The idea of ??having an organic garden is attracting more and more people but many are afraid to realize them for fear of resulting constraints. Yet there is nothing easier than creating an organic vegetable garden since it is sufficient to return to old practices used back in the days when chemicals didn’t exist. So, contrary to popular belief, creating an organic vegetable garden is accessible to everyone.

Before addressing the technical issues related to creating and maintaining an organic garden, we must start by knowing an organic garden’s characteristics. An organic garden mainly differs from a classical garden due to the fact that no chemical materials, pesticide, fertilizer, herbicide, etc … are used. The soil is amended with green fertilizers such as buckwheat, fenugreek, peas, clover or mustard and compost made from plant waste. Then, organic gardeners must carry out weeding manually and not resort to sprays. The water used for irrigation will ideally be collected and stored rainwater to preserve natural resources. Finally, crop rotation must be performed to avoid unnecessary soil depletion and also to vary the pleasures.

Ground preparation: an essential step

To prepare the ground to accommodate the organic garden, one must first define the garden’s structure before amending it as needed. For example, if the soil is rather clayey, a little sand must be added. If it is acidic, some limestone must be brought in. However, if the soil is sandy, it must be stabilized with gravel and organic potting soil to ensure effective drainage. Once the soil is well-worked, incorporate green manure on areas that will not flower immediately to preserve the earth’s nutrients. Fast-growing plants, such as ryegrass or white mustard, can, for example, be used as vegetable cover. Then, all that remains is to plant the flowers and wait for them to grow for the garden to be successful.

The maintenance of an organic garden

To prevent the onset of weeds, one must rake the edges of flower beds at least once a week and weed by hand. To prevent aphids and other pests from attacking the plants, use pyrethrum, rotenone and liquid soft soap which are all natural pesticides with recognized virtues. To fertilize the ground, nothing beats a good shovelful of compost. Also consider saving a small space in the backyard to turn it into a composting area. Making this vegetable fertilizer is very simple. Start by collecting fallen leaves, dead branches, vegetable peelings and other vegetable waste and gather everything into a hole. Then, water abundantly for fermentation and let the mixture stand covered for two weeks. Once the sun’s heat, along with some regular watering and stirring, has done its work, the compost can be incorporated into the soil. The compost is “ripe” when it looks like a slightly viscous black peat. In winter, it can be mixed with straw and placed at the base of flower beds to protect plants against frost. With compost, the organic garden’s longevity is guaranteed.

Some tips for organic gardens that have flower beds

In addition to the various recommendations given above, the flower beds need to be especially well taken care of to last. At the end of autumn, the bulbs of dahlias, begonias and gladioli, which all fear the cold, should be dug up and grown in pots. Plants that bloom in the spring such as crocuses, forget-me-nots, wallflowers … can be planted and protected with a thick layer of mulch and compost. In short, creating and maintaining an organic garden is not difficult because all it requires is for you to follow a few basic principles.

Related posts:

  1. Organic gardening tips
  2. Gardening tips and tricks for growing perennials
  3. Gardening work in the vegetable garden
  4. Gardening basics
  5. Dogwood: planting, maintenance and gardening tips

Published in Creating a vegetable garden by Alexander on 14 Sep 2011