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Organic Soil
Organic gardening begins with your soil.
Healthy soil breeds healthy plants which can fend off
weeds, pests and diseases without chemical treatment.
Have your soil tested in early spring; home testing kits
are also available at most garden supply centers. These
tests will tell you where your soil is deficient and what
organic ingredients your lawn needs.
Composting
Compost, made from rotted organic material, is the best
all around soil conditioner available. It improves the
physical and biological condition of the soil, providing
beneficial micro-organisms, excellent drainage and both
major and minor plant nutrients. Click
here for natural composting tips and ideas.
Digging
Use a shovel or hoe to turn over and break up soil. Digging
is an
important part of conditioning your soil:
• It allows roots to reach deep, unimpeded by stones
and clumps of hard earth.
• It adds to good drainage and air circulation in
the soil.
• It works compost and other organic material into
the soil.
• Digging discourages harmful root feeding insects.
Companion Planting
Companion planting is the cornerstone of organic gardening.
There are many plants that repel insects and provide natural
protection for other plants that are susceptible. For
example: french marigolds repel certain insects that are
attracted to tomatoes and potatoes. You should plant them
throughout your garden.
• Interplant potatoes and collards to reduce flea
beetle damage.
• Garlic repels the larvae of many harmful insects
and can be planted with anything else except onions.
• Onions repel many species of insects and should
be dispersed throughout the garden.
• But some plants are bad for each other too. Avoid
planting broccoli and cauliflower close to each other
as well as other varieties of plants that are closely
related.
Natural Ways to Rid Pests
• Companion planting is the practice of placing
plants which pests dislike around those plants which
pests relish. For instance, aphides hate chives, so
chives are a great companion plant for roses.
• Hand Picking is time-consuming but unbeatable.
Use gloves and remove all visible offending pests.
• Put a cone of birdseed in your garden. Birds
are much more efficient than people at killing bugs.
Flickers, warblers, finches, jays, robins, grackles,
sparrows, cedar waxwings, starlings and many other birds
will consume thousands of insects every day.
• You can also plant flowers that attract birds:
pincherry, white flowering dogwood, honeysuckle, holly,
white pine, Russian olive, sunflowers, marigolds, or
ask your local nursery for other examples. The birds
will come for the berries and seeds, but they’ll
stay for the bugs.
Click
here for some environmentally friendly organic pesticide
recipes!
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