Eight Major Benefits For Successful Organic Gardening

 

What exactly is organic gardening and why would you want to do it?

People who choose to go the organic route, when it comes to growing their own food, think of their plants as part of a whole system within nature that starts with the soil and includes the water supply, compost, wildlife and insects.

An organic gardener tries, as much as possible, to work in harmony with nature and not use such things as synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their plants, and also to continually replenish any resources that the garden consumes.

I have outlined seven tips below to help you get the most from your organic gardening efforts.

1. Compost can easily be made from kitchen and other garden waste. Though this is more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps by putting garbage to good use.

2. Chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health are not used during organic gardening. This is especially important when growing fruits and vegetables.

We are told by the chemical companies that the chemicals and toxins we use are safe and, if used according to their directions, have no harmful effects on us. On the flip side, independent research shows that even small amounts of chemicals absorbed through the skin can cause various medical conditions, especially in young children.

A child ingests, on average, four to five times more pesticides from foods than an adult, and this can lead to disease later on in the child's life. These incidents are virtually eliminated when the food is grown organically.

3. Less harm is caused to the environment. Chemicals and toxins are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the wildlife that lives there. Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations of wildlife and humans alike.

4.Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion. The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated thirty billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.

5. A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.

6. Cost savings. You do not not need to buy expensive chemical fertilizers and pesticides when gardening organically. Many organic recipes for the control of pests and plant diseases come straight from the kitchen cupboard and other garden waste.

7. In some cases, other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from fruit and vegetables.

8. Mixing one cup of cooking oil with one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put three tablespoons of this mixture in one quart of water and spray on the plants.

Organic gardening is a worthwhile endeavour and the more people who practice it, the better for our environment and over-all well-being. When we garden organically, we are taking from nature and giving back all at the same time.

Hydroponic Gardens By Jane Hartman

 

When you lack the land for a traditional garden, consider one of the hydroponic gardening systems in order to raise vegetables indoors.

Hydroponics gardening techniques were brought into modern agricultural practice with the invention of nutrient additives and formulas in the early 1900s. Originally hydroponic gardening utilized water as the growing medium. Today hydroponic gardeners use various other forms for growing medium.

There are six basic types of hydroponics growing medium systems in use today: wick, water culture, drip, ebb and flow, nutrient film technique and aeroponic. There are other growing mediums available today but the are variations of these six basic types of hydroponics.

Hydroponics Gardening Wick Systems
Of the hydroponic gardening systems the most suitable for indoor gardening is the wick system. Most indoor gardeners prefer wick systems as the simplest ways to grow plants. The wick system is passive, so it has no moving parts. Growing plants using the wick method is very simple. A wick is simply placed into a container of nutrient solution. The wick draws the nutrient solution into the growing medium, so there is no need for any additional moving parts.

Other components of the wick hydroponic gardening system usually include:

• Growing medium
• Growing tray
• Hydroponics system air pump
• An air stone

To use the wick hydroponics system, you ll need to include a growing and rooting medium. Perlite, vermiculite and Pro Mix are commonly used for grow medium with hydroponic gardening systems. The major problem with the wick system is that plants requiring large amounts of water may use up the nutrient solution faster than the wick can supply it.

Ebb and Flow
This hydroponics gardening system is also known as the flood and drain method, The ebb and flow indoor system works by temporarily flooding the grow tray with nutrient solution, and then draining the solution out of the tray and back into the nutrient solution holding tank. A submerged pump run by a timer is responsible for continuously cycling the nutrient solution. The timer turns the pump on, and the nutrient solution is pumped into the grow tray. Then, when the timer shuts the pump off, the nutrient solution flows back into the holding tank. This process is carefully timed, and repeated several times throughout the day. The size and type of plants, humidity, temperature and the type of growing medium used can all affect the number of times the hydroponics system will ebb and flow.

Water Culture System
Another easy hydroponic gardening system that is simple to set up is the water culture system. Components include:

• a floating platform
• air line
• air stone
• air pump

The floating platform acts as a foundation system and holds plants in place while the roots dangle in the nutrient solution. The air pump is located outside of the tank and pumps air through the line to the air stone. The air stone, in turn, aerates or bubbles through the nutrient solution, providing oxygen for the plant roots.

An ideal plant to grow using the water culture hydroponics system is leaf lettuce. Leaf lettuce is a plant that grows quickly and requires a lot of water, making it a good match for this type of hydroponics system.

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Growing Fruit And Vegetables In Your Greenhouse By Gabriel Ash

 

Adding a greenhouse to your garden will give you the chance to grow your favourite plants all year round, including a variety of fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cucumbers and aubergines are just a few of the many types of fruit and vegetables that you can grow in your greenhouse.

Growing your own fruit and vegetables gives you the chance to enjoy a wide variety of food and can be particularly beneficial to those who opt to grow their fruit and vegetables organically. Organic fruit and vegetables provide a wide variety of health benefits. You can also keep your fruit and vegetables healthy by using organic methods of pest removal in order to avoid harmful chemicals.

In order to successfully grow your own fruit and vegetables, it is important to be aware of what your plants need. Be sure to add plenty of ventilation to your greenhouse and install extra heating if you think your plants need it. If you are a beginner, then you may wish to invest in a set of cold frames, which are ideal for tomatoes and easy to use. Cold frames come with a hinged lid, making it easy for you to care for your plants.

In addition to fruit and vegetables, you can also grow a variety of herbs in your greenhouse, which is ideal for those who love home cooking. Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs will provide you with a variety of fresh ingredients that you, your friends and family can enjoy all year round.

When growing your own fruit and vegetables, it is important to ensure that you provide them with enough care and attention. They will need to be watered regularly and provided with plenty of ventilation during summer. Be sure to research the needs of your plants before you start growing them. You will also need to make sure that you keep your fruit and vegetables safe from pests. Pests can be removed by blasts of water or sticky traps, which are a great alternative to pest removal sprays that contain harmful chemicals.

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