Eat The Best And Be Healthy
Chapter 1: What is Organic
Gardening?
Originally,
organic gardening was understood as good old natural gardening where you put
the plants in the ground and let “mother nature” take over, while you sat back
and watched your garden grown.
Today,
organic gardening has become known by many titles including chemical-free
gardening, earth-friendly gardening, and organic, but the reality of it is that
although we use the term “chemical free” to mean “Organic”, but that only
applies if you use no fertilizers or pesticides when creating and growing your
garden.
So,
basically, organic gardening requires it to be done naturally without the use
of fertilizers and pesticides, which means that before you start your organic
garden, you need to understand a few of the essential elements that will affect
your gardens growth.
Essentially,
organic gardening consists of understanding the following three principles:
- The Soil – Gardens require fertile soil to grow good crops; therefore the richer you can make it, the better your organic garden will be.
- Simplicity – One of the hardest things for most gardeners to do is let nature do its thing, but when organic gardening simple practices without chemical intervention work best.
- Preventative Methods and Measures – Understanding the pros and cons of the pests that inhabit our gardens and how to rid them naturally and prevent them from arriving initially is a big part of organic farming and gardening.
Chapter 2: Creating Productive Soil
With
rich nutrient soil our gardens will produce bumper crops, so understanding how
to maintain the soil and keep it so it is growing becomes a major consideration
before you even plot your garden’s layout.
In
today’s society, where people have a tendency to deplete everything they touch,
the land is not different. Every year, the earth losses layers of soil due to
wind erosion, run off, and other more destructive building practices, and each
year millions of acres of fertile land are consumed by man for building and
expending cities, leaving very little workable land to feed the multitude.
With
this being said, no matter what condition your soil is in, when using the
organic method to gardening, it is recommended that you build your soil into a
deep, dark, rich soil that can support and sustain a summer growing season. To
do this, your entire garden will need to have a good base to grow in, so the
more compost and organic manure, chopped leaves and natural mulches you can
work into the soil before planting season, the better your garden will grow.
Turning the soil over and over to aerate it is also a good practice. Crops like
crumbly soil that is not packed hard.
Once
your soil has been prepared, you can then set about to plan how you would like
to lay your garden out, remembering to keep in mind that you want to take in
the growing condition of each fruit or vegetable so that they receive as many
of the natural elements as they require. For instance: If you have tomatoes
growing that require lots of sunlight and water to grow, you would most likely
be wise not to plant it next to corn that has a tendency to grow tall creating
lots of shade, and drink in all the water available in its general area.
Chapter 3: Layout for a
Productive Garden
When
planning your organic garden there are many things you can do to produce the
most yield. Many of these things are simple, although they do require some
advance planning and generally, a little forethought when it comes to managing
how the plants will work best depending on direction of sun, etc.
It is
advisable to seek professional advice like for example a landscaper.
Walk
through the garden and ask advice to find out which areas in the garden are
suitable for vegetables, flowers, herbs, trees etcetera. The other option that
you can try before investing your money in a landscaper is to visit your local
nursery. The staff will be able to give you valuable information on what plants
flourish in the area and the seasons that are the most suitable for the
different types of vegetables and plants.
Start
planning the garden according to the data you gather along the way. Make sure
the area you choose for the vegetable garden is not too big and easy to
maintain. Also opt for pathways between the various types of vegetables to
prevent people from harming the crops. Place sheets of plastic underneath the
pathway to stop weeds from growing.
Plant
the taller crops at the back of the vegetable garden and the herbs in between
the different types of vegetables
If your
space is limited use containers to plant your herbs and vegetables in. Remember
that herbs act as a natural pesticide. It is wise to plant herbs throughout
your garden. After you planned the layout of the organic garden walk through
the garden again to make sure it is viable. Also be flexible some layouts look
great on paper; but they are not practical. If you need more guidance use the
Internet, garden magazines, public gardens and catalogs as a source to find
layout concepts.
Chapter 4: Benefits of
Organic Gardening
Not
many people are aware that the benefits of organic gardening can improve their
health, lifestyle and the environment. It is important that you understand what
you can get out of the organic gardening process to reap the benefits.
- Growing your own vegetables can save you a lot of money. You can pick fresh vegetables from your own backyard. There is no need driving to the shop anymore, using fuel and money to buy lettuce, cucumber etcetera. Another plus is that due to the fact the herbs, fruit, vegetables are not treated with harmful chemicals it reduces diseases and increases mental and physical health.
- Organic foods vitamins and minerals content are higher than chemically treated foods. It gives the food extra flavor. Research indicates that all 21 nutrients show higher levels: Magnesium – 28% more; Vitamin C – 26% more; Iron – 20% more; phosphorous – 14% more.
- There is a reduction in water pollution, soil poisoning, death of insects and birds all due to the soil being organic. It restores the ecological system. Thus creating a healthy environment for all creatures. Organic gardening is labor intensive therefore you will release stress, lose weight and gain extra energy in a short period of time.
It is difficult
to ignore the fact that organic is better. You need to realize that living an
organic chemical free lifestyle can save and preserve the earth as well improve
and extend your life. To become part of the green campaign is not that easy in
the beginning; but when you start feeling healthier and get the original juicy
taste of the organic fruits and vegetables there is no turning back.
Chapter 5: Square Foot
Gardening
Square
foot gardening is a new gardening method. Using this method can be highly effective
when planting vegetables and herbs. If you want an easy and adaptable garden
then square foot gardening is a great alternative to explore.
The
garden layout is self explanatory. It is shaped in a square and depending on
the size will determine the amount of plants that you are able to plant.
Although you have a variety of size options you only require 62 to 64 square feet (6 to
8 sq meters) to feed a family of four.
Most
square foot gardeners use raised beds. They place the beds in squares. On top of
the beds a grid is placed to cordon off the squares.
The
beds are permanent fixtures raised above the ground. There is no digging
involved. Make sure when you place the beds that the area gets a lot of
sunshine. The soil mixture plays an important role. If you are not sure how to
prepare the soil you are able to buy pre mixed organic soil.
The
soil consists out of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 compost.
Square
foot gardening is an intensive gardening method that gives extraordinary
results. Plant the vegetables, flowers and herbs in the squares. Keep the soil
moist whilst the seeds start to grow. Do not let water drip on the plants
itself to avoid plant diseases and fungus from growing. The moist soil needs to
gradually dry. The best time to do this is during the day.
The
nice thing about square foot gardening is that you do not need a big area to
establish the garden. This makes the entire organic garden process fun for any
person that does not have green fingers. Start off small and expand as you gain
organic gardening knowledge and skill.
Chapter 6: Synergistic
Planting
Synergistic
planting is an organic gardening system established by Emelia Hazelip. The
entire system evolves where plants naturally fertilize the soil without
intervention. The synergistic agriculture principles are: No chemical
treatments; usage of organic or chemical fertilizers; compacting soil or
cultivation are allowed.
There
are a few steps to consider when you do the layout for synergistic planting:
- Raised beds will prevent compacting of soil due to the fact they are never trend on as well as the covering mulch prevents the rain from forming a crust.
- Use biodegradable material to create a mulch cover for example cardboard. The mulch helps to get rid of the original vegetation.
- Remember if you plant in the spring it is important to open up the mulch so that soil can warm up.
- Do not only plant vegetables and herbs, plant a variety of flowers throughout the garden.
- After harvesting leave the parts of plant that is not being used in the ground. Plants need to finish their life-cycle to activate the synergistic process.
Synergistic
gardening is a skill that you can only learn by trial and error. If you want
the gardening method to work you need to gain knowledge by doing research on
the matter. The main factor to keep in mind is that the entire process needs to
be natural. Let nature take its course for example if you plant onions, leeks
or garlic on the side of the garden beds. They act as pest controllers.
Chapter 7: Companion Planting
The
companion planting technique is based on using certain plants to benefit other
plants by planting them next to each other. There is no need to use chemicals;
because, some plants are known to act as natural pesticides.
Marigold is a well
known companion plant. The root of the marigold releases a natural chemical
that works as an insect repellent. Legumes feed for example nitrogen into the
soil; thus there is no need for fertilizers. Certain plants can hinder one
another. Research shows that planting chives next to peas can prevent the peas
from growing.
There
are various types of companion planting. Nurse cropping for example is where
tall plants are used to protect smaller more vulnerable plants. The taller
plants provide windbreaks or shade to the other plants.
Beneficial
habitat also known as refugia is another companion gardening method. The focus
is to create a symbiotic environment for insects, arthropods and other
parasites that helps to control pesticides.
Included
are few plants that are compatible with each other:
- Asparagus – Parsley, basil and tomato
- Beans – Strawberry, carrots, cucumber, celery and potatoes
- Carrots – Sage, peas, radish and rosemary.
- Dill - onions
Starting
a companion garden requires knowledge. You need to be able to understand the
compatibility between the plants. Use the internet as a tool to find
compatibility lists. As soon as you get the hang of companion gardening you
will want to learn more and experiment to see if it truly works.
To read more, click on the Download Button to free download Full PDF
EBook including all 19 chapters + Full Master Resell Rights & Giveaway
Rights 100% Free..
Thank You…
No comments:
Post a Comment