Sunday, July 19, 2009

Herbal And Organic Gardening: Useful Tips For Beginners

By Susan Honeywell

Setting out to work on an organic veggie and herb garden is quite an enterprise, but can be one of the most satisfying ways to go green that there is. The definition of organic is grown without the use of pesticides or other chemicals, but naturally.

As you may know organic herbs and vegetables are a better alternative than industrially grown ones, but they can be quite expensive. By setting up your own organic garden you will be able to have a fresh supply for a fraction of the price!

Unless you have no space to spare at all, one of the first steps to an organic garden is to set up a composting box, which will allow you to fertilize your herbs and vegetables, while also getting rid of kitchen waste. Even if you live in a flat you can compost, as it's an odorless procedure if done right.

Your home-made compost will also fulfill a secondary purpose: it will help your organic garden to retain moisture, and as a result you will need to water your edible plants less often. Put all your kitchen waste and also any garden cuttings you may have onto the compost heap, but avoid great quantity of fish and meat remains.

The next step is to get organic seeds for gardening. You need to avoid most seeds and address yourself to a specialist, as most industrial seeds may already be contaminated with pesticides, or may be genetically modified.

Try purchasing your organic garden seeds online. There are plenty of retailers, you will have a bigger choice, the purchase will be delivered to your home and you will be protected by a postal return guarantee.

Start seeds inside the house or in a glasshouse rather than putting them directly outdoors. Seeds should be put in small containers that contain organic soil. Make sure they have plenty of light and water, but don't overwater them as they can die easily - the soil just needs to be moist.

Once the first leaves are showing, put them into individual pots as a preparation to outdoor planting in your organic garden. There are some fine composting pots that you can use, plant them in the ground together with your seedling and let them act as extra natural fertilizer for your organic garden.

Now that you have compost and grown seedlings, you will also need good organic soil. This earth is much better as it acts as a natural pest controller, and will let your plants grow more vigorous. If you had a on-organic garden or flower bed where your organic garden is going to be planted, we recommend removing and substituting a layer of old soil altogether.

Once the compost is ready, use it as a top layer on your soil. About five or six centimeters think is good for outdoor use. When you water, the nutrients will slowly seep through you your organic plants' roots and the garden will thrive. You are on the right way to a serious supply of organic herbs and vegetables.

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