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Many of us know and realise that the chemicals that are in food and skincare probably aren’t doing us any good, which is why many people are choosing more natural options, as well as vegan and cruelty-free products, so that no life is harmed in the making or use of the product. But do we often apply that same logic to the things that we use to clean our homes with, or that we use to clean and grow our gardens? There are many things in our gardens that are going to be better suited for being organic, so it is really important to think about that and how you can implement it in your garden.
If you are someone that looks for more ways to live organically and chooses green house cleaning as well as other natural products in your life, then it makes sense that you’d want your outside space to be the same. So with that in mind, here are some of the ways that you can grow vegetables and flowers in your garden in a nice and organic way; making them better for you, for nature, wildlife, and the environment.
Your first battle that you have might be with the weeds that are growing outside. No doubt in the past you have used chemicals as a way of fighting weeds and stopping them from growing, as that is what is normally done. Weeds are the things that compete with the other plants in the garden for light and food, so they can overtake others if they are not controlled or taken care of. You may be able to simply dig the weeds out if the plot is fairly small (right from the root to make sure that they stay away). But if the growing areas is quite large, then what are the best natural and organic options?
For starters, there is no need necessarily to clear the whole area before you start planting, especially if the space is pretty vast. It can take hours and hours of pulling them out of a large plat, only to see more growing back within days. The key things for an organic space is to avoid the toxic sprays, as although they will kill the weeds, those toxins are going to make their way to your plants and vegetable patch. So a good idea can be to divide the plot in half, and dig one side and get it ready for planting, making it weed-free. In the other side, you can then feed the soil by using an organic mulch so that it covers the soil and blocks light, preventing things from growing. For example:
- For the plot that is half mulched, cut down any of the larger weed foliage so that it is just above the level of the soil level, using a slash technique. Then you can cover the area with mulch, so that it blocks or stops the light. You can use different materials to make this happen, such as using a layer of compost, or perhaps even maure. Then in an effort to block the light, you could top with some cardboard, that can then be weighted down with more compost or manure. You can get gardener’s membranes too that can be pinned down and that can stop weeds.
- Simply leave it for up to a year; it really is that simple and you don’t have to do anything to it, and the natural occurring processes and nature, like earthworms, can help to make the soil enriched.
- As for the area where you want things to start growing, you can dig that area up to get it ready. Remove anything tough or weedy, and pull out all roots. Put the foliage on the the compost heap, make sure that you water it plenty, and then add that to the compost heap.
- The next step is to add compost or manure. So start by digging this compost into the top part of the prepared soil, and your plot will be ready for natural and organic planting. Sowing seeds can be made easier by using a rake to breakdown the soil and help the seeds to take root.
- If you are growing in containers, though, then it can be a little easier to prepare the organic mulch as the space is much reduced, and conventional weed pulling for anything that appears could work fine.
Growing organic in your garden offers many benefits, so it is worth thinking about what you need to do to make it work.
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