Get into organic vegetable gardening

If you are getting into organic vegetable gardening, know that it requires much from you in terms of early planning, decision-making, commitment and consistency in providing care.

Besides your inputs, the other factors that must be considered are location of your garden, the types of plants, adequacy of sunlight, and soil fertility. All these elements are necessary in your organic vegetable garden to help ensure a plentiful harvest.

Location, location, location

The importance of finding a good location for a vegetable garden cannot be overstated. Ideally, you should create your organic vegetable garden in a place where water is readily available. But be also be certain that water can drain off the soil and won't collect to avoid drowning your plants.

Think of how you intend to organize the garden. Identify the types of vegetables you wish to have and plan out how to arrange them in your garden. Your design should include the set-up of rows and the proper grouping of vegetables.

And don't let your efforts in planting and tending your vegetables go to waste by allowing pests to harm your plants. Protect your organic vegetable garden by building a perimeter fence to keep away animals and other pests from destroying your garden.

Composting

Organic gardening uses compost mainly to fertilize the soil, so be sure to make provisions for a compost pile in your garden space. Allocate an area of about 10 sq. ft. but make sure that it is a little far away from your vegetables.

For easier turning of the compost, keep the pile low and do not allow the heap to exceed five feet in height. Flatten the top but scoop out the middle so it can collect rain water.

See also: Composting explained

There are two ways you can use compost. First, you can mix it directly into the soil of your garden beds. This will provide the necessary nutrients to your plants.

Or, you can use it in mulching. Spread a four- to six-inch thick layer of compost over soil around plants. This should be enough to block the sun from the weed seeds and prevent their growth. The compost will eventually release its nutrients to the soil for absorption by your growing vegetables.

Pest control

Plant diseases and pests remain the top concerns in all gardens, particularly those using the organic system. There could be times when these problems seem to threaten your gardening and the easiest solution seems to be the use of commercial insecticides or pesticides.

In these cases, do remember that you are committed to organic gardening so resist the temptation and seek the natural and safer means of pest control.

You can avoid having diseased plants by starting off with good seeds. Select your seeds from disease-resistant varieties and those with no known diseases. You may follow the common organic methods of using non-chemical, all-natural and environment-friendly sprays. An example is a solution of garlic juice and water. Alternatively, you may get known insect predators like ladybugs to keep your pests in check.

See also: Tips on using natural pest control in your garden

If you cannot get rid of pests using natural sprays or friendly insects, you may have to pick them off your plants manually. This should be quite easy if your garden is small. If your garden is big, you might have to resort to other means such as planting natural repellents like marigold.