Organic Gardening Tips

Many people wonder how organic farmers and gardeners keep their crops fertilized and protect their livestock and plants from pests and diseases. Organic farmers spend their careers by building a type of extremely healthy soil that keeps air circulating and water processing through the dirt. This soil is mostly made out of compost, and use gardening techniques such as crop rotation to effectively rid their area of weeds. Most of their protection from pests comes from barriers and traps, left to confuse birds and prevent bugs from damaging the plant life. Not only are these techniques easy and safe to use, they yield a healthier outcome for you and your plant life.

Pest Problems

I spent the day today with one of my friends who has her own garden growing on her front porch. She was having problems with birds getting to her tomato plants and destroying her fruits and vegetables before she got to them; so we lined her mini garden with something terrifying to birds: aluminum foil. If you're on a low budget, this is perfect for keeping birds and other unwanted visitors to the garden. Simply fold squares of foil and tie them to string-most birds are afraid of reflective surfaces, and will not venture near your plants upon seeing the foil. Another thing that is great to use for protecting your garden against larger animals such as deer is fishing line-deer cannot see a fence of fishing line, and they get scared upon feeling something they cannot see. Happy gardening!

Sweet Potato Pie

One of my favorite recipes for any time during the year is sweet potato pie. This treat, served primarily during Thanksgiving, can be homemade from sweet potatoes (which are not to be confused with yams), by mashing into a pudding texture and baked with brown sugar. Potatoes should be germinated indoors for the best care, and then transplanted outside for later growth. They are full grown at around nine inches, and can be harvested for food any time after they reach this length. Simply mash, sprinkle with brown sugar and milk, and bake for one hour for a delicious dessert!

Watermelon

Ready for some seed-spitting fun? Time to get started growing watermelon! These enormous fruits need plenty of sun in order to yield large plants with rewarding results. Watermelon usually need 80 to 100 days to reach maturity, and should be planted far apart due to their size. If you are sowing seeds outside, they should be eight to ten feet apart for the best results. If you are planning on going through the germination phase indoors, it is recommended that you plant the seeds in individual pots or containers. Have a great time with your watermelon parties!

Happy Fourth of July!

One of my favorite fourth of July treats are red ripe strawberries. Growing up as a kid, I always looked forward to the day that my family would drive down the old gravel road to the strawberry farm, so that me and my siblings could roam the several acres of land competing for the largest, ripest strawberry. Now you can grow your own! Strawberries can grow in a bed in several acres of land, or on a patio setting. A tip for the germination stage of strawberries is to cover their roots with fine soil or even sand-this helps them absorb the correct amount of water needed for growth. I hope you all have a fabulous holiday weekend, and enjoy your gardens!

Summer Squash

Looking for a perfect summer vegetable to grow? Try squash! Squash is a plant that grows best during the summer, and the great part about it is that it grows in just fifty days! Squash is ranked as one of the easiest plants to grow for beginner gardeners, and can be bought as a plant or in seed form. One of my favorite recipes is squash sauteed in garlic and butter. It's the perfect summer snack, and one that can make you and your friends satisfied and ready for the celebrations for the fourth of July!

Greens are a special treat...

Like many vegetables, spinach holds large amounts of vitamins and minerals. Rich in both vitamins A, C, and potassium, this leafy plant grows best in cool weather; and the darker the leaf the better. Spinach is a plant that is crossbred so that there are no longer defining lines of species for the plant. Baby spinach is a very fun plant to grow, and the best part is that this vegetable is that it tastes delicious no matter how you eat it; cooked or raw!