subject: Organic Garden Tips And Tricks For Health [print this page] Few things are as satisfying as getting your hands into the earth, planting and nurturing and harvesting the fruits of your labors. Adding to the knowledge that you have used the best possible practices to grow healthy food redoubles your satisfaction. Here are some tips on organic gardening to help you grow a harvest that will bring health to you and your family.
Cut up those organic green tomatoes and freeze them! Fried green tomatoes taste great in the winter months but there are never any to be had. Instead of letting your summer surplus rot on the vine, cut the tomatoes in half inch thick slices, roll them in cornmeal, and place on a cookie sheet to freeze. Later put the frozen tomatoes in a freezer bag to conserve freezer space.
Pull wild morning glory by hand. While some gardeners treat morning glory with a chemical, the best way to remove it is by pulling it out by hand. Start this early in the season, and also try to dig the roots out. Remember that morning glory seeds can remain dormant in the soil for 50 years or more, so never let the plant go to seed. If you do, you will be stuck with an infestation the following year.
When planting a new tree, never cramp roots into a small hole and always spread out the roots of bare-root stock instead of wrapping them around the stem. Make sure you cut away the plastic, twine, or cable wrapped around balled and burlapped trees before planting. Failure to take these precautions can result in "girdling", in which a tree strangles, gradually starves, and dies.
Short, low-lying weeds can be a headache in any organic garden. The best tactic for dealing with such intruders is to use a spade to cut them out at root level and bury them entirely under fresh soil. Dense, crawling weeds are too hard to pick out individually, but fortunately they are easily handled in bulk.
A great way to save time and effort in your organic garden is to put compost straight into the walkways of your beds. By doing this, you will eliminate the need to have to load and drag wheel-barrows full of compost. You will now have extra time to do other things in your garden.
Install a fan to blow on your seeds. Make sure your fan is turned on a very low setting. This light touch will help your plants grow stronger. You can also stroke your plants very lightly with your hand or a piece of paper for a few hours to get the same effect.
Attract positive bugs to your garden. Bugs like lady-bugs actually hunt natural predators to your plants; aphids and caterpillars are just some of the nasty critters that can go through a garden and eat the leaves of the plants. Lady bugs are the natural predators to such pests and help the growth of a good healthy garden by consuming pests.
When dealing with an aphid infestation, even those that are very heavy, you can dilute soap with water and spray your plants. Not only is this method safe for humans, plants, and even those pesky pests, it keeps them off your plants where damage can be made, ruining the beauty of your organic garden.
Integrate low-growing strawberries into your yard's landscape. Instead of setting aside fruit plants in a separate area, choose strawberries, such as alpine varieties, to use a ground cover that doubles as a fruit garden. These spreading, low-growing plants look attractive and grow well in areas that have a lot of sun.
If you are considering starting an organic garden be sure to join a few blogs online. There are thousands of people who have a great deal of experience in the area that can share with you their tips that they have already put to use and know are effective.
These tips should help you plan your organic garden. Follow the best advice and the hopes of spring will be fulfilled in autumn's harvest--with delicious and nourishing meals for you and your family. Nourishing healthy soil, as shown in these tips, can be one of your best investments.
