The marketing machine of the conventional pest and fertilizer companies would have gardeners believe that without chemicals, the garden battle is lost before it even begins. However, there is no hippie voodoo required to grow a productive plot full of organic flowers and vegetables. The basics of natural gardening aren’t sophisticated, and are within reach of every beginning gardener.
Create Garden Soil
Gardeners who have 10 dollars to spend on gardening should spend one dollar on the plants and nine dollars on the planting hole. Amend the soil generously with organic compost. Conduct a soil test to check for pH balance problems, and adjust the acidity or alkalinity accordingly.
Buy Plants for the Site
Wishful thinking won’ t make roses grow in a shady corner of the yard. A Mediterranean herb garden will rot in heavy clay soil. Gardeners who work with their conditions increase their chances for success.
Choose Healthy Plants
A cheap plant isn’t a bargain if it’s foundering in the hot sun in a pot it outgrew three months ago. Check all plant purchases for pest hitchhikers and stress before bringing them home.
Care for Plants
Evenrock gardens or gardens with native plants need routine maintenance; the no-maintenance garden is a myth. Provide a 3-inch layer of organic mulch and replenish it as it decomposes into the soil. Water established plants infrequently but deeply, and consider using a soaker hose. Use organic fertilizers according to package directions; excess fertilizer washes away and can pollute aquifers.
Keep a Garden Journal
Record keeping is informative and motivational. Write down how long seeds take to germinate, when pests appear, the dates of the first and last frosts, and favorite flower and vegetable varieties.
Monitor for Garden Pests Regularly
It’s easier to control a few Japanese beetles with handpicking than it is to stem the tide of the third generation of pests laying eggs. Gardeners can prune away a few diseased leaves, but there isn’t much to be done when an entire plant is defoliated from black spot. Control problems early and often.
Use the Right Organic Pest and Disease Treatment
Some conventional pesticides list a dozen or more insects that gardeners can control using their product. In addition, the product may harm beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, and parasitic wasps. Instead of creating a dead zone in the garden, organic gardeners choose controls that focus on a specific pest infestation. Furthermore, it’s OK to allow a minimal threshold of pest damage in the garden. If all the pests are gone, the ladybugs won’t have a reason to set up house in the garden.
Jamie McIntosh - Jamie has written hundreds of garden articles for the web, and is your guide to Flowers on About.com.
