The word ‘€œmulch’€ comes from the old English word ‘€œmelsc’€ -€“ meaning rotten hay. In today’€™s language it has come to mean any material that covers the soil to preserve moisture content, prevent soil erosion and inhibit weed growth. For organic gardening  I choose materials that will break down over time, feeding my plants and contributing to the amount of humus in the soil.

Many materials are suitable to use as mulch, such as: leaves, straw / hay, sawdust, gravel / rocks, paper / cardboard, grass clippings, carpet underfelt and even plastic. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages.

Dark mulches warm the soil, whereas light coloured mulches will keep the soul cooler. In a cool climate a light straw mulch will hold back the development of many hot season vegetables -€“ so take care with your choice of mulch and the time of year you apply it.

I’€™ve heard it said that mulches can be a refuge for problem garden pests, but nature balances this with enough predators to consume any rise in pest numbers.Leaves are the most natural mulch of all. However most of the nutritional content has been taken from the tree before the leaf falls to the ground. Many leaves contain tannins and some have growth suppressants (eucalypts & pine needles for example), so it’€™s better to either add them to your compost heap or place them in a wire container and allow them to decompose for a year or so and become leaf mould, them use as mulch.

Straw / Hay is my preferred method of mulching in my organic food garden. The main advantage over many mulches is that it slowly releases nutrients to feed the plants it surrounds. One disadvantage is that hay may contain weed seeds, but they are usually easy to pull. That is why I prefer pea straw -€“ usually the only weeds are peas and they add nitrogen to the soil. Another problem can be that it may become water repellent.

But this is not a problem if you trickle or flood irrigate your food plots.Sawdust is probably best used by composting it before laying as a mulch as it may rob the soil of nitrogen if your soil is poor to begin with. Also, it can become water repellent. However if you have a good supply it makes an excellent soft, natural looking covering for pathways.

Gravel / Rocks are best used outside of your veggie garden unless you live in a cool climate area and use them around warm climate plants, such as pumpkins and tomatoes. Rocks store heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it through the night.

They can also be used in arid areas around larger plants and trees. Water condenses on the underside of the rocks as they cool during the night helping to keep plants moist.

The disadvantage with rocks is that weeds will grow around them.Paper / Cardboard are both quite useful as mulches. I often use thick layers of newspaper (which I wet before laying) underneath pea-straw or pine bark. The layers need to overlap about 15cm to prevent weeds from coming through. Don’t use pages with coloured ink as they may contain heavy metals.

Cardboard can make a great mulch under young trees. You can secure it with rocks in a decorative way in addition to straw or bark. Using cardboard beneath sawdust for your garden paths will prevent most weeds.Grass clippings can be utilised as a thin mulch under trees and shrubs that will feed your plants as it breaks down. Take care not to pile on too thickly though as you will end up with a water repelling, smelly blob!

Carpet underfelt makes an excellent mulch in your organic garden. It won’t blow away, it’€™s easy to cut to insert your seedlings, it allows air to penetrate and it holds moisture very well. You must make sure that it is the older underfelt though, not the modern foam type.

Black plastic has the advantage of being cheap, easy to install and a great weed suppressor, but its disadvantages are many. It doesn’t feed the soil, it deteriorates with direct sunlight and doesn’t allow the natural gas exchanges between the air and soil.

Whatever your choice of mulch, your organic garden will be more productive and well balanced if you choose a feeding kind of mulch. Remember too that mulches should not come into contact with the stems of you plants as this may cause them to rot.

Weeds compete with other crops and convert many productive land into unusable scrub. Weed is also often poisonous, distasteful and interfere with the use and management of desirable plants by contaminating your harvests.

Many weed control strategies have hence been developed in order to contain the growth and spread of weeds. One of the basic methods is ploughing which works by cutting the roots of annual weeds. Another commonly used technique is by using chemical weed killers known as herbicides. However, these cannot be used in an organic garden. So what can you do?
First and foremost, you will need to identify the kind of weeds that is found in your garden. You can then use the appropriate method to get rid of them. We will now look at a few of the most commonly found weeds and how to get rid of them.
You should always pull them up with a hoe before they flower. And you can spread corn gluten over the areas you wish to remain free from dandelions in the early spring. This will help keep a lot of the seedlings from growing.
Crabgrass is a major pest in many yards and gardens. It is very tough to pull up, and especially difficult to get rid of. You must pull up the entire plant, including all of its roots. To suppress further growth, you can spread corn gluten in the early spring. You can also mulch to prevent the seeds from germinating.
Poison ivy is one horrible plant that causes severe rashes even with a very mild exposure. You should always wear gloves when handling poison ivy and do not ever let in come in contact with any part of your skin.
To get rid of poison ivy, you must cut the plant at the base and then let it dry out completely. Bury the vines or throw them away in the trash. You must never ever burn them because even the smoke can be fatal! Do not compost poison ivy either.
Lamba Quarters is an edible wild green. There are some who grow these for food but most people think of them as common weeds. Removing them can be quite a task. You can hoe or pull up the plants when you seen them and then mulch heavily to suppress the seedlings.
Ragweed is one weed which many would want to extricate. It is a very common allergen, and its pollen is a major cause of hay fever. There are several ways to get rid of them. You can try to hoe up the seedlings, and use a mower to mow down the full-sized plants. You can also mulch to cover the areas where it grows. Thirdly, you can also compost ragweed if it has not yet gone to seed.
Purslane is an edible plant which can be removed by hoeing them individually. If you pull the plants, do not leave them lying on top of the soil because they can re-root themselves. Do not compost them either as the seeds of this plant can mature after the plant has been pulled. You can mulch to prevent them from growing.
Prickly lettuce is an annoying little plant which causes itching and burning if it comes in contact with skin. Always put on your gloves when you handle it. You can pull or hoe plants, or cut the taproot below the soil. You also might wish to leave it alone, as it can attract beneficial insects. However, be sure to keep it away from your lettuce patches as it can carry lettuce diseases.
Cocklebur is poisonous to livestock, so you should be sure to keep it away from your animals. You can hoe or pull plants beneath the soil line. You can compost it if it has not yet gone to seed.
Another method of weed control includes covering the ground area with several layers of wet recycled paper for several weeks. In the case of using the wet recycled paper, the multiple layers prevent light from reaching all plants beneath, which kills them.

Saturating the recycled paper with water daily speeds the decomposition of the dead plants. Any weed seeds that start to sprout because of the water will also be deprived of sunlight. It will be killed and decomposed.
After several weeks, all the germinating weed seeds present in the ground will be dead. Then the recycled paper can be removed and the ground can be planted. The decomposed plants will help fertilise the plants or seeds planted later.

Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature. Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that organic gardening does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health.

Organic gardening is an excellent way to assure that your plants will be free and clear of all pesticides and, if taken care of properly, will be as healthy as possible.

Organic gardening starts with the soil. Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive. In fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants grown organically. Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, grass clippings, manure, and many other things. The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of earthworms. Some soil may need more natural additives than regular compost can give, such as bonemeal, rock phosphates, or greensand.

One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about organic gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants. The best way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures. One thing that can be done is to make sure plants are healthy and not too wet or dry because insects usually attack unhealthy plants and if healthy, they can often outgrow minor insect damage.

A variety of plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type from taking out the entire garden.Perhaps the best way to defend against insects is to make your garden enticing to insect predators, such as ladybugs, birds, frogs, and lizards. You can do this by keeping a water source nearby or by growing plants that attract insects who feed on nectar. Other ideas are sticky traps, barriers, and plant collars.

There are some household items that prevent against insects too, like insecticidal soaps, garlic, and hot pepper.To avoid plant disease in organic gardening , choose disease resistant plants and plant them in their prime conditions. Many diseases will spread because of constant moisture and bad air circulation, so the site of your garden and the way it is watered can help ensure against diseases.

Weeds can be an annoying and frustrating part of organic gardening. Organic mulch can act as a weed barrier, but for even better protection put a layer of newspaper, construction paper, or cardboard under the mulch. Corn meal gluten will slow the growth of weeds if spread early in the season before planting, as does solarization. There’s also the old-fashioned art of hoeing and hand pulling that always works.

Organic gardening may take a little more time and care than regular gardening, but after gardeners get the hang of it and figure out all the quirks of their garden, it is definitely worth the extra time.

 

The following article presents the very latest information on organic. If you have a particular interest in organic, then this informative article is required reading.

The best time to learn about organic is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable organic experience while it’s still free.

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on gardening now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used. This can make certain aspects difficult, such as controlling disease, insects, and weeds. Organic gardening also requires more attention to the soil and the many needs of plants.

Organic gardening starts with the soil. Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive. In fact, compost is essential to the healthiness and well being of plants grown organically. Compost can be made from leaves, dead flowers, vegetable scraps, fruit rinds, grass clippings, manure, and many other things. The ideal soil has a dark color, sweet smell, and is full of earthworms. Some soil may need more natural additives than regular compost can give, such as bonemeal, rock phosphates, or greensand. A simple soil test will tell you the pH balance and which nutrients you will need to use.

One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about organic gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants. The best way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures. One thing that can be done is to make sure plants are healthy and not too wet or dry because insects usually attack unhealthy plants and if healthy, they can often outgrow minor insect damage. A variety of plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type from taking out the entire garden.

Perhaps the best way to defend against insects is to make your garden enticing to insect predators, such as ladybugs, birds, frogs, and lizards. You can do this by keeping a water source nearby or by growing plants that attract insects who feed on nectar. Other ideas are sticky traps, barriers, and plant collars. There are some household items that prevent against insects too, like insecticidal soaps, garlic, and hot pepper.

To avoid plant disease in organic gardening , choose disease resistant plants and plant them in their prime conditions. Many diseases will spread because of constant moisture and bad air circulation, so the site of your garden and the way it is watered can help ensure against diseases.

Weeds can be an annoying and frustrating part of organic gardening . Organic mulch can act as a weed barrier, but for even better protection put a layer of newspaper, construction paper, or cardboard under the mulch. Corn meal gluten will slow the growth of weeds if spread early in the season before planting, as does solarization. There’s also the old-fashioned art of hoeing and hand pulling that always works. Your best bet in weed prevention is persistence. Mulch well and pull and hoe what you can; after a few seasons you can beat the weeds for good.

Organic gardening is an excellent way to assure that your plants will be free and clear of all pesticides and, if taken care of properly, will be as healthy as possible. Organic gardening may take a little more time and care than regular gardening, but after gardeners get the hang of it and figure out all the quirks of their garden, it is definitely worth the extra time.

There’s no doubt that the topic of gardening can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about gardening, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article

There’s no doubt that the topic of organic can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about organic, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article

Weeds compete with other crops and convert many productive land into unusable scrub. Weed is also often poisonous, distasteful and interfere with the use and management of desirable plants by contaminating your harvests.

Many weed control strategies have hence been developed in order to contain the growth and spread of weeds. One of the basic methods is ploughing which works by cutting the roots of annual weeds. Another commonly used technique is by using chemical weed killers known as herbicides. However, these cannot be used in an organic garden. So what can you do?
First and foremost, you will need to identify the kind of weeds that is found in your garden. You can then use the appropriate method to get rid of them. We will now look at a few of the most commonly found weeds and how to get rid of them.
You should always pull them up with a hoe before they flower. And you can spread corn gluten over the areas you wish to remain free from dandelions in the early spring. This will help keep a lot of the seedlings from growing.
Crabgrass is a major pest in many yards and gardens. It is very tough to pull up, and especially difficult to get rid of. You must pull up the entire plant, including all of its roots. To suppress further growth, you can spread corn gluten in the early spring. You can also mulch to prevent the seeds from germinating.
Poison ivy is one horrible plant that causes severe rashes even with a very mild exposure. You should always wear gloves when handling poison ivy and do not ever let in come in contact with any part of your skin.
To get rid of poison ivy, you must cut the plant at the base and then let it dry out completely. Bury the vines or throw them away in the trash. You must never ever burn them because even the smoke can be fatal! Do not compost poison ivy either.
Lamba Quarters is an edible wild green. There are some who grow these for food but most people think of them as common weeds. Removing them can be quite a task. You can hoe or pull up the plants when you seen them and then mulch heavily to suppress the seedlings.
Ragweed is one weed which many would want to extricate. It is a very common allergen, and its pollen is a major cause of hay fever. There are several ways to get rid of them. You can try to hoe up the seedlings, and use a mower to mow down the full-sized plants. You can also mulch to cover the areas where it grows. Thirdly, you can also compost ragweed if it has not yet gone to seed.
Purslane is an edible plant which can be removed by hoeing them individually. If you pull the plants, do not leave them lying on top of the soil because they can re-root themselves. Do not compost them either as the seeds of this plant can mature after the plant has been pulled. You can mulch to prevent them from growing.
Prickly lettuce is an annoying little plant which causes itching and burning if it comes in contact with skin. Always put on your gloves when you handle it. You can pull or hoe plants, or cut the taproot below the soil. You also might wish to leave it alone, as it can attract beneficial insects. However, be sure to keep it away from your lettuce patches as it can carry lettuce diseases.
Cocklebur is poisonous to livestock, so you should be sure to keep it away from your animals. You can hoe or pull plants beneath the soil line. You can compost it if it has not yet gone to seed.
Another method of weed control includes covering the ground area with several layers of wet recycled paper for several weeks. In the case of using the wet recycled paper, the multiple layers prevent light from reaching all plants beneath, which kills them. Saturating the recycled paper with water daily speeds the decomposition of the dead plants. Any weed seeds that start to sprout because of the water will also be deprived of sunlight. It will be killed and decomposed.
After several weeks, all the germinating weed seeds present in the ground will be dead. Then the recycled paper can be removed and the ground can be planted. The decomposed plants will help fertilise the plants or seeds planted later.

Once you have all of your supplies and have decided what to grow it is time to actually plant your garden.  Before you grab a shovel and charge into your yard to start digging you might want to take some time to plan out how you want to set up your garden.  You should have a good idea of what you want to plant and exactly where you want to plant it before you start digging up random holes in your garden.

The best way to organize your garden is to get a piece of paper and sketch a plan for your garden.  Decide where you want your garden to be and make sure it is an area that will receive sun for the majority of the day.  Start observing your yard a few weeks before you start planting, about the same time you start your compost pits.  Make notes regarding which areas of your yard receive sunlight during the majority of the day and which areas of your hard are often in the shade.There are other factors that you should take into consideration when choosing where to plant your garden.

Avoid areas that have recently undergone repairs or that are near metal fences.  Chemicals, metal, and other debris might be contaminating the area which could lead to your plants being contaminated. Also be on the look out for areas that retain water after rain.  The last thing you want to do is plant your garden in a place that will become a stagnant pool of water after every rain or when you water it.   When you have picked out a suitable area make sure you stop using any chemicals on or around it immediately.

When deciding how to plant your seeds try to plan for efficiency not visual appeal.  If you are planting beans or peas and corns plant the peas in a row in front of the corn.  That way you can use the corn stalks as stakes instead of buying stakes to support your plants on.

Also, to help cut down on pests, consider growing onions, garlic, and herbs like basil in a border around your vegetables.  These pungent vegetables will discourage certain insects from feasting on your vegetables.

Once you have decided where you are going to plant your garden go to your yard and remove all rocks or plants that are already growing in the area.  Once all large rocks are gone from the surface also remove plants and then dig up the soil a few inches to loosen it.  Dig/loosen an area that is about eight inches thick since this will provide you with a good working area.

Make sure the area you start out with is not too big.  You want to start out modestly and then build up once you are comfortable with organic gardening  and know what vegetables you want to plant more of. When all debris has been removed from the chosen area and the soil has been loosened cover your garden site with a good layer of organic mulch.  This can be the leaves from plants that were removed from the area, dried grass from your lawn, needles then place from trees, barks, and other organic material.  Make sure you do not use weeds or any material, such as hay, that could contain weed seeds.

If you are using materials that came from a neighbor’s property or another location make sure it has never been treated with chemicals or pesticides.

Next, spread the compost from your compost pits thinly over the garden.  By doing this you are creating a place rich in nutrients for your vegetables to grow.  Mix soil from your back yard or even soil that is underneath any nearby trees with this layer of compost until you have a several inches of soil and compost that are deep enough for planting.

Make sure the soil remains damp but not too soggy when you get ready to plant your seeds and also avoid stepping on it or otherwise compact the soil.  Then, when you are ready, start planting your seeds in the order you previously planned.If this is your first time planting or are you afraid that you will plant the seeds to close together create furrows by moving aside a layer of soil and then consider making your own seed tape.  If you have some toilet paper and a spray bottle that can be used to spray water then you are all set.  Just roll the toilet paper out on a table, mist the toilet paper with the sprayer, and place the seeds out according to the seed packets directions.

Cover the seeds with another long strip of toilet paper, fold the edges and mist it again to make sure the seeds stay in place.  Then carry the seed tape out to your garden and place them in the furrows you’ve already created and cover them with soil. Doing this will help you avoid  spending time outdoors trying to figure out the correct distance between seeds and then later worrying about the possibility of planting the seeds to close together.

Another method for planting seeds is purchasing seeds that have already been started.  This means the seeds have already begun to sprout.  Seeds that have already begun to sprout can usually be purchased in any garden store and many organic seeds come in biodegradable containers.  Once you get the seeds home all you have to do is plant the containers in your garden area then place old newspaper around the sprouts and cover the newspaper with mulch.

To save money you can also start seeds at home using your own containers and compost from your compost pile.  By starting seeds you will be letting them sprout, usually indoors with the help of a grow light, and then transplanting them to a garden.  It is best to start organic seeds in biodegradable containers since this will help you avoid damage that sometimes occurs during a transplant.  Once the seeds have sprouted you simply plant the containers in your garden and surround them with newspaper and mulch.

If you are growing the seeds directly in the ground using seed tape or planting by hand laying down the mulch and newspaper can be a pain.  In fact it will probably be the most difficult part of your new garden since you want to make sure you do not cover your seeds.  Marking your seeds when planting them is usually the best way to avoid trouble or waiting to lay mulch until the seeds have begun to sprout.It is recommended that you mark the seed areas and lay mulch immediately because even though it is an added step it will be well worth it since the newspaper and mulch will help the soil retain its water and discourage weed growth and insect infestations.

In this article we are going to provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to start an organic garden.

1. Choosing the location.
It is vital that when choosing the location for your organic garden that it is in a place where it gets the sun for at least half of the day, but it also has easy access for watering. Also it is important that you make sure that the ground drains well or you may have to build raised bed gardens instead.
2. Removing the Weeds.
Now you have chosen the location for your organic garden you now need to mow, pull and dig out all the weeds that are there. Then you need to till the land (either by hand using a fork or by using a tiller, but this will depend on how big your garden is going to be). Then you need to remove any further debris by raking the soil over. Now you need to wait a few days and then remove any more weeds that sprout up.
3. Testing the Soil.
Before you begin planting you need to test the soil and then starting building it up using organic matter. You can add compost, bone meal or rock phosphate to the soil. But only add those that are of an organic nature. Also when sowing any plants you should add compost to it about 2 to 4 weeks prior to planting. This gives the compost time to integrate and stabilize itself within the soil.
4. Fertilizers
Now you can start to till and dig in fertilizers and leave it for about a month in order for the nutrients to take a hold.
5. Preparing a Compost Pile
When starting an organic garden it is a good idea to start your compost pile at the same time. You can place in it leaves, grass clippings (so every time you mow the lawn don’t forget to add them to the pile), coffee grounds, eggshells and other organic kitchen waste (fruit and vegetable peelings etc). As it slowly breaks down the compost becomes a great organic fertilizer for your garden. So no longer will you need to search your local garden center for organic fertilizer, as you will always have some close at hand.
Now that we have shown you how to start an organic garden you can go and choose a spot in your garden and get started. Soon you will be on the way to producing all your own lovely organic products.

If you want to start a garden where you know you will have healthy vegetables and plants, the best garden to choose is an organic garden. Not only are these gardens healthier and better for the environment, but they are also less expensive because you don’t need to buy any kinds of chemicals, pesticide or herbicides. In this type of garden you use nature to your advantage instead of regarding it as the enemy. You don’t need to have a large amount of space because even a few feet of space is sufficient for the garden.

When choosing the site for your garden, think small. You may have a lot of space and may eventually want to have a large garden, but to get started it is important that you start off small. In this way you will be able to learn as you are going and gain the experience you need to expand. With a small garden you will have less work and have to buy fewer materials. A space as small as 4 feet X 4 feet is large enough to furnish the vegetables for a family. You also have to be careful not to plant too much in the garden. Think of the yield you will have from a few kinds of plants rather than try to cram too many plants of different kinds into the small space. You can even have a starter garden by using a window box.

Before you start your planting, you have to think about how you will provide nourishment for the plants. This means you have to start a compost heap. This is where you will throw all the scraps of food instead of sending them out in the trash. Compost is the main ingredient for enriching the soil in organic gardening . Use the things you find in your garden as well, such as fallen leaves, the clippings from the grass when you mow the lawn and weeds.

You do need to have the right kind of soil for organic gardening . You can use the soil in the ground and add the organic material from your compost heap. This soil is better for your garden for several reasons. First, it will nourish the plants without the use of fertilizer that contains chemicals. This will help keep them growing more natural without any growth spurts that will weaken the plants. Since the soil containing the organic material is not compacted as much as that containing chemicals, it is easier for you to pull out any weeds. The soft soil also enables the roots of the plants to penetrate the soil to deeper levels. The water can also get to the roots easier when the soil is soft.

It is important to control the growth of weeds, no matter what kind of garden you have. If you allow them to grow, they will take over the plants and kill them. Any unplanted areas should be mulched to prevent their growth and if you need to, use a hoe to take out any weds you find.