Video - Organic Gardening in Raised Beds

This quick video explains why raised bed gardening is so helpful for your organic garden, from creating great soil to controlling weeds and maintaining soil moisture. Raised beds also can offer easier harvesting of your yummy organic veggies. You can create raised beds simply as he demonstrates in the video, or design a more lasting structure from planks (be sure to use untreated wood, as wood treated with chemicals can leach into your soil!), or stones, concrete blocks, or other materials.

Vegetable Gardening : Growing Organic Vegetables in a Raised Bed Garden
Raised beds are great for organic vegetable gardens because they are soil-focused and allow a healthier, fluffier soil for the plants to rely upon. Use compost in a raised bed to improve soil structure with help from an organic farmer in this free vi...

Why Practice Organic Vegetable Gardening?

It's a no-brainer nowadays that vegetables should be part of everyone’s diet. If you don’t want to spend a little bit more for those organically grown and sold in the supermarket, perhaps you should consider planting your own in the garden. It is so easy to do that even your kids can join in the fun!

Cover via Amazon

Organic vegetable gardening is the “in thing” these days as people have realized that the use of fertilizers and pesticides do more harm than good. Yes chemical fertilizers will make the vegetables bigger or enable the farmer to harvest them faster but the final product may be detrimental to the health of those who eat it.

Organic gardening is easy though - mainly you just need to have access to three basic things: soil, water and sunlight.

What kind of organic vegetables can you plant? Well, just about everything. From broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes, to tomatoes, beans, melons and more, you can pick and choose your favorites to grow. You just need to know a few basic things, like the length of growing season, how much light and water they require, and which of them can be planted during the different seasons of the year in your area.

When you have done your research, you can now buy your seeds. Remember to pay attention to the instructions on the packet, which may offer guidance on the optimal growing conditions for that particular type of plant, as well as recommended planting dates, and length to harvest.

Vegetables (Photo credit: SteveR-)

Planting the seeds for your organic vegetable gardening is the second phase of this operation. And then you need to make sure your plants survive until harvest, which may be the greatest challenge.

Your vegetables may be under attack by pests, weeds and other animals. To prevent this from happening, you may get birds, toads, and even other insects to eat them. As for other animals, putting up fences and using animal hair, essential oils, and certain spices such as cinnamon or pepper often work as good  deterrents.  

You will also need to pull weeds. Mulch can help with this - and also helps keep the soil from drying out. This can be made from chipped bark, garden compost, leaf moulds and manure. It should be applied at least a couple of inches deep to be effective, and leave a small space around plant stems.

Organic vegetable gardening is not that difficult, and extremely rewarding when you get to taste the fruits of your labors!

Helpful Organic Gardening Resources:
   

Watering Your Sustainable Garden

Right now we are in dire need of rain in Ohio, and my garden shows it. Looks like it's time for a good watering.... Ninety-five percent of the structure of most plants is composed of water. Almost all of the processes of the plant involves water, and this is why watering is one of the more important aspects of effective gardening for your vegetables. Together with light and carbon dioxide, water helps accelerate the necessary processes needed in effective care of your plants.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With vegetables, you cannot afford to go wrong since the fruits of your garden will provide nourishment to your family as well. Aside from rainfall, in most areas of the country your garden will need supplemental help. Depending on the size of your garden, an irrigation system may be necessary to provide the required amount of water, as natural sources of water, namely, precipitation and underground water systems, are not often sufficient for the plants. The frequency of your watering depends on the average amount of rainfall that falls on the area where your garden lies.

The type of soil also affects water retention. Soils heavy in clay are usually good at holding water, but they also are more prone to runoff, so care must be taken so that the soil absorbs the water you give your garden.  Sandy soils tend to allow more evaporation, and dry out more quickly. The addition of organic matter such as a good compost helps improve the ability of both types of soils to absorb and hold water.

When watering your garden, make sure that you are able to soak the soil thoroughly before doing anything else. Another thing to consider is what time of day to water. Although your plants may look more wilted in the evening after a long day in the hot sun, evening actually isn't the best time to water. Wetting down the plants before dark can encourage mold and fungal growth. However, watering during mid-day also isn't advisable, as during times of strong sunlight, excess moisture can actually cause burns on the leaves. The best time to water is early in the morning, so that water has time to evaporate from leaf surfaces before the sun gets too strong. But sometimes it's unavoidable - due to other scheduling constraints, I usually end up having to water in the evening - but I try to make it early enough that the plants at least start to dry out a little before dark.

"The principle behind drip irrigation is to deliver water directly to the base of the plant, as opposed to indiscriminately watering the ground around the plants. This means that all the water being expended is being used to nourish the plant, while wasting less in the surrounding soil, and losing less to evaporation." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often, vegetables picked from well-watered plants last longer than their less watered counterparts, and some plants will not yield a good crop if they've been lacking in water. There are various ways to water your plants: by a sprinkler that is manually controlled or automated, by hose or other means. Depending on the shape and size of your garden, an automated sprinkler may be the best choice. Proper scheduling of the frequency of your water sprinklers' operations will also ensure that your plants will be consistently watered at the best times of day.

It is also recommended that uniform distribution of water be maintained in order to ensure that all the plants in your garden are well-cared for. A drip-irrigation system may work well for this, and these can also help save water. Despite the need for frequent watering, also bear in mind that there is also a need to conserve water, so make sure that there are no leaks that may waste water beyond what your organic garden needs.

A Few Irrigation Options:
   

Video - Harvesting Rainwater for the Garden

Here is a short video demonstrating how one New Mexico gardener irrigates his garden using harvested rainwater. In a low-water area such as New Mexico, it is quite a blessing to be able to harvest and store the rare but plentiful monsoon rains. See this video for some nifty tips for storing water, and also watering the garden with it - including what to do with your rainwater tank in the winter to ensure it doesn't freeze.

How To Harvest Rain Water For The Garden
Learn how a Gallup, New Mexico gardener harvests rain water to irrigate his gardens. From the Southwest Yard & Garden series.


A Couple of Rainwater Harvesting Tanks to Check Out: 
 

Rainwater Harvesting Tips

If you’ve ever lived through a drought or live in a drought-prone area (pretty much any place down South this summer) then you know the wistful feeling of watching it rain and wishing there were some way you could collect some of that rainwater to help tend to your lawn and garden.  The good news is there are a number of ways for you to harvest rainwater - and most are pretty easy.  Here are five tips:

Rainwater harvesting systems channel rainwater from a roof into a storage tank via an arrangement of gutters and pipes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#1.)  The good old-fashioned rain barrel is perhaps the easiest and most affordable option.  You can make rain barrels yourself from waterproof containers you have lying around the home or you can purchase them online or in your local home or garden store.  While placing a bucket out in the rain is one option, the best way to capture the most rainwater is to position your barrel under your rain gutter downspout.  Ensure that the downspout flows directly into the barrel.  That way you’re collecting all of the rain that hits the roof of your home, which is a much larger surface area than a bucket collecting water in the yard.

#2.)  Tap your rain barrel with two flows.  One flow will be there to release overflow in the event it rains so hard that your barrel fills up.  The other flow can be used to utilize the water.  You can attach a hose to it and direct water into your garden, or simply have a faucet you can turn off and on to fill your watering can as needed.  You can purchase these simple faucets and overflow attachments at your local hardware or home store.

#3.)  Protect your rain gutters.  Placing covers over your rain gutters prevents the debris on your roof from entering your rain barrel.  This debris can rot and contaminate the water.  And it can clog the outputs in your rain barrel, making using the water difficult to draw out of the barrel.  Rain gutter guards and shields can be purchased at your local hardware or home store and range in price from a few dollars to a high-priced and comprehensive gutter system.

Rain Barrel System (Photo credit: Chiot's Run)

#4.)  Pay close attention to how your rain gutters are set up.  If you have more than one downspout, you may want to position a rain barrel under each downspout to harvest as much rainwater as possible.

#5.)  Finally, make sure you’re allowed to harvest rainwater.  It may sound silly but in some areas with water rights restrictions, you’re not allowed to harvest rainwater and can be fined (which in my opinion is pretty ridiculous, but if you live in a drought-prone area you may want to check). 

Harvesting rainwater is an excellent way to maximize available water for your garden - and it also saves you money on your water bill!

 

Video - One More Easy & Natural Pesticide Recipe

Here's a quick video from a friendly Aussie on another natural pesticide recipe you can use in your garden to control pests naturally. This one contains only water and a couple of different oils, so it is very safe, and easy to make - you don't even need a blender or anything like that for this one. Check it out, and if it works for you, we'd love to hear your experiences - or suggestions for your own recipes that you've used successfully to control pests in your organic garden!

Natural Pest Control For Your Vegetable Garden
besthealthever.com BUGS, BUGS, BUGS. They've been eating a lot of my lettuce, kale & spinach lately. So I thought it was time to do some research on natural pest control & here's what I found out. You don't need to use any chemicals, not that I would...

5 Natural Home-Made Pesticide Recipes

There’s no doubt, a few bugs can ruin a great garden.  Yet if you don’t like the idea of consuming poisons with your fruits and vegetables, you’re probably a bit wary of spraying your garden with chemical pesticides.  The good news is there are several natural steps you can take to eliminate garden pests, including making your own pesticides for your organic garden.  Here are five natural pesticides you can safely make at home.

Spray bottle - you'll need one for most recipes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1.  Tobacco Spray

To combat caterpillars, aphids, and several types of worms, mix a gallon of water and a cup of tobacco.  Allow the mixture to set for a day, until it resembles weak tea.  Spray on your garden vegetables.  However, avoid your peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family, as the tobacco spray can kill them.

2.  Garlic Pepper Spray

To combat slugs and a number of other insects, mix together one minced garlic bulb, one minced onion, one quart of water, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper and a tablespoon of dish soap.  Spray veggies to protect against bugs. 

3.  Liquid Dish Soap Spray

This pesticide works quite well on mites for both indoor and outdoor plants. Use natural, biodegradable soaps or something like Murphy’s Oil soap.  Mix one cup of soap with one gallon of water.  Pour into a spray bottle and mist the leaves of plants.  Take care not to overuse because it can slow the growth of fruits and vegetables.  However, it is ideal for indoor household plants. 

4.  Horseradish Spray

Cayenne Pepper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To kill aphids, blister beetles, Colorado beetles and whiteflies, a spicy horseradish spray will get the job done.  Add two cups of diced cayenne peppers, a one-inch piece of chopped horseradish, and two cups of geranium leaves to three quarts of boiling water.  Remove from burner and let steep for one hour.  Strain and add cooled mixture to spray bottles.  Spray garden plants to get rid of bugs.

5.  Yarrow Tea Spray

Great for aphids and other pests, yarrow works quite well as a deterrent when applied every week or so to your garden vegetables.  Steep one cup of chopped yarrow in a quart of water for about a day.  You can steep it in the sun in a glass container.  Strain the mixture, add a cup of coffee and a ¼ teaspoon of liquid dish detergent to help the material adhere to leaves.  Pour into spray bottle and chase those pests away.

There’s no reason to let your garden go to the bugs in lieu of using chemical pesticides.  Chances are you have the makings for a great bug spray in your home right now.  Try one of these home-made pesticides and get rid of bugs naturally and safely.

Got your own recipes that work for you? Feel free to share below!

The Importance of Natural Pesticides In Your Garden

If you're reading this blog, it's probably no surprise to you that chemical pesticides are an environmental and health hazard.  Large scale commercial farmers use chemicals to kill bugs that harm their crops.  While it’s understandable to want to protect crops and maximize production, it shouldn’t be at the expense of your health or our water supply.  The good news is there are sustainable practices to keep slugs and bugs and other unwanted pests off your garden fruits and vegetables. 

Make Your Own Natural Pesticides

* To combat caterpillars, aphids, and several types of worms, mix together a gallon of water and a cup of tobacco.  Allow the mixture to set for a day, until it resembles weak tea.  Spray on your garden vegetables.  However, steer clear of your peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family, as the tobacco spray can kill them.

Various land slugs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* To combat slugs and a number of other insects, mix together one minced garlic bulb, one minced onion, one quart of water, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper and a tablespoon of dish soap.  Spray veggies to protect against bugs. (For more recipes, check back Thursday.) 

Other garden pest deterrents include:

* Mechanical devices for soft-bodied pests.  Slugs and snails can destroy a garden faster than you can say slime.  However, there are a number of measures to get rid of them.  A pan of beer, copper wire, salt, egg shells, hair, and sharp rocks or shingles all deter or destroy slugs and snails without the use of chemicals.

* Carnivorous bugs.  Ladybugs are wonderful for your garden.  They eat aphids, scales, and mites.

* Finally, many plants work quite well to repel bugs from your garden.  Some examples include:
 - Marigolds repel nematodes, Mexican bean beetles, squash bug, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whitefly
 - Geraniums repel cabbage worms and leaf hoppers
 - Mint repels ants and aphids, and the cucumber beetle. 

What about chemical pesticides?

Environmental contamination with pesticides (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chemical pesticides (and there are well over 9,000 different acceptable pesticides approved by the FDA) have a number of health implications. 

* Pesticides can be carcinogenic
* Pesticides can cause infertility
* Pesticides can cause neurological complications
* Pesticides can cause birth defects

And a whole lot more. Scientists are only beginning to understand the level of contamination and how pesticides are affecting our health, the health of our children and our planet.  

Reduce or eliminate the damage pesticides can cause by buying organic whenever possible and by using natural pesticides when you grow your own fruits and vegetables.  No one likes a bug-infested garden; however, it takes just a few simple steps to send these bugs running for the high hills.

For 5 safe and natural home-made pesticide recipes you can make yourself to protect your garden, be sure to check back Thursday!

Video - Fun Garden Ideas to Get Kids Gardening

Getting your kids interested in gardening is a big part of creating a sustainable future for our planet. With the health of our society in decline, lifespans (in Western countries) actually growing SHORTER instead of longer, and the trend towards ever-more processed, modified, and artificial foods, it is more important than ever to re-learn the joy and healthiness of growing our own food - and pass this knowledge on to our kids. (Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now!)  :-)

This quick video offers some fun and creative ideas to get your kids interested in gardening by growing a theme garden. (See below video for some other helpful resources.)

Check it out, and get your kids off the couch and out in the garden this summer! You may be surprised how much they enjoy it....

Herb & Vegetable Gardening with Children.mov
Gardening Expert Melinda Myers appears on the Morning Blend to talk about tomatoes, herbs, a pizza garden and other fun and creative gardens and containers to get the kids excited about gardening. www.bonnieplants.com melindamyers.com www.themorningb...
 

Fun Kids' Gardening Resources:
   

5 Easy-To-Grow Herbs - For Kids Or Adults

If your kids are looking for something easy to grow in their little garden patch this summer, herbs may be a great option. And if you don't have kids, or if they're not the gardening type, these are still a great option for adult gardeners too! Herbs are one of the most useful items to grow in your yard or home.  They grow quickly and a quick snip of the scissors brings fresh taste to your recipes and dinner table.  Here are 5 tasty, useful, and easy to grow herbs, and tips for growing and harvesting them.

Basil

English: Thai basil with flowers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are a number of basil types including spicy Thai Basil and Sweet Basil, which is commonly used in Italian cooking.  Basil can be grown either indoors on a sunny window ledge or in your garden once the fear of frost has passed.  Simply place the seeds in the ground per the package directions, The plants can grow up to two feet high which means you’ll want to start thinning them until they’re about six inches apart.  Leaves can be picked and used for seasoning when the plants are six weeks old.  If you’re going to dry leaves then pick them before the plant’s bloom spikes appear.

Mint
Mint is delightful in drinks, deserts and in many Middle Eastern dishes.  Mint, a perennial, is easy to grow because it really doesn’t care much about the soil it’s planted in.  This makes it good for even those with brown thumbs.  If you’re growing mint outside then take care because it spreads like a weed and can take over your garden or lawn.  This makes it a great herb to grow in pots, or indoors in smaller window ledge containers.  Leaves can be harvested as soon as plant reaches six inches. 

Dill
Dill is an easy to grow herb and fits quite nicely in a flower garden.  It grows to about three feet tall and produce yellow flowers.  Both the greens and the seeds from the flowers can be used to season food. Your kids may be interested to know that this is the herb most commonly used in making pickles! The leaves are best harvested before the flowers open.  The seeds can be harvested when the flower is open and they’ve ripened.  It’s advised to sow them from a seed as transplanting dill plants is difficult.  Like Basil, plant seeds after danger of frost has passed. 

Herbs: Thyme, oregano and rosemary (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thyme
In drier climates, Thyme is actually used as a xeriscape ground cover.  This means it’s quite hearty and grows like a weed!  You can grow them in a container garden, right in the soil, or on your window ledge.  Thyme is another one of those herbs that comes in a number of varieties.  It’s best to grow it from a cutting rather than directly from a seed because seeds take a long time to cultivate. 

Parsley
Parsley, either curly or flat leaf, is another easy to grow and quite versatile herb.  Like many other herbs, it grows quite quickly and reseeds itself, which means you could easily end up with a garden full of parsley if you don’t prune and keep an eye on it.  Sow from seeds directly into your garden.  They’re not choosy about their soil but they do like a lot of sun. 

Growing herbs at home doesn’t have to be left to the green thumbs in the world.  Many herbs are tremendously easy to grow and practically raise themselves, which  makes them ideal for kids who want to try their hand at gardening, and for adults who are new gardeners or simply haven't had much success with gardening so far.  Whether you garden with your kids or without, indoors or out, in containers or in a small plot in your yard, herb growing is a great way to add flavor and fun to your summertime meals.


Easy Herb Gardening Resources: 
   

Gardening for Kids - A Fun Summer Activity!

Here is a summer activity for your kids that can last the entire summer.  Helping the kids grow their own garden is fun and they will be able to reap the benefits before school starts again by harvesting their own vegetables. And it's something you can do together throughout the season!

Growing radish plants (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This activity will require some pre-planning and most likely should be started before school is out, but you can still start now if you buy plants that are already sprouted.  It is fun, however, for kids to to germinate the seeds indoors themselves if there is time.

Beans, radishes, and carrots are all easy and fairly quick vegetables to grow.  Strawberries are a popular alternative to vegetables and are also considered an easy plant to take care of, although they may take a year or so from planting to bear fruit.  Have the children make home-made row markers for their vegetable garden using paper and Popsicle sticks.  You can have the pictures laminated or do-it-yourself with some clear packing tape to protect them from rain.

Make the garden the child’s responsibility. If there is already a garden plot in your yard give them a section to call their own.  Most children can be in charge of their own weeding and watering.  This is another good activity that fosters independence and will give the children a sense of accomplishment come the end of the summer – eating vegetables that they grew themselves in their own backyard.

If fruit and vegetables do not interest your child, try a different kind of plant.  Growing sunflowers is very rewarding.  They can grow up to 8-12 feet tall and the seeds are edible.  Or, go to the garden center together and let them pick out a small plant or seeds that they want to take care of for the summer or maybe for longer if they pick a perennial plant.

Video - Attracting Amphibians to Your Garden

Unlike other wildlife, amphibians are an excellent addition to your garden - even if you're growing vegetables for home use. Frogs and toads eat mosquitoes and other pests, and also provide a nice summery sound in your garden on warm evenings. Building a small pond or water feature can attract these creatures to your garden, so you can reap the benefits of beneficial wildlife in your garden, and also enjoy the pond without worrying about mosquitoes. Using these natural "tools" to keep pests in check is part of having a sustainable garden. Keep in mind that, as she mentions in the video, if you have fish in your pond, many of the amphibian offspring may not survive - that said, some probably will, so don't freak out if some of them disappear - it's all part of the cycle of life!

Wildlife Garden : Attracting Amphibians to a Garden
Attracting amphibians, like frogs, newts and toads, to a garden involves providing cool, damp shelters for the autumn and winter, and offering a pond in a sunny area for the spring and summer where they can raise their spawn. Create an amphibian habi...