Tag: Groceries

Getting Started on Organic Gardening

More and more people are getting into organic gardening because it is more environment-friendly, more healthy, a wonderful pastime and can help them save money by having all the crops they need in the backyard. If you are one of those people who are planning to have their own organic garden, here are some helpful tips for you:

1. Decide the crops that you want. Since you are into organic gardening, it is best to if you start with seeds first. Today, there are so many available seeds in most groceries and markets. But, you cannot just grab a pack of seeds without considering if it will grow in your environment. For starters, it is best to stick with vegetables and beans to try what is suited for your site condition. Once you have determined which are the plants suited for the condition of your site, then you can purchase other seeds that you want to grow.

2. Prepare the proper containers. In organic gardening, there is no need for expensive and special containers. As long as these are tapered, then it would do your plant good. When you decide to go into organic gardening, check out your kitchen first. If you can find old yogurt containers, empty juice and milk cartons, tubes of potato chips, cans of sauces and juices, and slightly damaged pails or dipper, you can clean then up and start filling them with clay and other organic matter to prepare for seed planting.

If you dont have any of the mentioned containers, you can always buy in the nearest supermarket nut make sure that these have tapered sides so the crop can easily slip out. Aside from containers that are at least 3 inches deep, other container options for you include flats or shallow trays but these are not advisable if you plan to plant two or more kinds of plants because the roots may be tangled and would lead to the death of the crop.

Make sure that the containers are very well cleaned using lukewarm water dashed with chlorine bleach to ensure that the germs are killed inside. After washing, leave it on the open air to let it dry. (TIP: If you can let it dry directly under the sun, it will be best because all the residues will be removed.)

3. Be sure to have ready packets of planting mix. Planting mixes help seeds to sprout very well that is why you should always have extra packets for your organic gardening. It is best if you use planting mixes that are sterile because they are safe for your plants and for you as well.

4. Label each container properly. Since seeds look alike when they sprout, it is best if all the containers are labeled properly. Aside from making it easy for you to identify which is which, labeling is also crucial to avoid planting the same seed over again.

5. Let there always be light. If you are into organic gardening, make sure that there is plenty of air and light available. If natural sunlight is not available in your area, try to create a makeshift light source such as a fluorescent light bulb or tube that can be brought in most grocery and hardware stores. Make sure that you place them properly so the sprouts can get all the light they need to grow healthy.

Long-Term Plans for Planting Vegetable Gardens

Long-term Plans for Planting Vegetable Gardens

A lot of people are beginning to see the benefits of planting vegetable gardens. Its usually healthier because you get to decide whether or not to use commercial pesticide on them. Since vegetable gardens are typically manageable in size because theyre not grown for profit, its easier for people to manage the plot without having to resort to using commercial pesticides. Vegetable gardens also assure you of fresh produce because theres no need to pick the vegetables and refrigerate it. Vegetables stay fresh as long as you dont pick it from your garden, except if it becomes overripe. Aside from health reasons, planting vegetable gardens is also economical because the produce is not going to be as expensive as those that you buy from markets or groceries.

People who have been successful in planting vegetable gardens usually know that you cant keep growing only one type of vegetable in a garden. Its usually more advisable to rotate crops instead of planting only one kind of vegetable year in and out. Rotating crops will make sure that the micro nutrients in the soil will be preserved, and that diseases will not build up in soil particulates.

Planting vegetable gardens take some careful planning on your part, and also an understanding on plant families to know which vegetable types are compatible with each other. These are some examples of groups that can be considered compatible and are safe to be rotated together:

Alliums – onions, leeks, shallots, and the likes Crucifers – such as radishes, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, and the likes Brassicas – brussel sprouts, mustards, cabbages, kale and the likes Legumes – peas and beans Cucurbits – cucumbers, squashes, melons, etcetera Solanaceae – peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and the likes Mescluns – arugula, endive, radiccio, etcetera

Rotating vegetables of the same family would also mean that (more often than not) they would be susceptible to the same kind of pests. This makes pest control a bit more manageable for you since you dont have to adjust to different types of pests for different families of vegetables.

Vegetables such as asparagus, rhubarbs, and other perennial vegetables must not be rotated. They should be planted separately because of this. The more hardy and semi-annual vegetables can be rotated yearly so that no family of vegetables is planted in the same bed for four years. If you have done some planning before planting vegetable gardens, a small plot would like similar to this: four beds for plants that can be rotated, and one bed for perennial, non-rotating plants.

It would also be ideal for people who planning on planting vegetable gardens to spread out the kinds of vegetables they plant so that they dont harvest too much of the same vegetable in one season. You wouldnt want to be stuck with too many cucumbers in one season, would you? Throughout the growing season, try and plant varying types of short-season vegetables so that youll be assured of many different types of vegetables throughout the season.

If you really plan to get the most out of planting vegetable gardens, its best if you do your research first. Check which plants go together, check whether you have enough space to rotate your plants, check which plants you can actually rotate to prevent poisoning and depleting the nutrients of the soil, and spread out the type of vegetables you plant so you wont have too much of the same thing for the whole planting season.