Sep
Growing Your Own Organic Veggies
One item to keep in mind when growing veggies naturally, you have to begin with quality soil. This can be easily obtained by the use of compost & organic fertilizer. All time, monies & energies put into your soil to enrich it will reward you with an abundance of great tasting veggies. There is more. The cost of organic veggies is substantially more than regular veggies, so going organically is a big plus. Growing your own organic vegetables garden also means having chemical free food.
Experience working with organic gardens has shown gardeners this is the best way to maintain a budding garden. This practice is also help-fulin protecting your animal friends.
Compost creates very fertile soil. You can use most any type of organic matter that you can find; add leaves, twigs, garbage such as potato peels, lettuce leaves, onion peelings & what ever fruit or veggie discards you have. Determine where you’ll put your compost pile, somewhere off to the side or corner of your lot or yard. Some people prefer to build a bin, but that is not necessary. Dig the earth a few inches deep- 3 to 4 inches. There is more. This will expose soil bacteria to give the mulch a good start. The first layer is called a hot layer & should be composed of garbage & if possible some manure, which can be purchased at your local feed store or home hardware. Layer this about 2 inches deep.
Something else to consider is green matter; old leaves, weeds, trimming from bushes, etc. A thin layer of granite dust, rock phosphate or other trace additives- again check at local stores. There is more. Top this with an inch of soil- preferably organic. Begin again layering in the same way.
The compost pile requires frequent watering as the heat of decomposition dries it out & stops the composting action after a few days. Be careful not to over water, just keep the pile moist.
Using a shovel or pitch fork, you should turn the pile twice or two times the first two weeks. There is more. The turning helps air get inside the compost. Then turn once a month to keep the compost cooking. If possible have the compost pile at least 4 to 5 feet high.
Let’s discuss another solution to chemical fertilizers. It is true that chemical fertilizers are less expensive to buy than organic fertilizers. There is more. They give you quick plant growth & an abundant yield, but their side effects can be devastating. Chemical fertilizers are made from by-products of petro-chemicals, soil & strong acid.
Proven in laboratory tests, chemical fertilizers are know to lower the nutritional content of vegetables. In the West & Southwest, all dry areas, the use of chemical fertilizers is causing the ground to become more compact. Chemical super phosphate treated with sulfuric acid to make it more soluble. Used in man made fertilizers takes a long time to breakdown & the salts formed from them causes the ground to become more compact & ultimately cause erosion.
For your health & the environment, refrain from using chemical fertilizers. Do not poison Mother Earth or yourself. Cultivate a garden that is beneficial & rewarding- garden organically.
As an on line author for OrganicGardenTip.com website, Shya writes about backyard & organic gardening to provide help-fultips & information as found in the article Growing Your Own Organic Veggies Garden.
