The Organic Vegetable Gardening Way
Planning ahead, making the right choices, dedication, and constant care are basic traits needed for organic vegetable gardening. There are other elements involve, of course, such as garden locations, plant types, the amount of sunlight, and the richness of the soil to achieve a bountiful harvest from your organic vegetable garden.
Just like what they say in the movies, it's all about location, location and location. The same goes with vegetable gardening. When choosing a place to plant your vegetables it would be advantageous to your crops to be planted in well-drained soil and if possible near a good water source. You may also want to invest on a perimeter fence for your garden. You never know, some animals might be prowling about or some mischievous kids. Both can easily decimate a garden that you've been laboring for months.
After choosing a location, you should also by now have a general idea on how to plant your crops. How many rows of vegetables on which plot and the series of crops to be planted are often involve when we talk about designs of your vegetable garden.
Composting is an important aspect of any organic garden. This is a good reason as any to create your own compost pile. Ideally a compost pile should occupy an area of about 10 square feet. Don't allow the compost to pile up that high. It would be to your convenience to maintain the pile between 3 to 5 feet high. Make sure that you leave the top flat with a small catch basin on the middle for adding water or rain into the compost pile.
To add the compost into the soil, you can either work it into the soil or use it as a mulch and spread it on the surface. The first method would provide sustenance to your vegetables plus a good, mature compost will lessen weed problems. As a mulch, the nutrients will eventually be integrated into the soil providing nutrients along the way.
In any gardens, especially in organic ones, disease control and pest management are always issues. At times, the problems might be too much that you see yourself inching towards the chemical insecticide or weed killer in your shed. You better throw that can of chemical stuff away, you're not supposed to have that in the first place if you're going organic. There are natural and safe ways for you to solve weed and pest problems so relax.
To avoid diseases it would be great to check the seeds from the start. Get vegetables from resistant variety strains or seeds from disease-free plants. While other organic farmers resort to sprays or solutions which are 100% of natural and friendly to the environment other would fight fire with fire or in this case, insects with insects. Organic growers usually practice introducing natural predators into their gardens to help control pests.
If you still find these ineffective, try using the low tech but very effective method: use your hands. You can pick off the pests in your vegetable garden. You only have a problem if you have a big garden.
Organic vegetable gardening brings a lot of satisfaction. The fresh air, the sunshine, and the experience alone are really worthwhile. And this does not include the fresh vegetables you can get from your harvest.
