Image via Wikipedia1. The most important thing to do is to decide what you want to grow. There are so many vegetables to choose from, but keep in mind that certain vegetables may not grow well in your climate so be sure to take that into consideration. You will want to choose those plants that are well adapted to the soil, temperature, sun and shade exposure of your garden area. If you live in an area where droughts are frequent, make sure you are planting drought resistant vegetables which don't need as much water and can withstand dry weather.
2. You will also need to determine how much space you have. This will make it easy for you to plot on a sheet of paper the layout of how you want your vegetables to grow. Remember that it is perfectly acceptable to grow a very small garden, patio garden, rooftop garden, or even container garden, if that's all the space you have.
3. You should mulch your vegetables with organic material (i.e. compost). This can be made from food waste, dead leaves or grass and manure. This helps conserve water, and adds humus and nutrients to the soil. (For more on composting, check our archives - we've posted many helpful articles on this.)
Aside from compost, you can also use natural fertilizers and organic material to help the vegetables grow. They also encourage native earthworms that are nature’s tillers and soil conditioners.
4. The biggest threat that could destroy your vegetables are pests. The best organic way to get rid of them is to use other insects, birds, frogs, etc. In cases of some insect infestations, you may spray infected stems and leaves with dilute soapy water and then rinse with clean water. This can be very effective against certain pests (see previous posts for more on natural insect control).
5. If you decide to buy vegetables that are grown instead of using seedlings, most of these come in plastic containers. Be careful when you remove them so you avoid tearing the outside roots especially if these have grown solidly inside the container.
Image via WikipediaWhen planting vegetables, don’t stick with just one but plant many different kinds because this invites insects to take up resident in your yard. But wait - I thought we were trying to get rid of insects??Believe it or not, only 2 percent of the insects in the world are harmful. Many others are beneficial for your garden. Some examples of these include ladybugs, fireflies, green lacewings, praying mantis, spiders and wasps since they eat insects that try to eat your vegetables. Another thing they do is pollinate the plants and decompose organic matter.
6. Don’t forget to remove weeds that sprout in your garden. You can pull these out by hand or spot spray with a full strength of household vinegar. Best of all, it is safe for the environment.
7. Practice crop rotation. This will make sure that the soil is always fertile, and discourage pests and fungi from taking hold on certain crops. When planting the new vegetable, avoid regular deep cultivation as this will damage the roots, dry out the soil, disturb healthy soil organisms and bring weeds to the surface that will soon germinate.
If you follow these tips, you should be able to have a successful organic vegetable garden, and supplement your table with your own home-grown organic produce - what a feeling!
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