Steps to successfully transform your garden
Traditional gardens are becoming a thing of the past as many home gardeners are embarking upon a new journey that is going organic because of the emphasis which is being placed on food production in relation to our health. This has sparked great interest because there are many ways that have and are being looked upon of how we can grow better quality food crops that will sustain our health.
In the past, there have been so many horrors stories of food crops, medical reports have shown that some illness can be traced back not so much as to how foods were prepared but how they were grown. The key to growing organic is that you are in total control of how your food crop is grown, nothing gives a more pleasurable feeling than to know that you did not only grow your own food crops but you grew them in such a way that will promote good health.
You may have a garden already but decided to grow organic, now the question probably in your mind is how to take your existing garden and turned it into a garden that is fit for a king and a queen as well? The good news is you can make the switch though it will take some planning and work this work is worth your effort because we cannot put a price tag on our health which is so important. So if you are ready to GROW ORGANIC then let’s GO as we work together to grow quality food crops.
Creating a list, what we will be looking at
- The Soil
- Adding soil amendments
- Seeds and plants
- Earthworms
- Weeds
- Insects
- The advantages of rainwater and rain barrels
- The use of pesticides
The Soil
Garden soil is so important to plant life, it does not matter how garden plants may differ as far as the soil type and the ph is concerned we can all agree that the building block or the foundation of having a successful garden starts with the soil. To often the soil is just looked upon as being soil and technically that is correct but then there is a big difference. For more on garden soil follow this link garden soil natures gold.
Adding soil amendments
Converting to an organic garden means adding the proper amendments such as cow, chicken, and horse manure. These manures, however, can be pretty expensive, a better way to go which can save you lots of money is by starting your own compost pile. The use of kitchen scraps such as vegetables, fruits, and fruit peel, etc.. will greatly improve and build your soil.
Starting a compost pile is pretty simple. After your compost is finished begin to incorporate it into your garden soil and around garden plants, when placing around plants be careful not to disturb or damage the roots, work the compost to a depth of about one and a half to two inches into the soil. Adding compost to your garden soil over a period of time will build your soil so this will take time but it is worth the effort. You can continue to build your compost pile by repeating the process this way you will have almost an endless supply of compost.
When using manure ensure that it is completely dry before placing it around plants because fresh manure can burn the roots of plants. Manures can be applied every 2-3 months.
Earthworms
Earthworms are like gold when it comes to building garden soils, these worms are truly a gem and will do wonders. Worms have been used in the garden for their casting to condition garden soil. For more on worm casting and how this process works follow this link on how to harvest worm casting for your garden.
Seeds and plants
Purchasing organic seeds and plants will get your organic garden off to a good start. Both seeds and plants can be purchased from your garden center and plant nursery.
Weeds
Weeds can become a real pain especially during the rainy season, it is alright to apply herbicides in areas where there are no edible plants such as spot spraying along driveways, sidewalks, garden walkways, etc.. but when it comes to edible gardens the use of weed killers is a BIG NO, NO. Weed killers are harmful and drift off can come in contact with edible plants.
The use of a garden hoe or weeding hand is a great way though, labors can keep your food crops free of herbicides. There are two ways to make your job of weeding a lot easier first of staying on top of things and what that means is to keep an eye out for weeds have a schedule as a reminder. This way you can get a jump on weeds, this will require some effort the good part, however, is by making this a routine will make the elimination of weeds a breeze, the more time spent in your garden weeding the more weed-free your garden will be.
The use of a black mat
The use of a black mat is another way to go, this method works much easier on a garden that is in the construction stage. The mat goes down first covering the entire garden area next, the soil hopefully weed-free is placed on top of this black mat. This material will suppress weeds and keep them down for a long period. Any weed seed that may be introduced by the wind, or carried by bird droppings, or by the feet of animals can easily be weeded out. These mats can be purchased from your garden center.
Insects
The last thing anyone would want to see in their gardens are insects except for the beneficial ones. Garden insect pests can become a real menace but what we must remember is that having and maintaining an organic means we must stay clear of these pesticides no matter how tempting because food crops can be contaminated.
Biological control is a safe way to go, the use of beneficial insects is a safe method because these insects are the good guys that feed not on our garden plants but on the garden insect pests which will seek to make a meal out of our garden plants. The two ways in which we can approach these methods are either installing plants that encourage beneficial insects into our gardens or purchasing them from our garden center and plant nursery releasing them into our gardens.
The use of pesticides
There are some pesticides that can be used that is considered to be safe on food crops some of these pesticides are
- Neem Oils
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Epsom Salt Pesticide
- SeaWeed Spray
Making your own homemade plant-friendly remedies is also a good way to go.
The advantages of rainwater and rain barrels
There is nothing like a cool fresh drink of water especially on a hot summer’s day to quench your thirst. Plants also need water to survive, the use of rainwater vs tap water is that rainwater is much better because rainwater if collected from your rooftop and stored in rain barrels contains traces of organic matter, rainwater is also slightly acidic which makes it great for garden plants, rainwater contains a micro-nutrient which known as nitrate that is so important to the development of plant life also rainwater is free of salts and other chemicals that are found in groundwater. Investing in a rain barrel will help greatly in your organic garden.
The Final word
Converting your existing garden to an organic garden, where you can grow the best quality crop, is a great investment. You can’t put a price tag on good health, these gardens are being constructed on a large scale as homeowners are educated on growing healthy food crops. Nature is our pharmacy and because of this we can heal naturally by eating healthy foods or by maintaining our health by going this way, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain with this lifestyle why not give it a try and reap the benefits of good health.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
I am in the fortunate position to have a large vegetable garden and we keep it all organic, so I loved seeing this article. Organic fruit and vegetables are the best and if we do have to spray for pests, we normally use neem oil. We plant quite a lot of onion between other vegetables as that acts as a natural deterrent for many garden pests as well. I will certainly try the epsom salt spray as I have never heard of that before. If I lived closer to the ocean then I would also make seaweed spray, so great suggestions for me.
It is so good to hear that you are into organics because this is the way to go. How wonderful to eat foods that are all natural. Thanks so much for sharing and I am so happy that I could help. Have a good day.
Hi Norman!
It is a great idea to convert the existing garden into an organic one. The healthy food is a natural medicine and as more, you eat it the better. Knowing the praxis, tools an procedures of maintaining such a garden can be real science.
Your valuable tips will help a lot.
Thanks for sharing!
Best regards,
Igor
Hello Igor, going organic is really great and beneficial. Converting a garden is not hard and it is worth the time and the investment. So happy to help.
Hi Norman,
What an interesting article published by you again, this time about making a garden organic.
I am particularly interested in organic food and being a vegan I make sure my meals are fresh and nutritious. In this in mind, I grow most of my vegetables in the backyard in a vegetable patch. I love spending time there, but I am changed by snails and other bugs eat leaves from time to time.
I notice you provide some peptides options but wander out of them you have any specific recommendation for snail management?
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us.
Best wishes in writing more for us.
Hello, again it is good to see that you have chosen to live the healthy lifestyle wish more would do they seem. Snails can become a real big issue, I remember having this issue at one time and it was not a good one. The use of using crushed dry eggshells can help. Just crash the dry eggshells and spread them in your garden area.
The jagged edges of the shells will cut into the snail’s body which is painful. This will keep them away and as the eggshells break down will add calcium to the soil. Here is an article that I wrote on eggshell in the garden. Hope this helps. Base on the size of your garden you may need lots of dried crushed eggshells
https://staging-gardenofedengardencenter.siterubix.com/eggshells-in-the-garden
Hand picking them I know is a lot of work but this method is safe and it works. Spreading coffee ground around your plants will also help. So happy to help and please let me know how it goes.
Your Blog on how to convert to an organic garden was quite a revelation to me. I had no idea that one needed to start with organic seeds and plants. And that rain water was so beneficial to pants. Soil preparation using self generated compost together with earth worms was great information.
I like how you addressed the issue of weeds and insects through the importance of avoiding unhealthy weed and insect spray. Staying on top of weeding as well as introducing plants that attract good insects that kill off the bad ones that destroy the plants was such a great idea.
This was a very well written Blog with relevant pictures. The only additions to consider is to state what was the growing season in the region you lived. Then give an idea what this time period is in other parts of the world. Great job indeed!
Hello, Edwin so happy to hear from you and thanks so much for those kind words you have made my day. I will look into the advice you have given me. All the best of success and have a good day.