Going Organic In Your Garden
A Beginner's Guide

By Allison Kerr

So, you're interested in going organic in your garden. If so, you're probably wondering where to start. You've come to the right place.

Here you’ll find a quick guide to going organic in your garden. Gardening organically is really about working with nature, rather than against it - it isn’t hard, but, as with most new things, it takes a little time and effort to make the switch. By using organic methods in your garden you will be doing your part to green the Earth - reducing the need for chemicals, growing healthier food for your family, and making use of natural processes.

How to Go Organic in the Garden

Start small - pick one area of your garden to go organic with. Here I'm using vegetable gardening to explain the principles of organic gardening; the steps are similar whichever part of your garden you choose.

Step 1 - Pick the Right Plants

Let's say you love grapes, you might think they'd be great to grow in your garden. Stop! You can waste a lot of money, water, fertilizers and chemicals trying to grow the wrong kinds of plants in your garden.

Impulse buying at WalMart or Costco is not the way to go - do some research before deciding what to plant.

Good places to research the best vegetables for your area include: local, professional garden centers; regional seed catalogs; county extension offices; and gardeners and gardening organizations in your area.

One great way to learn about which fruits and vegetables to grow is to talk to farmers at your local farmers' market.

Step 2 - Prepare Your Soil

Soil is what makes your vegetables grow, but not just any soil. You might be dealing with compaction, mineral imbalances, acidity, or alkalinity. What you want is aerated and balanced soil for good vegetable growth.

County extension offices usually offer soil testing and they'll give you a plan for any amendments you need to add - ask them to recommend organic amendments. Existing soil can be successfully aerated by hand with a spade and fork, or by machine using a roto-tiller.

You can plant into the soil as is, or build a new bed on top – a raised bed – bringing in quality topsoil. Raised beds are a popular way to go.

Going organic doesn't have to be hard work: for less back-breaking work you might be interested in no-dig gardening (a way to garden without the need for tilling).

Step 3 - Compost and Mulch

When it comes to vegetable growing, going organic means you'll need an almost unending supply of compost and mulch.

Compost brings you healthy soil - worms, which feed on compost, have been shown to have amazing impacts on crop success.

Mulch, a protective covering spread on the soil surface, reduces the need for water and buffers plants from heat.

Compost and straw are the most common mulches to use on vegetable beds. Straw needs some know-how though if you don't want a lot of weeds.

Step 4 - Nature is Your Best Pest Control

The above 3 steps will make pest and disease problems a lot less likely.

• Choosing disease-resistant plants, companion planting, and avoiding problem plants for your area mean diseases are less likely.
• Healthy, balanced, aerated, soil leads to healthy plants.
• Compost supports worms and a diverse soil fauna which reduces disease likelihood.

When problems do arise, biological controls are the best place to look for treatment. Simple methods work too - some bugs, such as caterpillars on cabbage plants, can be simply removed by hand.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Going organic won't be perfect - gardening is science and requires some experimentation as part of the learning process.

Organic gardening is also an art and takes time to learn. Each year you'll learn something new. There's no better way to connect with nature than in the garden.

Welcome to organic gardening. Enjoy the adventure!

Alison Kerr used to publish a blog about organic gardening full of inspiration, advice, encouragement, information and reviews.

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