starting an organic garden

 A step-by-step process for starting an organic garden

1. Prepare the soil

Soil is the most important thing or resource for organic horticulture. This is achieved by continuously adding organic matter to the soil using locally available resources in every possible way. If you want your plants to be healthy, you need to fully prepare the soil in which they will grow.

Like humans, plants need food and in this case, food comes from the soil. Therefore, you need to make sure that your plants get plenty of fresh nutrients. Proper soil conditioning will give your plants all the nutrients they need.

Chemical soil treatments not only destroy the soil mixture but also harm the important microorganisms, worms, and bacteria in the soil. To start, you need to test the pH of the soil. This can be done by purchasing home testing equipment or collecting some soil samples and sending them to the local agricultural extension office for proper testing and analysis.

2. Make good compost

While waiting for the soil sample results, compost can be prepared. Fertilizer helps to provide nutrients to plants, helps to store water, reduces weeds, and helps to remove food and waste from the land.

Compost can be obtained or produced from locally available resources such as leaves, grass clippings, yard litter/debris, and kitchen waste. Alternatively, compost is readily available for purchase from mulch suppliers or organic garden centers. These steps can be used to make compost.

Measure the space to be at least three square feet

Get a pile of naturally dead plants or leaves

Add alternate layers of leaves, garden trimmings (carbon), and nitrogen (green) materials, for example, kitchen residue and compost. Place a layer or separate them with a layer of soil.

Cover the pile with about 4-6 inches of soil.

Turn the pile over each time a new layer is added to the mixture. During this process, make sure water is added to keep the mixture moist to increase the activity of microorganisms.

The compost should not smell, but if it does, add some more dried leaves, sawdust, or straw, and then turn it over. Do this for about four weeks or a month and you will get the good fertilizer you need for your organic garden.

3. Prepare your garden

While you wait until the compost is ready, the next step is to prepare your garden. After getting a permit from your local agricultural extension officer on the right soil type, now is the time to prepare the garden area. Carefully prepare your garden using the available horticultural tools. However, you need to take care not to completely destroy the soil.

4. Choose the right plants

After preparing your garden, the next step is to choose the right plants for your garden. Soil sampling and testing will be useful at this stage. It is important to choose plants that thrive in the specific microclimate of your soil type. Carefully choose plants that will thrive in different areas of your garden based on moisture, light and drainage, and soil quality. Remember that the healthier your plants are, the more resistant your crops will be to attack.

Another way to grow naturally is to choose plants that are suitable for the garden. Crops can grow better in low inputs depending on the climate and conditions of the garden. In addition, site-grown crops ensure greater natural protection. The material requires little attention and input to increase crop productivity.

When buying seedlings, make sure you go for plants that are grown without synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Your local farmer's market is a good place to make your purchases. You can find not only different types of plants but also the most suitable plant species for your local area. Carefully select plants that are healthy and do not have many roots.

5. Plant crops in beds

When planting your crops you should plant them in wide beds. Planting them in beds prevents them from walking on them and destroys the soil surface during harvesting or cutting flowers. In addition, grouping crops help reduce weeding, water wastage and makes composting easier. This helps the plants to use the available nutrients and water. Make sure there is enough space between the rows. This helps to promote air circulation, which helps prevent fungal attacks.

6. Water the crops

Once you have sown your crops, the next step is watering. It is best to water the plants immediately after planting so that they can continue to grow. You can water them every morning.

It is recommended to water your plants in the morning because there is no strong wind, the morning is cold and the water lost during evaporation is greatly reduced. Experts recommend substantial, infrequent watering for already established plants.

7. Weeding

According to the CSU, weeds reduce crop yields by competing for water, light, soil nutrients, and space. In agricultural crops, weeds can reduce crop quality by contaminating the material. They can serve as hosts for diseases or provide shelter for insects. Picking up weeds by hand can be difficult, but it is a good exercise to help you get some fresh air.

8: Provide nutrients to your plants

When you do organic gardening, you should look for eco-friendly ways to protect your plants from toxic pesticides and fertilizers. Therefore, you need to make sure that your plants get enough light, nutrients, and moisture to grow well. Furthermore, a diverse garden can help control pests, control the size of a type of plant, and encourage biodiversity.

Instead of using chemical pesticides, organic horticulture promotes beneficial pests and supplementary planting. Organic farmers do not have to use chemicals to get rid of pests and diseases. In contrast, pest control is done by keeping it below the level of damage to pests and diseases. One of the main mechanisms by encouraging beneficial insects and insect predators such as bats, birds, lizards, toads, and spiders.

The key to success in this area is to grow a variety of sub-crops that support the ecological significance of this species. Avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides ensures their survival. Pruning of affected/affected leaves or buds, uprooting of affected crops, crop rotation, and handling of pests and eggs are the best ways to control the number of pests. Maintaining garden cleanliness is another useful tool for organic pest control.

Natural sprays or pesticides may be used in addition to cultural pest control methods. They are readily available from organic garden centers and their products contain minerals such as bacillus, neem oil, and copper. The widespread use of synthetic chemical pesticides instead has promoted their ability to break down quickly. Besides, there are some vegetable/fruit pests and diseases that are beyond natural and organic control, so use natural sprays.

9. Use organic fertilizers

As organic matter and fertilizer improve water and nutrient retention in the soil, the supply of all the nutrients needed for healthy and productive growth is limited. In addition to compost, organic horticulture requires additional fertilizers taken from natural sources such as plant ash; For example rock phosphate natural deposits; And animal by-products and manure.

Agricultural lime is another natural product that is often added to the soil to improve its quality. It is made naturally from limestone and is added to the soil to improve the pH if the soil is too acidic. The pH of the soil varies from one place to another. Local extension offices usually provide guidance for soil pH level testing within their jurisdiction. However, most soils do not require additional lime.

10. Take care of your organic garden

There are important maintenance tips for your organic garden if you want to maintain or harvest healthy plants. Some of these practices are:

Mulch

Watering in the morning

Fertilizer application

Use natural manure, especially from non-meat-eating animals

Timely weeding

Prune regularly to allow proper use of nutrients including proper ventilation and light