Growing your own organic garden may be easier than you think. Not only does growing your own organic produce fill you with an incredible sense of gratification, but it also ensures that it is 100% untouched by chemicals. When you have produce right out in your own back yard, it is always guaranteed to be fresh and is always tastier than the greenhouse grown stuff.
If you’ve ever experimented with buying both non-organic and organic vegetables at the store, then surely you taste the difference in flavor and texture. Organically grown veggies may not grow as large as those helped along with chemical fertilizers and insect sprays, but they are always better tasting and somehow more satisfying.
When growing just about any vegetable, you are going to want to make sure your garden space gets full sun at least 3/4 of the day. This may need to be right in the middle of your back or front yard, depending on where shadows from your home or garage may fall. If you have problems with common pests that like to eat your garden projects, make sure you build a barrier or fence.
If your soil is rocky or mostly clay, you are going to need to fortify the soil with a lot of organic material. You can either buy a good compost from your local garden center (make sure it’s organic friendly), or you can make your own compost. Tilling good, fertile soil with your less than fertile soil will help ensure your vegetables get the nutrients they need to grow healthy, disease free produce.
As for the plants that go in your garden, the types you will grow are entirely up to your personal taste. Going to your local garden center should provide you with plenty of geographically suitable options. There is also the consideration on whether you will start with seeds and grow your own seedlings indoors (from organic seeds, of course). The other option is to buy seedlings already started.
If you are growing tomatoes, buying the seedlings already started may be your best option as these are always readily available in this form. Some professional gardening centers will also offer common herbs used in cooking as seedlings.
When transplanting seedlings into your garden, or when sowing seeds into the soil, make sure you mark each section with a designation as to what is planted there. This will avoid confusion when you are weeding your garden as to what might be weeds and what is a veggie. It also helps you to remember what to expect to grow in this area, and what types of water and fertilization that particular crop may require.
Year after year, you will want to alternate the areas of planting for the different vegetables. For instance, if you planted carrots in one area last year, try planting your tomatoes there the next year. This is because each vegetable requires more of certain nutrients, and it may drain that area of that particular nutrient, rendering it less fertile for the same plant next year. Alternating helps keep the plant-specific nutrients available year after year for the various plants you decide will be in your garden.
You may be surprised after planting your first organic vegetable garden how easy it can be to grow your own produce. It not only saves you money, but it also ensures that you and your family are eating truly naturally grown plants.