organic food gardening tips

Sunday 12 October 2008

Gardening's Most Valuable Advice

Gardening's Most Valuable Advice

Many people may not be aware that gardening can actually harm the environment. A large amount of carbon dioxide can be released through tilling the soil. This contributes to global warming. When you cultivating and compacting the soil, destroys good fungi. Fertilizers like nitrogen and manure often leach out of the soil and pollute the water you drink.

Global warming

Did you know that the earth's soil gives out carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 10 times more than all human activity? This comes from the pill bugs, microbes, fungi and worms when they breathe, digest food and then die. Although in the past plants have been capable of absorbing carbon dioxide caused by small-scale tillages, this isn't the case nowadays.
The increase of the globe's average temperature is because of the carbon dioxide the soil emits when tilled. The good news is that tilling can be minimized by mulching or sheet composting.

Good Fungi

In untilled soil, there is beneficial fungi known as the vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM for short. VAM actually forms a symbiotic relationship with plants. Their filaments increase root hairs and provide nutrients to the plant. They give out zinc, copper, potassium and phosphorus. Plants provide carbohydrates for the fungi in return. It is possible to grow a garden without tilling the soil at all by mulching heavily until the soil is soft and friable.

Surplus Nitrogen

Many gardeners waste nitrogen and manures; farmers do otherwise. Farmers only need a quarter to a third of nitrogen to mix with an inch of compost, horse, or cow manure. Kate Burroughs of Sebastopol California, uses the same rule for her home-grown lettuce and sweet corns. When it comes to broccoli and pear trees, farmers only need a small amount. Notice that gardeners apply larger amounts of compost and manure than farmers. Obviously, they are not only wasting their fertilizer but also their money.

The best gardening advice that can be given to those concerned is to do all things with moderation. Keep in mind that too little and too much of something is not healthy. This is the most valuable advice one can have in gardening.

Sunday 5 October 2008

Beginners Guide To Organic Gardening

Organic horticulture could be an excellent pursuit, more so for people who enjoy gardening as an idea. This is a hobby, which some people take up, so you are one of those lucky ones, who can make things grow! Organic horticulture has various facets to it, which you need to be well-known with, for instance, what type of soil you have, what you want to produce on them, and how you would tend for the plants.


All this may seem confusing to a beginner but if you are an experienced hand, then these aspects are already well-known to you and you could comfortably start the organic way to produce things. This method of gardening is tougher than regular horticulture as much more drive and labor is necessary to do it this way.


The basic rule of organic gardening is that you will only use synthetic products where it is absolutely necessary. This involves using important tools like pesticides and fertilizer. Secure all that you need for your horticulture from the earth and then use them for your efforts. These elements will help you to produce something new: flowers, vegetables or whatever greens you may want to grow. Hopefully you are getting what we are trying to say, and that is this is one way to work in conjunction with nature.


Organic fertilizers


If you are curious if this is at all feasible, it is, and you are there to make it. You can make your very own compost from the materials found in your garden. You could conveniently use, fallen leaves and dead branches and animal manure but a lot would be based on the type used and other factors.


Organic Pesticides


Organic horticulture requires least use of chemical substance pesticides. Usually handpicking of several insects is not possible so go to the local store and ask for organic pesticide, which are easily available. The traditional way is to keep a watch on your garden and as soon as some worms and other insects are located, kill them. You should only turn to the organic pesticides when it gets too much and difficult - and you can no longer handle it. Another way is to let in animals, which love to eat these garden pests. This way, you'll have some help in cleaning those pests up and this also helps the other animals satisfy their hunger.


As a pursuit, this might be time consuming so if you cannot devote enough time into it, might as well find a collaborator or drop the idea until you have found the right time to carry on with the tasks. Organic horticulture involves a lot of labor and effort, so you must be ready to go through the grind. To ease your tiredness when you are already into it too deep, just think that what you are doing is serving nature. This is your way of paying back what nature has bestowed on you since the day you were born.


Beginners Guide To Organic Gardening