At its root there's a lot of overlap between organic gardening and sustainable gardening - organic gardening seeks to minimise the use of man-made chemicals and industrial agriculture techniques, while sustainable gardening seeks to minimise long-term detrimental environmental impact. This is not quite the same thing despite a large overlap in techniques used, though on a systemic level the impact on the environment are similar between the two.
Organic gardening requires considerably more planning than regular gardening, but with the right combination of plants, land use management and biological pest control it can involve a lot less manual labour than regular gardening techniques.
Organic Garden Fertilizer
All gardens need fertilizer, but organic gardening presents a bit more of a challenge as the goal is to not use chemicals for fertilization.
Luckily there are plenty of things you can use for an organic garden fertilizer that are good for the environment as well as your plants.One thing you want to do first, though, is to have your soil tested. How do you know what type of fertilizer is needed if you dont know the quality of your soil in the first place? You can usually bring a soil sample to your local garden center and find out what types of nutrients it is lacking.There are 3 main nutrients needed in a good fertilizer - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Most organic fertilizers are high in one but low in the other two, so a balance needs to be made between the 3. The exception to this is probably manure, whichis more balanced in all 3 nutrients but doesnt really have a high nutrient content to begin with.Some people consider compost to be a good organic garden fertilizer, but I consider it to be more of a soil conditioner. It does have nutrients, and I do think it is important to till it into your soil, but I also think you need to use a fertilizer in addition.Organic fertilizers actually need the organisms in the soil to break down the nutrients. For this reason, they require moist warm soil.But they also might not work as quickly as your plants need them so you need to apply them early. On the other hand, because they do break down slowly, you run less of a risk of the plants burning from too much fertilizer.There are plenty of organic fertilizers that you can buy for your garden. You can get anything from rooster poop to fish emulsion. The thing you need to keep in mind is the particular nutrient that it is high in and the crops you intend to grow. Different plants, at different stages will need more of different nutrients. For example, lettuce family plants, leeks and onions prefer a fertilizer high in nitrogen. Root crops like potatoes and carrots like to have phosphorus. Tomatoes and fruits like a lot of potassium.Using a good organic fertilizer will help your plants thrive. Check with our local garden center to see what they have on hand for the kinds of vegetables you will be planting, then sit back and watch your garden grow!Organic Gardening Compost - Tips For Perfect Soil Conditioner
Making your own compost is a great way to have a nutrient rich conditioner for the soil in your organic garden and it really isnt that difficult to do. In fact, making organic gardening compost can be very rewarding since you are using things that might have gone in the trash to add life to your garden. Its recycling at its best!
You can buy composting bins or you can simply make a pile in your yard. One thing you want to be sure of is that you set aside a specific place for your compost pile. You need to be able to access it readily as you will have to turn the pile periodically, unless you have a specially made device that uses tray or has a turning mechanism.
You want to include a good variety of kitchen scraps as well as leaves and clipping from your yard and garden. Be sure to only include organic scraps from the kitchen else you might pass on some toxins or pesticides from your non organic foods. Also, dont add any diseased plants to the pile as it could carry through and infect your garden when you add the compost. Dont use any meats or animal fat or bones as this could attract animals to your compost pile.
When starting an organic gardening compost pile, you need to include both green and brown materials in a certain ratio. The green materials include vegetable peelings, garden cuttings and grass clippings. The brown include things like leaves, hay, eggshells and tea bags. Basically, the green materials are live things that contain a lot of nitrogen. The brown materials are dead things which contain a lot of carbon. When added to the pile in a certain ration, the carbon rich and nitrogen rich materials help the pile break down faster. Basically, you want about 3 times as much brown materials as green.
When you start to make your pile, add brown, then green in layers with the brown layers being larger, of course than the greens. As you add each layer, pour on some water - not too much but about enough to make the material about as wet as a damp sponge. Then let it sit for a few days.
You need to turn your compost pile about once a week. Letting the air get in is critical to the composting process. Some people put in bulky materials like straw to allow for some air inside the pile. When you are turning the pile, you will notice that it is much hotter in the middle, sometimes you can even see steam coming off it in the cool of the morning. This is a good sign - it means all the microbes are at work turning your kitchen and yard waste into nutrient packed fertilizer!
So, how do you know when your compost is ready?
The organic gardening compost is ready to mix with your soil when it doesnt look like a rotting pile of scraps anymore. Somewhere during
the process, it will turn into rich, dark, crumbly material that has a pleasant earthy smell. At this point, you can take it and mix it in with your soil
Bonsai Gardening Secrets. Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees. Click Here!
Worlds Best Compost. Make The Worlds Ultimate Natural Fertilizer, Colloidal Humus, Without Bins, Turning Or Odor. Click Here!
The Complete Grape Growing System. A Complete System With E-book And Audio Book To Help You Grow Grapes The Correct Way. Click Here!
How To Start Beekeeping. Want To Start Beekeeping? This New EBook Reveals It All. Start Keeping Bees This Season! Click Here!
Orchid Care Expert - A Practical Guide. The Most Practical Guide To Orchid Care To Be Found On The Internet. Click Here!
Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. 87 Page Step-by-step Gardening Manual For Beginners To Learn How To Grow Their Own Healthy, Organic Food - Saving Money And Eating Chemical Free! Great Bonuses With This E-manual. Revised Edition Just Released.
Click Here!
Forceful Orchid Fertilizers: Homemade Recipes. Know How To Feed Your Orchids To Quickly Get Astonishing Results. Click Here!
The Hypertufa How-To Manual. 100 Page EBook On How To Make Garden Art Objects From Hypertufa. Easy To Follow Instructions & Expert Advice. Click Here!
Homemade Hydroponics. Hydroponics Secrets Shows You How To Grow The Plants, Fruits And Vegetables -even In Limited Space--without Using Soil. Pays 75% Commission With Excellent Conversion Rates. Click Here!
Bonsai Gardening Secrets. Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees. Click Here!
Forceful Insecticides Home Made Formula. Discover Secret Informations That Big Multinationals Dont Want You To Know! Click Here!
Showing posts with label grow your own vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grow your own vegetables. Show all posts
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Grow your own vegetables
How to grow your own vegetables
Simple "How to grow" tips to help grow your own vegetables and fruit with tips on keeping chickens in your garden for fresh eggs. You will save a few pounds and enjoy eating and maybe selling the fruits of your labour.This is a simple mans (me) guide to growing your own fruit and vegetables, if you need more detail or information their are lots of good gardening advice sites on the net.
Preparing and digging the growing area.
I'm assuming you are not going to use Chemical fertilisers or weed-killer, the cost will far negate the savings you are going to make growing your own. The Cottagers didn't use chemicals !! The only sure way to know you are eating chemical free fruit and vedge is to grow your own !! You might want to have a go at companion planting to control garden pests.
Sandy soil is easier to dig but doesn't have as many of the essential nutrients clay soil does so you will need to dig in plenty of compost from your compost heap. Clay soil is harder to dig but most plants do well in it. If the area is water logged you will need to sort it out before you dig it over.
Dig the area over removing as many large stones and weeds as you can, don't try to remove every stone its impossible. Providing the soil breaks up into reasonably small chunks there is no need to rake it over. Weeds that haven't gone to seed can be added to your compost heap. ( Weeds that have gone to seed and Bindweed can be rotted down in a plastic bag and then added to the compost heap )
If you are planning to turn a lawn into a planting area you will need to remove the turf, (this is hard work and if you can wait its easier to cover the area with black plastic until it rots down).If you are going to remove the turf, mark out liftable squares about 2" deep with a sharp spade and scoop the turf off, turn it over and store in a heap in a corner of your garden to turn into loam to be added back to your garden.
SEED BEDS, the areas you are going to sow rows of seed will need to be raked fine before sowing, most seeds are sown direct into the garden but sow a few in trays, the seedlings can be sold at car boots, more than covering the cost of buying the packets of seed in the first place.
Sowing and growing tips.
Broccoli has high vitamin content and anti-cancer agents.The sprouting types are hardy and overwintered for harvest in spring and can be white or purple. Calabrese is harvested in the autumn.
Sow thinly in April and May 1/2 in deep in rows 6in apart. Thin the seedlings to 3in apart. You can sow in March in the milder south and again in June for late cultivars..
Transplant when the broccoli seedlings are about 6in high planting about 18in apart. In dry weather water them well before and after transplanting .The Broccoli will need a good soaking in dry weather and a feed of home made liquid fertiliser now and then will work wonders
Harvest when the flower shoots (spears) are well formed but before the individual flowers begin to open. Cut the central spear first. This is followed by a series of sideshoots, which can be picked regularly for about five weeks.
Cabbages Can be grown to pick throughout the year. spring, summer and winter seeds are available. Spring greens are young spring cabbages Sown mainly in summer, but also all year round.Sow the same as Broccoli above. Spring cabbage: in July/August; transplant in september/October.Summer cabbage from late February/early March (under cloches or similar cover) until early May; transplant in May/June.
Winter cabbages in April/May; transplant in late June/July.
Transplant the young plants as for Broccoli. Compact varieties 1ft apart, larger varieties 18in apart, spring cabbages only 4in apart thin out to 1ft apart from February onwards using the thinnings as your spring greens. Water and feed as for Broccoli
Harvest the Cabbages by cutting through the stem just above ground level at the same time cut a deep cross in the stump and you'll geta second crop of tiny cabbages.
Cauliflowers To grow perfect cauliflowers you'll need a rich and deep soil and there mustn't be a check to growth, so careful planting and watering are essential.Sow thinly 1/2 " deep in rows 6" apart in March and May in a rich and deep soil , Thin to 3" apart when 1" high.
Transplant to growing position when plants have five or six leaves, Water well before and after transplanting. Space 2ft apart or closer for smaller heads. Cauliflowers are hungry so reguraly water and feed with a liquid fertiliser . Important not to check growth regular watering is essential.
Harvest when the heads are firm.
Brussels sprouts
Sow from March to April as for cabbages ,thin out to about 3" apart.
Transplant when 4-6" high about 2.5ft apart in firm soil containing plenty of humus . Important to water well before and after transplanting. Water and feed reguraly with home made liquid fertiliser
Time to pick, Should be just about plump enough for Christmas.
Bonsai Gardening Secrets. Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees. Click Here!
Worlds Best Compost. Make The Worlds Ultimate Natural Fertilizer, Colloidal Humus, Without Bins, Turning Or Odor. Click Here!
The Complete Grape Growing System. A Complete System With E-book And Audio Book To Help You Grow Grapes The Correct Way. Click Here!
How To Start Beekeeping. Want To Start Beekeeping? This New EBook Reveals It All. Start Keeping Bees This Season! Click Here!
Orchid Care Expert - A Practical Guide. The Most Practical Guide To Orchid Care To Be Found On The Internet. Click Here!
Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. 87 Page Step-by-step Gardening Manual For Beginners To Learn How To Grow Their Own Healthy, Organic Food - Saving Money And Eating Chemical Free! Great Bonuses With This E-manual. Revised Edition Just Released.
Click Here!
Forceful Orchid Fertilizers: Homemade Recipes. Know How To Feed Your Orchids To Quickly Get Astonishing Results. Click Here!
The Hypertufa How-To Manual. 100 Page EBook On How To Make Garden Art Objects From Hypertufa. Easy To Follow Instructions & Expert Advice. Click Here!
Homemade Hydroponics. Hydroponics Secrets Shows You How To Grow The Plants, Fruits And Vegetables -even In Limited Space--without Using Soil. Pays 75% Commission With Excellent Conversion Rates. Click Here!
Bonsai Gardening Secrets. Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees. Click Here!
Forceful Insecticides Home Made Formula. Discover Secret Informations That Big Multinationals Dont Want You To Know! Click Here!
Simple "How to grow" tips to help grow your own vegetables and fruit with tips on keeping chickens in your garden for fresh eggs. You will save a few pounds and enjoy eating and maybe selling the fruits of your labour.This is a simple mans (me) guide to growing your own fruit and vegetables, if you need more detail or information their are lots of good gardening advice sites on the net.
Preparing and digging the growing area.
I'm assuming you are not going to use Chemical fertilisers or weed-killer, the cost will far negate the savings you are going to make growing your own. The Cottagers didn't use chemicals !! The only sure way to know you are eating chemical free fruit and vedge is to grow your own !! You might want to have a go at companion planting to control garden pests.
Sandy soil is easier to dig but doesn't have as many of the essential nutrients clay soil does so you will need to dig in plenty of compost from your compost heap. Clay soil is harder to dig but most plants do well in it. If the area is water logged you will need to sort it out before you dig it over.
Dig the area over removing as many large stones and weeds as you can, don't try to remove every stone its impossible. Providing the soil breaks up into reasonably small chunks there is no need to rake it over. Weeds that haven't gone to seed can be added to your compost heap. ( Weeds that have gone to seed and Bindweed can be rotted down in a plastic bag and then added to the compost heap )
If you are planning to turn a lawn into a planting area you will need to remove the turf, (this is hard work and if you can wait its easier to cover the area with black plastic until it rots down).If you are going to remove the turf, mark out liftable squares about 2" deep with a sharp spade and scoop the turf off, turn it over and store in a heap in a corner of your garden to turn into loam to be added back to your garden.
SEED BEDS, the areas you are going to sow rows of seed will need to be raked fine before sowing, most seeds are sown direct into the garden but sow a few in trays, the seedlings can be sold at car boots, more than covering the cost of buying the packets of seed in the first place.
Sowing and growing tips.
Broccoli has high vitamin content and anti-cancer agents.The sprouting types are hardy and overwintered for harvest in spring and can be white or purple. Calabrese is harvested in the autumn.
Sow thinly in April and May 1/2 in deep in rows 6in apart. Thin the seedlings to 3in apart. You can sow in March in the milder south and again in June for late cultivars..
Transplant when the broccoli seedlings are about 6in high planting about 18in apart. In dry weather water them well before and after transplanting .The Broccoli will need a good soaking in dry weather and a feed of home made liquid fertiliser now and then will work wonders
Harvest when the flower shoots (spears) are well formed but before the individual flowers begin to open. Cut the central spear first. This is followed by a series of sideshoots, which can be picked regularly for about five weeks.
Cabbages Can be grown to pick throughout the year. spring, summer and winter seeds are available. Spring greens are young spring cabbages Sown mainly in summer, but also all year round.Sow the same as Broccoli above. Spring cabbage: in July/August; transplant in september/October.Summer cabbage from late February/early March (under cloches or similar cover) until early May; transplant in May/June.
Winter cabbages in April/May; transplant in late June/July.
Transplant the young plants as for Broccoli. Compact varieties 1ft apart, larger varieties 18in apart, spring cabbages only 4in apart thin out to 1ft apart from February onwards using the thinnings as your spring greens. Water and feed as for Broccoli
Harvest the Cabbages by cutting through the stem just above ground level at the same time cut a deep cross in the stump and you'll geta second crop of tiny cabbages.
Cauliflowers To grow perfect cauliflowers you'll need a rich and deep soil and there mustn't be a check to growth, so careful planting and watering are essential.Sow thinly 1/2 " deep in rows 6" apart in March and May in a rich and deep soil , Thin to 3" apart when 1" high.
Transplant to growing position when plants have five or six leaves, Water well before and after transplanting. Space 2ft apart or closer for smaller heads. Cauliflowers are hungry so reguraly water and feed with a liquid fertiliser . Important not to check growth regular watering is essential.
Harvest when the heads are firm.
Brussels sprouts
Sow from March to April as for cabbages ,thin out to about 3" apart.
Transplant when 4-6" high about 2.5ft apart in firm soil containing plenty of humus . Important to water well before and after transplanting. Water and feed reguraly with home made liquid fertiliser
Time to pick, Should be just about plump enough for Christmas.
Bonsai Gardening Secrets. Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees. Click Here!
Worlds Best Compost. Make The Worlds Ultimate Natural Fertilizer, Colloidal Humus, Without Bins, Turning Or Odor. Click Here!
The Complete Grape Growing System. A Complete System With E-book And Audio Book To Help You Grow Grapes The Correct Way. Click Here!
How To Start Beekeeping. Want To Start Beekeeping? This New EBook Reveals It All. Start Keeping Bees This Season! Click Here!
Orchid Care Expert - A Practical Guide. The Most Practical Guide To Orchid Care To Be Found On The Internet. Click Here!
Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. 87 Page Step-by-step Gardening Manual For Beginners To Learn How To Grow Their Own Healthy, Organic Food - Saving Money And Eating Chemical Free! Great Bonuses With This E-manual. Revised Edition Just Released.
Click Here!
Forceful Orchid Fertilizers: Homemade Recipes. Know How To Feed Your Orchids To Quickly Get Astonishing Results. Click Here!
The Hypertufa How-To Manual. 100 Page EBook On How To Make Garden Art Objects From Hypertufa. Easy To Follow Instructions & Expert Advice. Click Here!
Homemade Hydroponics. Hydroponics Secrets Shows You How To Grow The Plants, Fruits And Vegetables -even In Limited Space--without Using Soil. Pays 75% Commission With Excellent Conversion Rates. Click Here!
Bonsai Gardening Secrets. Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees. Click Here!
Forceful Insecticides Home Made Formula. Discover Secret Informations That Big Multinationals Dont Want You To Know! Click Here!
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