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How To Make Organic Gardening Compost

What kind of compost should you use for an organic garden? “Organic” means you don’t use artificial chemicals or fertilizers to make your compost. It also means that you don’t use lawn clippings, plant cuttings, or other material that has been exposed to chemical pesticides or herbicides.

Recipe For Quick Organic Gardening Compost

Visit your garden center and get some straw, because you’ll need plenty of straw to make this organic gardening compost. Start your quick compost pile with a layer of straw. Don’t mistake hay for straw; they are two different things. Hay contains many grass and weed seeds that you don’t want to include in your compost.

For your second layer, use kitchen scraps or clippings from garden plants, or annual plants that are past their prime remember, nothing that has been exposed to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Sprinkle the pile with plenty of blood meal or bone meal..

For the third layer, add dry brown material like shredded leaves, shredded corn stalks, or small, ground-up twigs.

Keep repeating these three layers. The straw will keep the pile aerated. All you need to do is water it enough to keep it barely moist.

Amazing Additions To Your Organic Gardening Compost Pile

Certain ingredients will give your compost pile a big boost and help it cook faster and be ready to use sooner. Plants, algae, and water from a freshwater aquarium contain nitrogen and other micronutrients that speed up the decomposition process.

Dead houseplants aren’t so good for your home decor, but they make outstanding additions to the organic compost pile. Gardening outdoors is more fun, anyway. Make sure the plant is not showing signs of pest contamination or disease. Then just plop the entire plant, including the soil and root ball, onto the compost pile.

Weeds can be composted, too. Just be careful not to include any weeds that have set seed heads, or your compost pile will turn into a weed bed.

Coffee grounds add moisture and texture to the compost pile. You can compost the coffee filter, but it is very fibrous and will break down slowly. Cut it into smaller pieces so it can decompose faster.

Worst Compost Ingredients Ever

Whatever you do, do not add these ingredients to your organic gardening compost pile: Diseased plants; raw manure; sawdust from pressure-treated lumber; gypsum board scraps; vacuum cleaner bags and their contents; and meats, dairy products, bones, and fish.

Organic Gardening Compost: Saves You Money and Helps Save the Earth

Synthetic fertilizers are out and organic gardening compost is the in thing with farmers who are trying out the holistic way in planting.

Organic Gardening
With organic gardening, farmers are going back to the most basic way of growing plants and trees and that is by being one with nature. The latter phrase meaning that they no longer use artificial fertilizers and the commercially available pesticides, but instead rely on the natural environment to be able to grow produce.

Organic Gardening Compost
Compost is the mixture of decaying plants, animal manure or other organic materials that is being used as a fertilizer. While nature can work on compost by itself, men can speed up the process by using the equation air plus water, carbon, then nitrogen is equal to compost.

Composting in Simpler Terms
Don’t be overwhelmed by the word equation stated above. This is not really a complex thing. This can actually be done in a simple and step-by-step ways.

Hot Compost
While others opt to burn fallen leaves, such is wealth for gardeners as this is the start of their composting process. The first thing they have to do is to bag those leaves. Clipped grass from mowed surfaces can also be put in the bag.

To bring in oxygen and a quantity of water enough to dampen the leaves systematically, put several holes near the bag’s top and at its bottom. The holes will also let the carbon dioxide out and excess water as well. Pour in about two shovelful of garden soil into the bag where the leaves are, then shake it to mix the contents. Or if not possible, just roll the bag thoroughly.

Mixing should be done on a schedule after every other week. Check on the leaves and pour water to moisten those if they’ve dried out. In about two to three months, alas, your compost is ready. The contents of the bag that look like dark and flaky stuff are your compost.

To use that dark and flaky stuff as a fertilizer for your plants, put an inch thick layer on the soil’s top layer. That will then be absorbed by the plants. It actually acts as fertilizer and at the same time pesticide and can even prevent weeds from growing. It also contributes in conserving water as your plants won’t need as much.

To be able to come up with the same output at lesser time, you can also try shredding the leaves first before sacking it all up.

Cold Compost
The difference between cold and hot compost is that the first is easier to do than the latter which takes more effort.

Cold compost can be done by simply gathering wastes from your own backyard, may it be leaves, grass clippings and weeds, then piling them up. Allow a period of six to twenty-four months for earthworms and other microorganisms break the stuff down. While waiting, you can add up materials to your pile. In this scenario, the stuff at the bottom decomposes first.

But aside from the long wait, this type of compost is not as effective as the hot compost. It cannot kill weeds and pathogens. Also, before using such, you should screen out for undecomposed materials from the pile.

Whatever you may choose between the two, you’re still on the winning side by using organic gardening compost because not only you are saving up money but more so, you are helping out conserve and clean our environment.

Merits Of Organic Gardening

Do you want any information on the merits of organic gardening? Then have a view.

1. The foods that are grown in an organic manner do not contain chemicals.

This implies that the intake of food containing chemicals that can pose hazards to our health can be avoided. The major aim of pesticides is the destruction of lives, whether it is human beings or the pests. So the control of pests must be done in such a way that it is safe for every one – the plants, animals as well as human beings.
Organically grown foods are not sprayed with chemicals

In normal cases, the children intake the pesticides that can cause cancer in them which accounts for five times the intake of the same in adults. By using the organic foods, this can be avoided.

Even though the organic foods are not appealing in terms of colour and presentation in the shops, they are good for the health of adults as well as children as they are very tasty and nutritious.

2. The savings associated with the cost incurred while using organic fertilisers are more than using the artificial ones.

One can use coffee grounds and stale coffee as organic fertilisers. You need not opt for any costly pesticides or fertilisers.

The usage of artificial chemicals will fail the aim of using organic gardens and vegetables.

The aim of pest control in organic gardens is based on strategies, rather than using chemicals. Compost manufactured form the waste of vegetables is good. One can add egg shells, skins of banana as well as tea leaves to the compost.

3. Poses no major harms to our natural environment

Organic growing helps the protection of the top soil. It also helps in maintaining the residual ground water.

By doing organic gardening, we will become closer to nature and can thus safeguard the future generations from hazards.

An Overview of Organic Gardening

Organic gradening is also known as organic horticulture and is basically the science of growing fruits, vegetables and flowers by using essential organic elements in the soil. There are several different types of organic growing or gardening systems. Organic growing has been based on thousands of years of study and research and involves a more naturalistic approach to growing that takes place over a period of time. This is holistic approach.

Biodynamic farming is an organic approach to growing and is based on the teaching of Rudolf Steiner. Later the Japanese writer and farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka invented a no till system for small scale grain production. This system of organic growing was Natural Farming.

Those people who follow an organic growing system believe that a garden is more than a means of providing food. It is felt that a good garden is a good indicator of what a community could be like. Everyone could be growing and eating healthy food, be it in a large scale garden or just a small container in their back yard. A small garden could sustain your family and provide a great deal of food.

One major difference between chemical growing and organic growing is the approach to pest control. In chemical growing, chemicals are sprayed on the plants or vegetables to get rid of the pests, essentially killing the pest so that they don’t return.  Organic growers believe in some pest control but they also take the long approach. They allow for a small amount of pest damage. They feel that some pests will allow for healthy growing of the fruit or plant. They take action to fight against pests but changing the location of their crops each year so the crop is not infected.

There is a range of growing techniques involved in creating an organic garden. Many organic growing methods are a combination of many scientific growing methods and old fashioned farming methods. The study of organic growing is referred to as agroecology. Organic farmers are restricted in what they are able to use to grow their plants. These farmers are permitted to only use natural pesticides and fertilizers. The principal method of growing crops organically is crop rotation, green manures and compost. This also includes biological pest control and mechanical cultivation.

The amount and type of organic crop that is being grown all depends on the size of the farm. Farm size also determines the general approach and specific tools and methods. While the organic farming industry is growing more and more it wasn’t always big. It first began as a small enterprise. The type of organic crop that is being grown also determines the size of the farm that is being planted. For example, if there is a high demand for a particular type of organic crop then farmers will plant more of that crop. However, if there is less demand for a crop smaller amount of this will be planted. Today, the organic industry is continuing to grow as more and more people are looking for healthier food choices.

What is Organic Gardening

If your garden is teeming with earthworms, and insects, it`s very likely that whether you realize it or not, you are already applying the principles of organic gardening.

What is it about organic gardening that is so appealing? Basically it comes down to the fact that garden soil is being improved by the use of natural biological substances. An ecosystem is encouraged in which plants no longer need chemicals to help protect them, such as insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.

Why are many gardeners turning to organic gardening? Because of the potential dangers involved in the overuse of pesticides.

Farmers in Washington and along the entire West Coast face extensive new restrictions on three popular pesticides in the name of protecting salmon.

The pesticides are common in the state’s apple and cherry orchards, potato fields and berry farms. Restrictions could cover big swaths of Washington farmland where streams carry a variety of federally protected salmon and steelhead, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Many see organic gardening as a way of protecting the environment. As pests become immune to repeated applications of chemical pesticides, so scientists have developed poisons that are even more dangerous. These potent chemicals have then leached into the groundwater and have contaminated our water supply.

How much of your garbage which is thrown out is made up of food scraps? By the use of composting these waste foods they can eventually be used on the garden, which benefits the environment, and of course the garden.

Ideally your soil should be as balanced as possible. This means that the roots of plants are able to thrive by being moist, to prevent drying out, yet not being so moist they get diseased, or rot.

Problems often happen when the soil is clay-type, or is sandy. If your soil is clay then its consistency makes it difficult for water to penetrate, so it is too dry inside. Or, if water does penetrate, then the soil can become soaked with like a trap, so the roots can`t breathe, and die. If your soil is sandy, then the water will drain away too quickly, and the roots wont benefit from the water, nor the nutrients.

The gardener needs to have soil which will hold on to enough moisture to prevent the roots from drying out, yet at the same time allowing the drainage of excess water. If that balance is reached, air circulates freely, allowing microorganisms to go about their work of adding nutrients to the soil.

As mentioned above, organic matter compost, if added to the soil, will help give the right balance to clay or sandy soils. Compost bacteria will continue to break down decaying matter, turning the matter into nutrients that plants need for strong growth. The acid/alkaline balance is also maintained when compost is used, again something gardeners care about.

Finally, before turning to pesticides to get rid of those unwanted pests, consider encouraging natural predators in to your garden to help out.

Toads, birds, and `good` bugs can all have a part to play in eating up the unwanted visitors. Make their habitat just right for them and they`ll prove an invaluable ally in helping to keep your plants looking healthy.

Vegetable Gardening Tips

If you were not already aware of the trend, more and more people are planting vegetable gardens at home. For many the appeal stems from the fact that vegetable gardens produce veggies that are much cheaper than those bought at a store. Many argue vegetables from a vegetable garden are healthier since you control pesticide use, and most say they even taste better when they are home-grown.

Vegetable gardening is really not that different than growing flowers in a typical garden. First of all you need to decide how big the garden you wish to plant will be. Next you select a place in your yard to plant it. You should choose a spot on your property that has good water drainage so that your garden is not drowned by heavy summer rains, a spot that is not too shady to allow plenty of sunshine, and a spot with good healthy soil. You should also surround your garden with a fencing of some sort since many types of animals will be naturally drawn to your garden.

It is essential before you even begin your planting that the the soil is properly prepared through cultivation and the application of organic material. Soil should be plowed to control weeds and to mix mulch into the soil. Mulching is a vital part of soil preparation since organic materials added to the soil during this process release nitrogen, minerals, and many other nutrients into the soil that plants need to thrive and grow.

Consider using a natural compost to feed your garden, a compost consists of waste materials like grass clippings and rotten foods which you can create yourself if you build a compost bin. The type and amount of fertilizer to use depends on the soil you have as well as the types of vegetables you wish to plant. Some plants have very specific needs like many leafy plants such as cabbage, spinach, and lettuce, which usually grow better with more nitrogen. While root crops like potatoes, beets, turnips, and carrots require more potash. Tomatoes and beans use a lot less fertilizer, while plants like onions, celery, and potatoes need a larger amount of fertilizer.

One thing vitally important in vegetable gardening is the gardens arrangement. No single solution will work for every garden, due of course to varying conditions. However, a popular method of arranging a vegetable garden is to plant vegetables needing limited space together with those that require more room together. It is generally advised to plant taller plants towards the back of the garden so that the sunlight is ample.

Weed control is even more vital in a vegetable garden since they will rapidly take up all the water, light, and nutrients meant for the vegetables. You can get rid of such weeds by cultivation and/or mulching. Natural mulches work best, and the most popular mulch is clean pine straw because it helps protect the garden from erosion, insects, and fluctuating temperature. Keep in mind you need to purchase pine straw that has been cleaned and dried so that you do not have even more weeds than you started with, pine straw straight out of the woods in your backyard is not a great idea.

The great thing about vegetable gardens is that they are not that expensive to start, and the taste of your very own home-grown vegetables definitely beats vegetables from the store. If you careful prepare your garden, you will enjoy many days of fresh produce. Just make sure to take the proper precautions when planting, and continue to keep up with the maintenance of your garden. Have a delicious summer!

Organic Vegetable Gardening For Delicious and Healthy Meals All Year Long

Once you have gotten everything together that you will need to create and maintain your organic vegetable garden you need something to plant in it. For many choosing what vegetables to grow is the fun part of organic vegetable gardening since you get to imagine what sort of vegetables you will see shooting up from your new garden. There are many organic vegetable seeds available for sale from retailers both online and offline. In fact, there are so many seeds to choose from that some people find themselves completely overwhelmed by their options.

If you are someone that has never grown vegetables before then it is important that you stick to vegetables that are easy to grow. Even though they might be vegetables that you have not usually eaten before or never thought about growing you might be surprised by the results. A good organic gardening book is helpful. Many organic gardeners have found that vegetables they usually hated when purchased canned or frozen, taste delicious when harvested from their own backyard. The following are a few vegetables that are easy to go organically and often a delicious treat.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a popular vegetable to grow at home because they can grow well in all climates. There are many different varieties of tomatoes available, many of which do not require any stakes or fences to grow against. Cherry tomatoes are especially popular because they are usually expensive in stores but are great in salads and served as appetizers in many recipes.

When growing organic tomatoes it is important that they get enough water and sunlight. In order to get the best results and the largest harvest possible you must be sure to pick your tomatoes as soon as they ripen.

Chilies & Peppers

Peppers are a great organic vegetable to grow if you are working with a small amount of space or growing vegetables in pots or containers. They will grow well and will grow almost all year round if the conditions are right. Peppers do not have to be harvested as soon as they appear ripe. This means that you can wait and pick your peppers as you need them.

When you do want to harvest all your peppers storage is very easy. They can be dried by placing them in a dark, dry, place with lots of air (an attic) for a few weeks. If you do not have a good place to dry peppers and chilies, they will often keep if stored in a tight glass jar. Remember that a good organic gardening guide is a useful resource to help you get started.

Zucchini

Zucchini and most squash/pumpkins are great for first organic vegetable gardening project. They are easy to plant and grow very quickly which means you do not have to wait a long time to actually start seeing results. Many people feel as if their zucchinis grow literally overnight.

When growing Zucchini and other squash it is important that you or your family members pick them right away. This will help encourage new plants to grow and will leave you with a large harvest. If you are growing pumpkins then you should wait to harvest them until all of the vines have died.

Peas

Peas are a favorite vegetable for many children so growing organic peas is a great idea if you are growing food for a family. Peas are another vegetable that will grow in extremely large amounts and will grow from spring, through summer, and even into winter. In some climates peas will grow nearly all year round making them a great source of fresh, organic, food.

When growing peas it is important that the plants have support usually in the form of a stake or support that can be found at a plant supply store or nursery. Peas must be watered often and watched constantly for weeds. Too many weeds will quickly ruin your crop of peas so weed them often and carefully.

Turnips

Turnips are another vegetable that grow quickly and easily. Both the root and the leaves can be eaten and turnips are great raw, roasted, boiled, or mashed. When growing turnips the only thing you have to remember is to water them often since turnips need a lot of water to grow.

Corn

If you have the space for it corn is a great vegetable to plant. Roasted or grilled corn is great addition to any meal and watching a corn crop ripen is a wonderful sight. Plus the corn stalks can later be used as compost!

When growing corn you have got to be sure the seeds are planted at least 15 inches apart. Make sure the seeds are well fertilized with compost when they are first planted and again in another two weeks. You will be able to start enjoying your fresh organic corn after the first silks appear.

Beets

Beets will grow beautifully in a well fertilized area and fresh organic beets will always be much better than anything you will find in a can or even in the grocery store. When growing beets always make sure there is enough mulch down to keep the soil warm in the cool months and cool in the summer. Make sure you harvest all of your beets before the first frost comes.

Potatoes

Seed potatoes are easy to plant and even easier to grow. Weed and hoe often for best results and it is best to plant them in larger organic gardens. Planting potatoes with your other crops will often help discourage some insects and children love digging potatoes in the fall.

Carrots

Plant your carrot seeds in early spring and once you have harvested the first crop you can always plant more. As long as the soil is loose and deep enough you can get carrots to grow. Fresh organic carrots are a great addition to any garden.

Green Beans

Planting green beans can help save you money if you are a parent or person that buys canned green beans often. Green beans can be planted as soon as the cold weather breaks and there is no chance of the ground freezing or the plants frosting. You can purchase seeds that will grow in a bush or those that will grow against a pole or stake. For smaller gardens it is usually easier to plant pole green beans.

Lettuce

Lettuce is an easy must have if you are a salad eater. There are many varieties available and lettuce should be planted before the weather gets too warm. The hot summer weather will cause your lettuce to wilt quickly but during the cool spring your lettuce will thrive.

Radish

Radishes are another great vegetable for salad eaters and one of the first vegetables a new organic gardener should try. They are easy to plant and can be grown all through summer and into the fall.

Spring Onions

Spring onions are easy to plant since they only need a lot of water to grow. They are a great garnish to any dish AND planting onions around your garden border will help discourage pests.

You can see that organic gardening for beginners is not so hard to do. The key thing in organic vegetable gardening is too be patient and carefully nurture your plants. And remember that even in a urban environment you can make your own compost, so keep all the cuttings from your vegetable garden.

Organic Gardening Products – A Healthier Option For You And The Garden!

People worldwide are becoming increasingly health conscious and want their food to be naturally grown. They need the fruits and vegetables that they consume not only to be free of chemicals, pesticides and other synthetic products, but also require them to be grown the organic way – treated with natural products, right down to the soil that they have been planted in.

This new organic frenzy has arisen because people now think about what harmful effects the chemicals and pesticides sprayed in their food crop must have done over the years. People want a healthier lifestyle now and are more aware on how to make it like that. Research has shown support to the organic theory which also points out to the adverse effects of using synthetic products and pesticides in the food crops, i.e. fruits and vegetables – among these include the root causes of many diseases, including some types of cancer.

An organic gardening product is a natural product that is free of any synthetic components such as chemicals and pesticides. Organic methods use alternatives to chemically made pesticides – they use natural products which are home grown and prove beneficial to the plants without any of the adverse effects of chemicals involved in any part of the process. They create a healthy cycle in which by keeping pests away naturally, they make plants healthy, thereby increasing the plants’ immunity to diseases, thus enhancing the health of the plants.

This is akin to the human immune system. Organic gardening products are not restricted to just the plants or the soil that they are planted in, but everything that affects the plant and/or is around the plant (the environment). Even everything that touches the plant is inclusive of this. Examples include gloves for weeding and planting, plant food, aprons, seeds, compost products, etc. Organically grown plants do not contain any harmful and dangerous chemicals and are overall healthier than their counterparts who are sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, not to mention other synthetic products.

This type of natural and organic gardening is healthier for both the human population, community and the environment at large. People are now much more concerned about what quality of food they are consuming and organic gardening is a boon for the health conscious eater, saving him or her from chemically induced allergies, lung problems, cancer or emphysema. Organic gardening is the modern answer to this very urgent demand of healthy and completely natural, chemical free food.