile. Growing organic vegetables is not something that only farmers can do. This can be done by homeowners since they can plan some of these in their own backyard. The first thing that you have to do is choose what kind of vegetables you want to grow. You also have to understand how big these can grow so it will be easy to plot how many can be placed per row.
The next step is to check the condition of the soil. There are kits you can buy from the store to check its fertility. If the soil is good, then you can start by clearing it of rocks and weeds by mowing, pulling or digging them out. You should then add compost, bone meal or rock phosphate and greensand to the soil to supply it with nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. You can also add lime or sulphur to adjust the soil’s pH level only if you have to.
When using organic matter, it is recommended that you till or dig in the fertilizers. Ensure that you have at least an inch of sharp sand if the soil you use is made of clay before you rake the soil into rows or beds. For best results, you should leave the soil for a month before planting.
Do not forget to use an organic mulch to blanker the garden. For this you can use ground bark since it will decompose over a month or two. Besides that, you can use a compost file made out of recycled leaves, grass clippings and kitchen waste as they all serve as a good natural fertilizer.
The main threats to an organic vegetable garden are weeds and insects. To combat these threats, you can use other animals and insects to fight these pests. Once you have set an ideal condition, these insects will come to your home, hence you do not need to purchase them.
As for the weeds, you can get rid of them by pulling them out or spraying home made vinegar as this stops them growing. If you plant thickly enough, you will be able to discourage weeds from growing in between the plants.
Having your own organic vegetable garden not only provides you with fresh vegetables but also vegetables that are free of chemicals and pesticides. This is vital, if health is your main concern. However, bear in mind that it’s not going to be easy and you have to sacrifice some time and effort to reap the benefits of your own home grown organic vegetable garden.