Starting an organic vegetable garden: Worldwide, organic gardening has grown from an eco-friendly, ecologically balanced hobby into a regular source of fruits and vegetables. Families and whole communities use organic gardening to utilize natural substances and friendly predators while banning the use of man-made chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Starting an organic vegetable garden can provide inexpensive, nutritious and healthy produce for families and communities at a reduced cost.

Why Starting an Organic Vegetable Garden

Starting an organic vegetable garden is an outstanding way to give back to our planet by making conscious choices about which products to buy and use on our plants and soil with the added benefit of providing chemical free healthy, nutritious vegetables. Starting an organic vegetable garden is relatively easy but being sure to purchase organic items and resolve garden problems in natural ways.

Starting an organic vegetable garden requires some gardening tools, a section of yard (or for community gardens a disused/vacant city lot), organic seeds, water, organic pest control and regular weeding.

Preparing your garden location for Starting an Organic Vegetable Garden

Choose your garden site with-in the space you have available. Well planned organic gardens need ample amounts of natural sunlight, good water drainage, nutrient rich soil and a source of water or irrigation system.

Good soil should clump when you squeeze it but fall apart once you let go. If soil quality is an issue you can still garden there. Remove the top layer of grass or sod and turn the soil to loosen the ground for seeds and seedlings. If necessary, add organic garden soil or other additives such as peat or loam.

Choosing plants and seeds

Starting an organic vegetable garden with organic seeds is a natural choice. Organic seeds are available at big chain stores but can be found at your local nursery or online from burpee or ferry morse. Local greenhouses may possibly offer organically started seedlings. Research the vegetables you choose to grow and the space required to maintain them. Some plants are willing to climb upward while others want to spread out over the garden.

Routine care and maintenance after Starting an Organic Vegetable Garden

Check your plants daily to see how they are growing and what may be feeding on them. At the first sign of insects, fungus or disease treat the infected plant with organic pesticides and fungicides. Two-in-one and three-in-one organic products such as garden safe fungicide3 are available at most garden centers, protect against more than one threat and are easy to apply.

Another option is companion planting where some plants help ward off pests by mixing strong scents with the attractive scents of vegetables. For example, marigolds near tomatoes keep nematodes and beetles away.

You can also try using natural predators to your advantage. Aphids’ taking over your peppers is solved by placing ladybugs on the plant. In a couple days you’ll find fewer aphids and the lady bugs still there. Monitoring the progress of your garden also ensures you know when your vegetables are ready to harvest and helps in planning your garden’s performance for next year. So it is now time for starting an organic vegetable garden!

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