I was really surprised when I got into growing vegetables organically and found out the plant world behaves very much like the animal world. With organic gardening, it is referred to as organic companion planting. There are many benefits to organic companion planting. Two examples are: certain plants protect each other and enhance the taste of other. But it can also be bad to pair certain plants, and these are the pairing to really watch out for.
Marigolds are a good example of a plant that will help protect your garden. The scent of these flowers are so strong that it actually detours certain pests from the area. You should plant them around the borders, as well as various places within the garden. Certain other plants produce natural pesticides.
Other plants help each other. Corn provides something for climbing beans and peas to climb. Pumpkin goes well under corn because the shade the corn will provide protects the plants. In addition, certain plants should not be planted together. For example, tomatoes and cabbage attract the same pest. You can find more information specific to organic companion planting here.
There are many different do and don't s to organic gardening. If you are a beginner to organic gardening, two books I recommend are My Organic Food Garden and Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. Good luck and have a great gardening year!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Organic Gardening Pesticide
One of the things that differentiates growing vegetables organically from non-organic gardening is the use of chemicals in the maintenance of the garden. Organic gardening pesticide differs from regular pesticides. Organic pesticides are made from plant or animal materials, while non-organic pesticide is made from minerals. Some organic gardeners prefer to make their own, other prefer to buy their own organic gardening pesticide.
There are several method one can go about to make their own pesticide. Making these involve using some kind of organic matter. These can be derived from things like tobacco, chilies, or even other bugs! Most gardeners who make their own do it simply because they do not trust the corporations who may skimp on the recipe. Organic gardeners are very proud gardeners.
Most of the man made pesticides are approved by the EPA, and are specifically made for growing vegetables organically. If you are looking at pesticides and trying to figure out if it is organic gardening approved, check for the EPA seal of approval. If you do not see it, you can also can also see what ingredients are in the pesticide to determine if it is organic or not. This is another article I have written on organic gardening pesticide.
The topic of pesticide is an area where many organic gardeners draw hard-and-fast lines. If you are new to organic gardening and need more information, two books that I recommend are My Organic Food Garden, and Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. A recommended book for Organic Gardening Pesticide is Organic Pest Control Secrets: Get Rid of Pests Without Chemicals.
There are several method one can go about to make their own pesticide. Making these involve using some kind of organic matter. These can be derived from things like tobacco, chilies, or even other bugs! Most gardeners who make their own do it simply because they do not trust the corporations who may skimp on the recipe. Organic gardeners are very proud gardeners.
Most of the man made pesticides are approved by the EPA, and are specifically made for growing vegetables organically. If you are looking at pesticides and trying to figure out if it is organic gardening approved, check for the EPA seal of approval. If you do not see it, you can also can also see what ingredients are in the pesticide to determine if it is organic or not. This is another article I have written on organic gardening pesticide.
The topic of pesticide is an area where many organic gardeners draw hard-and-fast lines. If you are new to organic gardening and need more information, two books that I recommend are My Organic Food Garden, and Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. A recommended book for Organic Gardening Pesticide is Organic Pest Control Secrets: Get Rid of Pests Without Chemicals.
Beneficial Garden Insects
Most people view insects as pests. But for growing vegetables organically, some of them are our best friends. Beneficial garden insects are are the ones that are helpful in a garden They help to keep the garden from being overrun with other pests. It is important to us, as gardeners, to recognize our beneficial garden insects and make them feel welcome in our garden.
You should provide alternate sources of food for the beneficial garden insects. While these types of insects do like to eat pests, they also realize the importance of the balance of the bug ecosystem. It's amazing how they do that. They know that if they were to kill all of the prey, there would be no reproduction, thus there would be nothing to eat. A good source of alternative food for beneficials are plants that produce nectar and pollen.
You should also provide them something to drink with there food as well. Place a few small bowls of water around the garden area, or perhaps a birdbath. Change the water every 2-3 days in order to keep mosquitoes away.
Be sure to have shelter for these insects as well. This is where flower beds have a dual role. Not only can the beneficials use this supply of food, they can also use these beds as shelter. Another alternative is to place rocks within the garden or around the borders. You can also get information about beneficial garden insects here.
Examples of beneficial garden insects are ladybugs, bees, and praying mantis. These insects will help you have a healthy garden. They will also save you money on other types of organic pesticides. If you are just beginning with organic gardening, two books I recommend are My Organic Food Garden and Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. Happy gardening!
You should provide alternate sources of food for the beneficial garden insects. While these types of insects do like to eat pests, they also realize the importance of the balance of the bug ecosystem. It's amazing how they do that. They know that if they were to kill all of the prey, there would be no reproduction, thus there would be nothing to eat. A good source of alternative food for beneficials are plants that produce nectar and pollen.
You should also provide them something to drink with there food as well. Place a few small bowls of water around the garden area, or perhaps a birdbath. Change the water every 2-3 days in order to keep mosquitoes away.
Be sure to have shelter for these insects as well. This is where flower beds have a dual role. Not only can the beneficials use this supply of food, they can also use these beds as shelter. Another alternative is to place rocks within the garden or around the borders. You can also get information about beneficial garden insects here.
Examples of beneficial garden insects are ladybugs, bees, and praying mantis. These insects will help you have a healthy garden. They will also save you money on other types of organic pesticides. If you are just beginning with organic gardening, two books I recommend are My Organic Food Garden and Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. Happy gardening!
Growing Vegetables Organically
Many people these days are worried about the consumption of harmful toxins in the foods they eat. Growing vegetables organically is one such way of doing this. There are many benefits to growing vegetables organically.
The first benefit to growing vegetables organically is the time you will save. With a properly planned organic garden, you will not have to put as much work into the garden. You will also save money. You will save money on your grocery bills, because you have grown your own vegetables in bulk. Most importantly, you will be healthier. Fresh vegetables will be healthier and contain more nutrients. Vegetables that you find in stores could be no telling how old, and are often treated with different types of chemicals in order to preserve them. The older a vegetable gets, the more nutrients it loses through water loss.
The most important aspect of any type of gardening goes into the planning. In depth, information can be found here: Growing Vegetables Organically: It's All About Planning. Planning is one of the most important aspects of any task that I do. Without any plan of action, I can lose sight of what I am doing, or worse, not take any action at all. Choosing the location, getting the soil tested, and working the soil are all important tasks before the first seed is ever planted.
Gardening is about creativity and expression. Serious gardeners really take pride in the appearance of their gardens and the types of vegetables produced. If you are just beginning with organic gardening, the best resources I know are The Organic Food Gardening Beginner's Manual and My Organic Food Garden. Being healthy can mean being happy!
The first benefit to growing vegetables organically is the time you will save. With a properly planned organic garden, you will not have to put as much work into the garden. You will also save money. You will save money on your grocery bills, because you have grown your own vegetables in bulk. Most importantly, you will be healthier. Fresh vegetables will be healthier and contain more nutrients. Vegetables that you find in stores could be no telling how old, and are often treated with different types of chemicals in order to preserve them. The older a vegetable gets, the more nutrients it loses through water loss.
The most important aspect of any type of gardening goes into the planning. In depth, information can be found here: Growing Vegetables Organically: It's All About Planning. Planning is one of the most important aspects of any task that I do. Without any plan of action, I can lose sight of what I am doing, or worse, not take any action at all. Choosing the location, getting the soil tested, and working the soil are all important tasks before the first seed is ever planted.
Gardening is about creativity and expression. Serious gardeners really take pride in the appearance of their gardens and the types of vegetables produced. If you are just beginning with organic gardening, the best resources I know are The Organic Food Gardening Beginner's Manual and My Organic Food Garden. Being healthy can mean being happy!
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