Organic Gardening for Beginners

Anyone that has paid any attention to home and gardening shows over the past several years can tell you that organic gardening is becoming more and more popular. In fact, it often seems like you can't even hear about anything garden related without hearing about the benefits of organic gardening. Unfortunately, many people believe that organic gardening is such an extremely complex and involved way of growing plants and vegetables, that many don't even want to attempt to try it out. The truth is that organic gardening for beginners couldn't be easier. All you really need to do is understand the basics, and you should have a good grasp of what is involved in this type of gardening.

• Nutrients are important. As with most things in life, the better you feed your plants the better they will grow. In order to feed the plants you will need to prepare the soil so that it is ready for your plants. If possible, take a sample of your soil to your local county extension office and ask for a soil test. This will let you know what may be wrong with the soil, and what areas you need to work on to improve it. Some examples of ways that you can improve are by adding mulch, compost, or other natural substances to the mix.
• Prevention is better than cure. Since you won't be using chemical pesticides and herbicides, you will need to do all that you can to prevent a problem from actually starting. One example of what you can do is to provide some space between the plants, keep them from getting crowded. Another example of what you can do is to simply keep your garden clean. You would be amazed at how many garden problems can be traced back to a messy garden. Finally, if you even think that you may have a problem, do something about it immediately. Don't wait, take action.
• K.I.S.S. There is an acronym that has long gone around military circles that applies to just about all walks of life, including the garden. That acronym is Keep It Simple Stupid. This basically means that you should always try the simplest solutions first. For example, if you happen to see a bunch of aphids crawling around in your garden, is to spray them off with water or at most a solution of liquid dish soap and some garlic infused mineral oil. Another common sense, though time consuming, solution is to simply pick up the problem with your hands and remove them.