There's something that has pretty much freaked me out since our family started growing our own vegetables. It's how so much of the produce we buy at the grocery store has been exposed to things I don't want in my mouth, my kids mouths, or in our bodies. I won't go into a lot of detail because I'm not here to advocate for or against anyone's way of life. But I do want to share some tips with you on keeping your own organinc vegetable garden.
1. Organic Soil.
Like most things, a healthy vegetable garden needs a strong foundation. If you're growing your vegetable plants directly in the ground, you'll want to add around two inches of organic matter to your soil. This could include compost, coir, grass cuttings, straw, aged manure, and natural mulches made of leaves or bark. If you're growing your vegetable garden in raised beds, fill it with a ratio of 1 measurement of compost for every two measurements of top soil (1:2).
2. Organic Plants and Seeds.
When it's time to fill your garden with vegetables, you'll decide whether you're going to grow them from seeds, buy them from a local plant supplier, or do a little bit of both. If you want a truly organic garden, you'll want to choose organic vegetable seeds to pop into your raised beds or ground garden. Organic seeds are harvested from vegetable plants that were treated organically. Some will say that buying organic seeds has only the tiniest fraction of a difference compared to non-organic seeds because the organic seeds are barely exposed to any chemicals or pesticides. I'll let you be the judge of your seed choice, but I like buying organic even because it supports organic farming operations. If you're buying already started vegetable plants, you'll want to be more picky and ensure that the plants you buy have been cared for organically. You can find vegetable starts at you local nurseries and some department stores.
3. Organic Fertilizers.
When it comes time to give your veggies an extra boost of nutrients, you'll want to make sure you're using organic fertilizers. You can buy fertilizers like fish emulsion, seaweed fertilizer, bone meal, and blood meal. You can also use natural waste from around your home like egg shells, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps, leaves, and coffee grounds. You can learn about the different nutrients each of these gives and what plants they will benefit most. Then give your garden a healthy dose of nutrients!
4. Organic Pest Control.
Controlling pests is the number one reason farmers use strong chemicals. They have acres and acres of produce they're trying to protect and not a lot of time to waste. Growing your own vegetable garden allows you to have better control over pests because your space is small and easier managed. Companion planting is one of my favorite methods of pest control. By planting flowers and strong smelling herbs and vegetables throughout the garden. Calendula and cosmos deter aphids from your vegetable plants, marigolds repel nematodes, sweet alyssum attracts warrior bugs that protect your garden. Lavender, chamomile, borage, garlic, onions, and radishes also naturally repel pests that will want to snack on your hard work. Another simple method you can use is to drape mosquito or insect netting over your garden to keep bugs out.
Incorporating these four organic vegetable gardening tips into your gardening practices doesn't take much. But the reward of taking your clean harvest and sharing it with your family will bring a sense of joy and accomplishment to your gardener heart.
What are your favorite organic gardening methods? Share them below!
Happy growing! :)
