There are various types of organic gardening products which include fertilizers, mulches, soils and compost. In this particular article, we will discuss about the products available in the market in a detailed manner.

Fertilizers

“John’s recipe” is a mixture of seaweed, medina soil activator, humic acid, and molasses along with emulsified and hydrolyzed fish. This product does not contain any artificial chemicals. The fish products present in the mixture are a nitrogen source ideal for all plants. Seaweed contains trace minerals that promote strong root systems. The medina soil activator stimulates beneficial foliar and soil microbes. Humic acid unlocks the soil minerals, stimulates enzymes and encourages the beneficial microorganisms.

“Flower power” is another all-natural fertilizer which is made from aerobically composted turkey litter, hydrolyzed feather meal and sulfate of potash. It is a great starter fertilizer for plants with higher phosphorus for root development and right amount of nitrogen to keep the plants green and healthy.

Soil amendments

“Glittering greensand” is a natural source of iron and potassium and is used to cure iron chlorosis, improve water retention and build strong roots. It is also used to reduce the stress caused by hot weather.

“Humate” is an important part of healthy garden soil.  It is naturally occurring unaltered oxidized lignite. Adding humate to the soil increases aeration, increases water, mineral and nutrient uptake.

Compost

“Farm style compost” is composed of composted diary manure with wood shavings to provide fine-textured and high quality compost. The compost contains the beneficial microbes for topdressing lawns, preparing the vegetable garden and planting annuals.

The “revitalizer compost” is a blend of humus and manure and it provides a wide variety of beneficial fungal and bacterial microorganisms. The compost is used to enrich and improve the texture of garden soils. It also stimulates the microbial life for natural disease suppression and nutrient availability.

Compost is one of the vital ingredients of the organic gardening. This is a chemical free fertilizer and does not pose any hazards to the human body and nature. Compost is prepared by the various natural microorganisms.

This article is purely based on the facts revealed by the organic gardening magazine. In this particular guide, we will discuss about the tips and tricks that you must know and implement in order to prepare cold weather compost. Cold weather generally slows down the decomposition process but it is possible to maintain warmth inside which indicates that the microbial activity is taking place inside the pile.

Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes are responsible for most of the decomposition activity that occurs in a compost pile. The decomposition process is exothermic which means that heat comes out as a byproduct of the microbial action. In cold weather, the microbial action is decreased and due to this delay occurs in the decomposition of the compost pile. At this time, you should focus on how to create an ideal habitat for the microbes so that they can be able to foster and decompose the compost to organic matter.

You should feed the microbes with their required balanced diet that is a mix of carbon and nitrogen rich materials. The things rich in nitrogen are kitchen scraps, fruit and vegetable peelings, houseplant trimmings etc. You can also add eggshells and domestic waste products such as tattered newspaper etc. The things that are rich in carbon are straw, fallen leaves, sawdust etc. You can also add ashes extracted from the fireplace or woodstove which enhances the calcium, phosphorus and potassium content of the finalized compost.

Layering is one of the important tasks to be performed during the cold weather to maintain the decomposition process. You can just add the ingredients to the compost pile in the warm weather. But in winters, you need to add layers of brown ingredients to the green materials. The layers help in insulating the piles and trap the heat inside.

You must also water the compost pile on a regular basis in the winter because the required moisture is not maintained in the compost pile due to winter winds and low humidity.

There are a lot of organic gardening books that are available online from where you can learn the various aspects of gardening. The first thing to consider in this context is to plant wisely. You must choose the plants by keeping variouthings in consideration such as climate, soil type, soil moisture etc.

In organic gardening, when faced with pest problems; chemical pesticides are not used. Organic gardeners always opt for the least toxic, least environmentally disruptive solutions. They always strive to create healthy and balanced ecosystems. In this type of gardening, integrated pest management technique is used which combines biological, cultural, physical and chemical strategies to control pests.

Another important step that is conducted in the organic gardening is managing the nutrients. Plants need nutrients to grow and flourish and the best way to feed plants is to feed the soil. Various organic matters such as compost are added which provides food and a hospitable environment to the various soil dwellers such as fungi, bacteria, earthworms etc.

Now let’s discuss the reasons as why to opt for organic gardening. It has been shown from the various studies that organically grown foods have higher nutrient levels than their conventionally grown counterparts.

Most of the synthetic pesticides used belong to a group of chemical compounds called organophosphates. They are used to control insect pests on fruits and vegetables. They work by interfering with the nervous systems of the pests. But these chemicals are also found to affect the nervous system of animals and human beings. But, organic farming makes use of nontoxic techniques such as row covers and repellents to manage pests.

Fertilizers also pose an additional threat. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers from lawns, farms and gardens wash into the streams and lakes and contribute to excess algae growth. Maximized growth of algae depletes the oxygen in water, which kills fish and suffocates the native plant species. Organic gardening eliminates these types of risk factors.

This organic gardening blog will teach you all the basics of designing a beautiful vegetable garden. The first step that you need to take is to plan the design to be implemented in gardening. You can think of the idea of growing vegetables in a decorative, multiple parterre experience within a fenced or walled space. You can picture an octagonal garden or a square one with semicircular island beds. You can also think of design such as the garden divided into pie-wedged beds or even a quartet of rooms.

After you have decided the design, now it’s time to think about the bedding plans. You can implement the dual concepts of raised and multiple bedding plans as per the design of the garden. It has been found that the raised beds heat up faster in the spring. Raised beds also allows for the easy soil improvement. It is recommended to build up a bed of 12 to 18 inches so that you can fill it with an ideal mix of topsoil. Your beds must also be restricted to a breadth of 4 to 5 feet and should be separated by paths. This allows you to reach in the middle of each bed without compacting the soil and crushing plants underfoot.

Now that you have prepared the pattern of multiple raised beds, it’s time to select from different kinds of vegetables. You can grow a large variety of vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, beets, lettuces, kales, cabbages, beans, okra, squashes and melons etc.

You can also customize your kitchen garden to give it a new look. You can frame the land by using stone or brick to enclose the planting areas. You can also combine vegetables with flowers, herbs and shrubs. You can also build a eye-catching structure out of bamboo.

The organic gardens are not free from pests and the problem is of the same magnitude as the traditional gardens. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of gardening and anyone who is not habituated in tackling this problem would find it really difficult to combat. There is not one pest that can attack your organic garden and destroy the plants. The pest control measures used in a conventional garden is quite different from the organic garden pest control. In the conventional gardens people tend to use strong chemicals to get rid of the pests but the same cannot be done in the organic garden.

Strong chemicals are effective in killing the pests but would also kill the other plants. Chemicals are not good if you have a small garden in your balcony ir backyard. But does that mean that you do not have any way o getting rid of the pests in a natural and safe manner? Well, yes we do have a more natural and better way of getting rid of organic garden pest control.

Manual removal: This is one of the safest as well as the easiest process to get rid of the pests. You would need to go to your garden at least twice daily and pick out the bugs with your hands. I know it sounds a little crazy but it can prevent your other plants from getting infected by the pests. In order to kill the bugs you can pick them out from the leaves or body of your plants and put in soap water. Well, this is an organic garden pest control method where you would not be required to spend any money not do you have to worry about the negative effect of using strong chemicals.

Use the good bugs: It is better to use the good bugs that would eat away the bad ones! Yes, there are many good bugs that can act as your natural organic garden pest control. For instance the use of ladybugs can be very effective in reducing the aphids as they love to feed on them. You can use the Lacewings as well as the praying mantis to kill the bugs that are a threat to your organic garden. You can either get these pests from your neighbor’s garden or you can even purchase it from the market.

Organic sprays: There are also a lot of organic chemicals that are very effective in getting rid of the bugs. You can even use soap water to kill the bugs. Yes, soap water is also very effective and kills the bugs instantly. What you can do is use natural soap and water solution and then spray the same on the plants.

Scary plants: This is another natural but effective process of warding off those evil bugs. Planting a few scary plants like Marigold, Lavender and onions would act as a deterrent in the growth of bugs and would even help in killing them.
Well, use all the above methods to get rid of the bugs permanently and see your organic garden flourish.

Organic container gardening is a great way to fulfill your dreams of owning a garden where you can grow your own vegetables and plants of choice. Though this may sound a little strange to people who are familiar with gardening in the backyard but it is one of the most popular ways of growing vegetables nowadays. The world is shrinking and people are jostling for space, so how can we afford the luxury of having an open garden? Simple, by opting for organic container gardening! This is a unique concept wherein plants are grown in containers that can be placed almost anywhere in your house.

The best thing about organic container gardening is that it is even easier that the pot organic gardening. But before you move ahead to create your own organic container garden, you should be aware of the essentials. Let us have a look at the things that you would require to crate an organic garden of your choice:

1)Containers are the most important part of organic container gardening because you would have to take care of the type of containers where you would grow your vegetables and plants. There are a lot of people who opt for the wrong containers and end up making a mess out of their gardening endeavor. You would need to choose the containers that do not fall apart. You would also look into the fact that the containers are large enough to accommodate the growing roots of the plants and also the container should have a proper drainage.

You can use containers made out of many day to day equipments like buckets, plastic carton, wheelbarrow etc. You can even use the wooden pots or the plastic pots too. Once you get the plants in the containers, it is time that you put them at a place where the plants would get optimum light and air.

2)The other most important thing that would be required for your organic container gardening is soil. You would have to take a soil that contains a mix of peat and sphagnum. You need to keep in mind that regular use of compost in the soil would keep the soil filled with nutrients.

3)In order to grow organic plants you would have to use organic plants or seeds in the containers. It is better to use the draught resistant plants and avoid over watering the plants. Now, you do not want to see your plants wilting just because of lack of water or over-watering.

4)People feel that collecting or making the compost is the toughest part of gardening but this is obviously not when you are opting for organic container gardening. Anything that is not produced or manufactured chemically can be used as compost. Use the natural wastes like grass, flowers, animal manure, leaves etc.
Thus, if you are interested in giving shape to one of the most creative gardens then you need to opt for the organic container gardening. So even if you do not have a big garden, still you can give shape to your green dreams with organic container gardening.

Sheet mulching is an organic gardening method where you plant on top of the ground already there, it is a form of no-dig gardening. This method is great for areas that are hard to dig, because of excessive rocks or just bad soil, whatever the case may be in your organic gardening endeavor. This method also reduces some labor, and maintenance for your organic garden. Some more benefits are increased water storage, improves soil, prevents erosion, as said before makes it possible to create an organic garden where you probably could not have before. So as you see there are many reasons to use this organic gardening method, you can also do it if you’re just lazy and do not feel like preparing the ground, as I said before, less labor, and hey, less labor is not so bad, there is always next year, right?

So, let us get started, there is no need to remove any of the sod or rock, or do any excessive work, just leave your organic garden area as is, weeds and all. Mark the area for your organic garden using a water hose, this will aid us in the next step, if you already have your area boxed in, or however you have it setup, just spray the area, no need to fully saturate it, we just want to get it moist for now. We have talked before about using newspaper as an organic weed control, this is our next step, you want to cover the area in wet newspaper, cardboard, or another organic paper-based product. What a way to self recycle that newspaper! Remember to overlap the edges with multiple sheets. Now you want a one to two inch layer of peat moss, or some type of substitute, or another type of organic moisture holding materials. Alternate layers of compost and your peat moss material, and compost or other organic materials, whichever your organic gardening methods call for. You should regularly increase soil levels by adding large amounts of compost and other organic materials to your garden. Now that you’re done with that, water it evenly, to the consistency of a damp sponge, and you are good to go.

Now we will go on for a more explained soil preparation before you start your garden, leaning away from the composting methods we have already discussed. Ideal soil for an organic vegetable garden is deep, well draining, friable, with high organic matter content, which is usually accomplished with proper organic garden composting that you will mix in with your soil. Proper soil preparation provides a good base and is almost essential for good seed germination and of course the subsequent growth of your organic garden crops. You also want to check your pH, and make sure it will be within bounds for whichever crops you will have in your organic garden, remember to choose your inter crops wisely to keep these well within one another’s range. If your pH is not within range, lime and sulfur are common soil amendments to change the soil’s pH. The correct soil pH is essential for optimal growth in your organic garden.

Tilling your soil is a good idea, but turning over the soil can cause issues, like soil compaction, and upset the micro biological balance, we do not want that, as those are essential for a great healthy organic garden. If you are having a hard time getting the right consistency after mixing your soil and compost, things like perlite and sand are options, however sometimes it can take a lot to improve the conditions, proper composting for your type of soil and area should take care of any issues, which is why you should always do your research and properly compost, and soil mix for your organic garden.

Well, in the USA fall is here and the temperatures are lowering, winter is on its way. This is the best time to investigate next years organic garden crop, what other techniques you may want to use, what and where you want to get your seeds, or if you are a beginner, all of the above plus the basics of organic gardening. Of course a lot of you have your methods down, and know what you want and or like to grow in your organic garden, but it is always good to learn new things, and tricks others come up with year after year for organic gardens. As for organic gardening seeds, most of the seeds in popular stores are breed for commercial growing, which sacrifices taste and diversity. You will be better off finding a good organic garden seed source by searching the web. Soil preparation is big one in organic gardening, there are lots of sources out there, and many here about soil preparation and what you want in the quality of your soil in your organic garden, winter is the time to do you research and see what is best for your crop, and your area. Being that it is fall, it’s a great time to start your compost piles, with all the dead leaves your raking, the grass clippings you have accumulated from the year and the precious last few lawn cuts before that cold weather stops grass growth.

A good tip for some of those last few lawn cuttings is covering your organic garden bed with it, this will help to prevent weeds early spring, before planting, not to mention help enrich the soil also. There are articles here about organic garden composting and we will also have an article coming up about smaller scale organic garden composting for those of us that do not need much, reference them along with your research to see what type of compost you want for your organic garden, and what kind of consistency you want. As for a summary, use your winter to plan your organic garden to be the best it can be, so you can enjoy your lovely and very tasty organic vegetables!

This is a debate like many others: Whether organic gardening is better than using chemicals. There is much debate about taste, and quality when it comes to synthetic or organic gardening, the debate will probably continue forever, but there is a few things to look at. Synthetic gardening, you could say makes things “easier”, but in the long run you have to weigh two things “risk and benefit”, does the benefits of using synthetics outweigh the risks? When I say risks, I include possible pesticide poisoning, the taste of your foods which is very important of course, natural ability to fight off pests and other harmful things like bacteria, among other things. There are studies done by people like yourselves to test these theories. To test the benefits of organic gardening, an organic gardening lover did an experiment, a side by side comparison. Two beds, completely identical to start, one for organic garden fertilizers, and one for synthetic fertilizers. Now for this experiment no pesticides were used in either the organic garden of the synthetic garden, to keep some simplicity. Instead pest were controlled by hand, or with a hose. Spraying down plants with a hose helps by washing the pests of the plants in your organic garden, or any garden, be sure to try and spray under the leaves also, but not with such a blast you will damage your organic garden, or other gardens. So, in the organic garden, only organic fertilizers were used, of course, and in the synthetic garden, a popular known blue synthetic fertilizer was used. Both were planted from the seed of the same stock and quality. It was reported the the non organic garden had an initial burst of growth, but seemed to attract aphids, and ants. The organic garden however, soon caught up and and surpassed the synthetic garden, and seemed to have fewer pest problems! Going back to what I said earlier about having a stronger resistance to pests. Another issue that arose is, the pH in the synthetic bed increased, and had to be adjusted. In the end, the organic garden harvested more quantity, and quality vegetables than the synthetic.