Tag: Pests

Organic Herb Gardening Is Something You Need For The Kitchen

Organic Herb Gardening Is Something You Need For The Kitchen

Do you use a lot of herbs and spices whenever you are cooking? If you do, perhaps instead of buying these from the grocery, you can get this for free by making your own organic herb garden. In fact, it is so easy to do that even kids can get into it.

So what kind of herbs should you plant? Since they are going to be used for cooking, why not go for herbs that are either Italian or Thai. These herbs are called culinary herbs. Other examples that you can plant for cooking later on include basil, bay leaves, chives, dill, marjoram, oregano and parsley.

Chances are you would like to start from the very beginning which means you have to buy herb seeds. These are sold in packs and it is best to read the instructions before opening them.

Some organic herb seeds can be sown directly to the soil while others have to be raised in seedbeds. Best of all, you do not have to worry that much about pests because they are not that frequent when compared to planting fruits or vegetables.

One herb plant that you should avoid mixing with others is mint because it acts just like a weed and has the tendency to kill the rest. But since you need it, it is best to grow it in a pot so it does not harm your other crops.

Organic herb gardening is not different to organic farming because similar techniques are used to make them grow. The first step is to find the right location that offers adequate sunlight and drainage. Also, check on the soil conditions because what you have in your backyard may not be suitable for it.

When the soil is ready for planting, the rest of the work is easy since you just have to monitor their progress daily. You should also use compost bins so you produce your own organic fertilizer that can be applied to the garden.

Aside from making an organic herb garden outdoors, you can also do the same indoors so it is much closer to the kitchen. Instead of planting these on the ground, you will have to buy organic containers. These can be made from clay, plastic or wood. The important thing is that it provides excellent drainage and good air circulation.

When you use pots for your organic herbs, do not use soil but a mixture of peat, perlite and vermiculite. They need to be watered regularly so make sure it is moist and not damp. Since they also need sufficient sunlight, you can place these outdoors and then bring them back in when it is too cold or put these in the western or southern windows of the home.

Regardless if your herbs are grown indoor or outdoor, you still have to deal with pests and weeds. You can pick them off by hand or get other insects to do your dirty work. Mulch is another solution and you should apply at least 3 to 4 inches or 8 to 10 cm in order for it to be effective.

Herb gardening is a lot of fun since it can be used for other things aside from culinary like for cosmetic, craft, household or medicinal purposes. But if you are into cooking, then organic herb gardening is good for the kitchen.

Organic Gardening At Home

Organic gardening at home is not that different from what they do in the farm. This is because the same techniques are used to make your choice of plants and vegetables grow even if you have a smaller area to work with.

The first thing you have to do is choose the location. It is important that it gets at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday and it has access to water. You should also check if the spot has good drainage otherwise you will have to build a raised bed garden instead.

When the location has been found, it is time to prepare the land. This is the time you bring out your gardening tools and gloves so can get rid of weeds that are present. All debris must also be removed so do this for a few days to make sure the area is secure.

The moment of truth will come when you test the soil. For that, you will need some compost from the store and then mix it with the soil. If it is able to integrate and stabilize itself, then you can begin planting your crops in the next 2 to 4 weeks. During such time, you can already add fertilizers into the soil to make sure that the nutrients hold.

The fun part is when you put in the seeds. Dont forget to start your own compost pile at the same time by using coffee grounds, dead leaves, grass clippings, manure and vegetable or food waste that become organic fertilizer for your crops. By doing so, you will no longer need to buy these from the gardening store.

If you dont already know, not all fruits or vegetables planted in one area are the same for another. This is because some may not survive due to the conditions of the region such as the weather, pests and other plant borne diseases. You can check at the store, do some research or get advice from fellow organic gardeners.

It will also be a good idea to plant a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some protect the rest from pests while others can only be grown during a certain season. In short, you get to practice crop rotation so you do not use up all the nutrients in the soil. Aside from plants, the use of birds, insects and toads can also help protect your garden.

Although you already removed the weeds before you planted, you still have to check for them again because they do some back. You will have to inspect the area and then pull them out which is one of the responsibilities of owning a garden.

Since larger animals not only insects could do damage to your organic garden, you should also protect it by putting up some fences. Some gardeners have also used animal hair, baby powder and deodorant soaps that act as deterrents.

Surely, you have noticed that organic vegetables being sold at the grocery are quite expensive. They cost a few dollars more than the regular kind so instead of putting this on your list, why not cross it out and simply get this from your backyard.

With some practice, you will realize that organic gardening at home can be challenging and at the same time fun. It is your way of going green and being environment friendly.

Organic Gardening Magazine, A Resource of Wealth

Green thumbs really do come into play when going about organic gardening. But it is not always about the greenness of one’s thumb but rather the knowledge of that person about the subject that will make them successful in the venture. And where is the right venue to look for such resources but through the organic gardening magazines.

Basic Facts about Organic Gardening
The simplest definition for organic gardening may be that it is the type of gardening wherein the farmer is at one with nature. In such type that may also be called organic horticulture, the gardener doesn’t use commercial fertilizers or even pesticides on their plants.

Organic is the Way to Go
Is it really possible to grow plants without the help of artificial fertilizers and the vast range of pesticides available in the market? Name the pests, may it be ants, rodents, insects, at this time and age, you’d find the suitable chemical to ward these pests off.

But this is not the case with organic gardening, because in this, the farmer uses whatever is available and is suitable for their type of plants, just within the environment. So in this case, the person who is into such type of gardening looks into nature, studies the plants and works on cultivating those without using anything synthetic.

Organic Gardening Magazine
The concept may appeal hard at first especially with people who are so well-versed with commercially available gardening resources. This is where organic gardening magazines will be of great help.

Wherever you are, it will not be hard to find a magazine which talks about such procedure. The Net also has various online magazines about organic gardening. All one needs to do is look for it.

What to Look For
If you are really interested in starting such or already are into one but want to broaden your knowledge about it, here are some more things you might want to consider browsing about.

Horticulture has five parts of study. You may want to look for articles on magazines and other resources based on what types of plants you want to grow or are already growing.

Floriculture is the organic way of growing floral plants. It also explains marketing of such and maintenance.

Landscape horticulture is all about producing and marketing landscape ornaments. This may be a good business venture if handled the right way.

Vegetable production, meanwhile, is part of Olericulture. This also involves maintenance and the right marketing techniques for producers of such.

Pomology is about fruits. This will explain growing such, producing and marketing the products.

Lastly, Postharvest Physiology tackles ways to produce quality products with this type of gardening while avoiding spoilage of the produce.

Going Holistic
Gardening is still a trial and error approach however you want to do it. But organic uses the holistic approach that has been tested through time and cultivated through the years. One’s basic knowledge of the environment and the plants they plan to harvest is all they need to go about this.

These are the basic facts you might want to look out for when searching at the organic gardening magazine or other resources for such topic. The most important thing here is to know your environment so that you won’t have any trouble when choosing the plants that you would want to place in it, thus, the more chances of having great output.