It doesn't take a rocket scientist to plant
vegetables. But if you want to do this the old fashioned way which has
been proven to be very effective, you should know the organic vegetable
gardening basics.
The first thing you have to know is what is
organic vegetable gardening? It is simply a way of farming that does
not use any synthetic products which includes fertilizers and
pesticides. In short, you work with nature to get what you want.
When
choosing the right vegetable to plant is knowing which of these are
suitable to the soil and the climate. If you live in an area that
experiences droughts, buy those that do not consume that much water.
Before you drop seeds into the soil, make sure the land is ready by tilling the land so it is clear both of rocks and weeds.
The
next step will be to add compost, bone meal or rock phosphate and
greensand to the soil to supply it with nitrogen, phosphorous and
potassium. If the pH level of the soil is too high, add lime or sulphur
to adjust it.
One more thing you have to do before planting the
seeds is putting in organic fertilizer. You can use recycled leaves,
grass clippings, coffee grounds, eggshells and kitchen waste which
should be applied a month before planting begins.
Then it is time
to plant the seeds. Each seed must be spaced by a certain distance the
roots do not fight for water. In between each of the vegetables, you
can plant other things as well because the tighter the space, the
lesser the chances that weeds will grow.
Pests are the biggest
threat to your organic garden. To fight them, you can use birds, frogs
or other insects. You don't have these creatures to fend off other
insects. You simply have to create the ideal environment by putting a
bird house or a small pond. Once they are in place, they will do the
rest by patrolling your garden and eating those who seek to eat your
crops.
Putting up a few barriers can also help. Row covers are
known to prevent moths from landing and laying eggs. You can also use
sticky traps and foil collars to stop pests and borers.
There are
also organic pesticides around but some of them can only kill one or
two kinds of pests. So before you buy them, make sure you know what you
are dealing with.
Crop rotation is the best way to preserve the
fertility of the soil. This is done after you harvest the vegetables so
it is ready for planting once again. For this to work, you have to
plant in the same area a different vegetable.
Anyone can learn
organic vegetable gardening basics and soon have their own little farm
in their backyard. It is fresh and you can pick this anytime you want
which is very convenient as these are only a few feet from your home.
Should
everyone get into organic vegetable gardening? Perhaps because there is
a food shortage right now and most of the vegetables imported do not
use this technique. The government for its part has given incentives to
farmers here to shift to this method but its going to take more effort
to persuade countries that do business with the US to do the same thing.