For an amazing activity to do with your family, consider growing vegetables and starting your own organic garden. Growing organic vegetables means your family can enjoy healthy, tasty, fresh produce free of synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Some of the organic gardening basics are the same as non-organic. When starting your garden, you need to plant in an area that gets full sun, at least 6 hours a day (8 to 10 hours is even better). All gardens require frequent watering, so make sure you have a hose that will reach all corners of your plot. If you want to start your own vegetable garden, here are some tips to consider:
Start With Organic Soil
In making a healthy organic vegetable garden, you need to start at the beginning with healthy soil. The most important component in soil is the organic matter that goes into it, such as manure, moss, or compost.They make for the best options because they contain decayed microorganisms of previous plant life. Those microorganisms supply plants the nutrients they need. If you want to start making your own soil, you can create your own compost pile by designating an area or bin where organic matter will decompose. Or you can buy it in bulk or use bagged compost available at garden centers and home improvement stores.
Once you have your soil, reduce weeds by spreading a 1- to 2-inch-thick layer of mulch on the soil. It creates a barrier that prevents weeds from getting sunlight and from germinating, as well as prevents fungal disease spores from drifting onto plant leaves. Use an organic material (such as newspaper) as mulch so as it decomposes it adds beneficial organic matter to the soil.
Tips For Seedlings
When shopping for seedlings, plant experts and growers recommend choosing plants that have a healthy color, particularly ones that do not have yellow leaves. Avoid droopy or wilting leaves as well. When you’re shopping for transplants, gently tap the plant out of the pot to make sure the roots are well-developed and white. Avoid plants that are already budding or have flowers. If you can’t avoid them, pinch buds and flowers off before planting to ensure the plant energy stays focused on setting new roots and flourishes after re-potting.
Practice Crop Rotation
Because many closely related plants are affected by the same diseases, avoid planting them where their relatives grew the year or two before, if trying to renew your garden or if someone had planted there previously. Two of the biggest families to watch out for are the tomato family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants) and the squash family (squash, pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon). Rotating crops to different parts of the garden helps limit disease development and depleting the soil of nutrients.
Water When Appropriate and Give Plants Space
When it comes to watering plants, know that wet leaves, especially in the afternoon or evening, foster the growth of mildews like powdery or downy mildew. Instead of watering from overhead, use a water-saving soaker hose that delivers water directly to the roots and prevents splashing. Be sure to follow the spacing requirements on seed packets to avoid crowding. Good air flow between the plants can help prevent many types of other fungal diseases as well.
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-Patrick
