Choosing Ground Cover Plants

Ground cover has many different uses in the garden. It can be used to help reduce the amount of weeds that will appear in the garden by covering over the space between plants where the weeds might grow and smothering tiny weed seedlings before they can grow.

Ground cover can also help to keep the moisture in the soil by stopping it from drying out from direct sunlight. And it can also add color and texture to the garden.

Shade Garden Groundcovers (Photo credit: patrick_standish)

A lot of the ground cover plants that are available can supply a splash of color throughout the year where some will have color in their leaves and then additional color when they flower. Being so close to the ground they can stay in better condition in windy conditions where they aren't quite so exposed as other flowering plants.

Most ground cover plants are quite durable and are an excellent way to add color to gardens that are in conditions where other flowering plants might not survive.

Some ground cover plants grow very well and thrive in shaded areas where other plants might struggle to thrive and they generally require very little maintenance. They are also excellent for creating borders around gardens where there are larger plants or trees growing or where other plants won't be able to get sufficient nutrition to grow to their full potential. They are particularly good for covering areas that are not easily accessible and would normally be too hard to maintain if you were to attempt to grow other plants there.

Ground cover plants also make a nice display when grown in and around rocks and sculptures in the garden and can make a nice mat when grown at the foot of a garden seat, provided of course that you choose one that is durable enough to withstand light foot traffic.

Which Ones are the Weeds?

I have always wondered who ever determined exactly what was a weed? There are some delightful looking weeds that grow in the garden even when we don't want them to be there.

I guess the best explanation of what represents a weed is, a weed is a plant that is growing somewhere that it shouldn't be. I have known people who will happily leave weeds in the garden if they think their color and style will add to the variety of their garden. I don't mind a few weeds if they're not terribly invasive, but some plants become weeds just by invading other available spaces where we don't want them.

More often than not, we fight the never-ending battle to eradicate these unwanted residents from our gardens only to have them grow back faster than ever.

Weeds (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The problem with weeds is the fact that many of these plants are better at seeking out the nutrients in the soil and by doing so they are using the goodness that we want for the plants that we choose to have in the garden. They can also suck up that all-important water that can be scarce during the hot season, and they can shade or crowd out our garden plants. Many weeds also attract insects to the garden that can affect the condition of other plants.

No matter how diligent we are at removing weeds from the garden they will always reappear as their seeds are transported by insects, the wind, and even on the clothing and shoes that we wear.

Replanting from one garden to another can easily introduce new weeds so it is always important to check the soil and the roots of the plants that you are moving to ensure you aren't transplanting weeds also.

Most of the time pulling weeds is the best way to remove them, although in some areas a hoe can also be of use. Once they are removed, adding a covering of mulch will help to reduce the return of weeds. Another method that helps is to lay a thick layer of dampened newspaper on the ground before covering it with mulch. This is very effective, and the newspaper will decompose easily into your soil and and even provide food for beneficial earthworms.

Once you get the weed population under control, usually it gets easier with each passing year, as long as you stay on top of it. Be sure to remove weeds before they go to seed, and you'll have fewer and fewer unwanted weeds in your garden area.

Organic Vegetable Gardening: How to Begin

Vegetable gardening is one of the mainstays of American gardening. During World War II, citizens planted “victory gardens” to help the war effort, save money and add healthy food to their tables. Recently, organic vegetable gardening has become popular with those who want to help preserve the environment and who also want to eat healthier and have the experience of eating food grown in their own gardens.

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Anything you can grow in any garden can be grown organically. Vegetables are especially nice to grow in an organic garden because you can eat the bounty without having to worry about ingesting pesticides and other chemicals.

Beans, melons, tomatoes, squashes and cucumbers are all easy vegetables to grow in an organic garden. Conditions need to be right if you’re choosing to garden organically. Be sure to prepare the soil properly with composts and other natural fertilizing methods such as waste from plant-eating animals. (Check our archives for lots of great composting tips and how-tos.)

Using the fundamental basics of organic vegetable gardening produces an abundance of benefits, including helping the soil retain water and nutrients more effectively. It also helps the soil use its natural microbiological activity to grow healthy and abundant plants and helps the vegetables to be less susceptible to stress.

Also, be sure that your organic vegetable garden will receive the right amount of sun and practice rotating plants from season to season. Check out the resources on this blog or at http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html or your favorite nursery to discover the best method of rotating plants for the most effective yield.

Organic vegetable gardening can be incredibly rewarding. If you’re used to purchasing vegetables from a supermarket, you’ll be surprised and delighted at the extra flavor and zing that organically grown vegetables provide.

Organic vegetable garden with squash plants (Photo credit: louisa_catlover)

If you’ve had vegetable gardens in the past, but this is the first time you’ve tried organic gardening, you’ll rest assured knowing that you’re helping the planet as well as helping your own health by eating vegetables that aren’t laden with chemicals.

Organic vegetable gardening takes a little more planning and preparation than a conventional vegetable garden, but the rewards are enormous. Vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals and harvested at the exact moment they’re at their maximum potential will give you extra health benefits and self-satisfaction.

Even the exercise and fresh air you’ll get when preparing, planting and tending to your organic vegetable garden will be satisfying and fulfilling. Try organic vegetable gardening for an experience you’ll want to continue throughout your life.

Tips for A Successful Organic Garden

If you’re considering bringing the joy of organic gardening into your life, you may be intimidated by thinking that you’re going to have to do everything au-naturale. Don’t be. It’s easy to find the best ways to prevent or get rid of pests and fungus invasions and how to plant and care for your organic garden. Here are some organic gardening tips that will help get you started.

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Prepare – Prepare your garden long before you begin to plant by mulching the soil with organic materials (compost from plant or animal waste). You’ll be so glad you did when you see the results. Mulching helps the soil retain water and nutrients and even keeps weeds from taking over your garden.

Start a compost pile – Recycling certain food waste and other materials that add strength to the compost. Besides enriching the soil, composting will help your plants develop a strong and healthy root system.

Choose plants according to environment – Plant certain plants where they’ll thrive. If a plant is known to adapt best in the shade, don’t plant it in full sun.

Treat infestations without chemicals – It is important to use natural means to treat problems with insects and other types of infestations. You can find formulas online that can be mixed at home and that will prevent certain pests from invading your garden.

Use organic alternatives whenever possible – There are so many organic and earth-friendly products on the market today that keeps toxic buildup from forming in our drinking water and soil. Look for those rather than chemical and synthetic solutions.

Use soaker hoses – These cleverly made hoses will water the base of your organic plants, keeping moisture from evaporating, and preventing water waste.

Red earthworm enjoying organic garden soil. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Utilize helpful bugs – There are a number of varieties of insects that actually help your organic garden. Insets such as ladybugs, praying mantises, spiders, ground beetles and fireflies work to decompose organic matter and help to pollinate plants.

Organic gardening should be largely simple and fun. There doesn’t have to be a lot of work involved in preparing the garden, preventing problems and addressing the problems organically if they do occur.

Many online sites can tell you everything you need to know about becoming a successful organic gardener – visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html for helpful tips and resources - or if you prefer a book, see below for some suggestions, or check your local library or book store. You’ll learn the best material for composts, how to mulch your garden and how to plant so that you’ll get the most yield from vegetables and herbs and the most beautiful flowers. And of course be sure to check this blog often for more ideas!

After learning a few organic gardening tips, you’ll have more self-confidence to begin your own sustainable organic garden.

A Few Helpful Organic Gardening Books:
   

Revisiting the Basics of Organic Gardening

In case you're just getting started with organic gardening, I thought I'd give you a quick refresher on the concept. As you probably know, organic gardening is basically using a method of gardening that’s free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It’s working with Mother Nature to ensure that you get the best crop of plants and flowers by using the natural eco-system. Here are some helpful tips for making your organic garden successful.

Young beans (Photo credit: Nick Saltmarsh)

The soil is extremely important when considering an organic garden. You’ll be nurturing the soil with organic matter consisting of decayed plant and animal waste. It doesn’t matter what type of soil you have to begin your organic gardening adventure, feeding it with organic matter will strengthen and improve it.

The first thing most people want to know when they’re just starting out in organic gardening is how can they keep their garden from being overrun by pests and diseases if they don’t use chemical compounds.

There are organic pesticides, but an occasional bug in your garden doesn’t mean you have to immediately rush to get rid of it. It depends on the type and severity of the problem as to how aggressively you treat it.

One thing that’s good to do when planting an organic garden is to diversify the plants. Don’t plant row after row of one type – instead, vary the plantings. Harmful insects are usually attracted to a large amount of the same plants in one place, so placing them randomly and with other plants will help ward off pests - plus your garden will look more interesting!

If you do need to use an organic or natural pesticide, be sure to choose one that targets your specific problem. Some organic pesticides are used to get rid of bacteria and others kill harmful pests. Look online to get the information you need about your particular type of problem or check with a nursery. We've also got some helpful resources on our website at www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Using the least intrusive method of controlling pests and diseases in your organic garden is the best way to go. For example, an invasion of aphids can usually be taken care of by spraying them off the plants with a water hose. Caterpillars and other harmful insects can simply be plucked off your plants.

One myth about organic gardening is that you’ll just have to accept the fact that the produce and flowers from your garden won’t be as “pretty” and will be bug-ridden. That’s just not true. If you carefully inspect your garden periodically, you should be able to produce gorgeous and bug-free vegetables, plants and flowers.

Let your organic gardening experience be a great one by not obsessing too much about bugs, fungus and bacteria. Just be observant and take preventative measures to ensure your garden is the best and most productive it can be.

Composting Tips For Organic Gardening

I just put my summer compost to bed for the winter, but that doesn't mean I'm done composting! For the past couple of years, I've been composting year-round. I just couldn't stand throwing away so many great compost materials during the winter, so I improvised a system of storing vegetable kitchen waste in buckets during the winter - it doesn't decompose very quickly, but at least I'm not throwing it away. When spring comes, I clean last year's compost out of the composter and use it in the garden or bag it for future use, and then I dump the buckets into the composter with plenty of leaves, straw, sawdust, etc., a scoop or two of dirt and a bit of last year's compost (or unfinished compost from the top layer) to get it started. The buckets are always pretty gross, but it gives my compost a head start in the spring, and at least I'm not wasting stuff throughout the winter.

When you think about it, composting is just one more way of recycling. And when you create compost for your organic garden, not only will the plants benefit from this recycling, but so will you and your family, as you eat the fruits and vegetables that the garden produces.

Yard waste composting bin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What you are doing when you compost is decomposing previously existing organic matter, so it can be used to provide nutrients in the soil for new plants. The process does require some careful work, so you would be wise to do some reading and consulting on the subject first, to make sure you do it correctly. Also check out the archives on this blog, as we have a lot of good info on composting here.

You'll want to put all your materials into a container or at least into some environment that you can control. Some websites suggest buying an actual composting drum (like I have), that you can turn (since the material does need to be turned from time to time). Otherwise, a large garbage can might do, or just a pile on the ground, with some sort of enclosure around it to hold it in and help keep the critters out.

You can put in all the fruit and vegetable food scraps you would normally be throwing away. Add leaves, grass, and straw, and you'll have a good mixture. The general rule, according to the Garden Organic website, is about equal volumes of "green" and "brown" ingredients.

"Green" items would be things like weeds, grass cuttings, the raw vegetable leftovers from your kitchen, tea bags and coffee grounds, soft green prunings from plants, and animal manure from herbivores. All of these things are nitrogen rich, and also rot more quickly.

"Browns" would be cardboard items like cereal boxes or egg cartons, shredded waste paper, hedge clippings, old bedding plants, sawdust, and wood shavings. These items are rich in carbon, and slower to rot.

Items to avoid completely, say the people at Garden Organic, would include meat, fish, cooked food, feces from your pets, and disposable diapers. (Note: Compostable diapers such as g-Diapers can be composted if they only contain urine.)

There are also some plant materials that should not be put into your compost bin, such as those that have been infested with insects and molds. Some of these might be fine to include, but unless you're going to do a lot of careful research to discover which is good and which isn't, it's best just to leave them out. You also should avoid including weeds that are going to seed, as you don't want to spread a bunch of weed seeds in your garden next year! However, weeds that haven't yet gone to seed are great to include - you're putting the nutrients they "stole" from your soil back in.

Garden Compost bin, in Toulouse, France.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You can create the compost in your container by mixing the greens and browns together in equal volumes, with some twigs and scrunched up cardboard here and there to create air spaces and to allow drainage. As time passes, the materials on the bottom will heat up and you'll know that the composting process is well underway. You'll need to turn the mixture occasionally, so that the top and bottom layers change places and non-composted material also has the chance to decompose. The turning provides oxygen, which is the catalyst for the decomposition. The more often you turn the bin, or at least turn the material inside it, the more quickly it will compost - as long as the proper moisture balance is maintained.

The composting itself, once the mixture is in the container, could take up to a year if the container is full and you just leave it (apart from turning). It's likely to take at least six months even using smaller amounts and turning often. But you could take at least a partial shortcut before turning material that's been in the bin for a while, by checking if the layers at the bottom have composted enough to be used. You might then lift off the top, less-composted material and pull finished compost from the bottom to mix into your garden soil, and then simply replace the other material back in the bin, with new layers going on top.

If you create your own compost, you'll go a long way toward producing a very healthy organic garden with lush, well-fed plants. And on top of that, you'll be doing your bit toward responsible recycling!


Composting Bins:
    

Square Foot Organic Gardening

Would you like to create an organic garden, but have such a small yard that you really don't think it's possible to have any sort of garden at all? Cheer up – you may just be able to create a square foot garden, and find yourself with a great vegetable harvest all through the growing season (and maybe even beyond).

If you've never heard of a "square foot garden", it may be because the original concept, and the PBS television series with Mel Bartholomew, started in the early 1980s. And while the idea is widely known in certain circles, this sort of garden is probably not the first thing mentioned in other gardening programs or advice columns. But it's a very feasible way to use limited space and produce great results.

Square foot garden bed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The idea is to create a new, raised bed on top of an existing space, with soil at least 12 inches deep, divided into squares of one foot each. The raised bed can be created inside a large cardboard box with the bottom taken out, or at least inside some kind of low enclosure, just so long as it enables you to have that 12-inch depth of soil. So if you have a space measuring four feet by four feet, for example, you'd divide it into 16 one-foot squares, separating each square with some sort of slat or raised length of twine so you can distinguish them as the plants grow and get bushy. And a different sort of plant would go into each square.

Using this method means that all the plants are quite reachable, so weeding, pruning, and even composting are easy to accomplish. You always construct the raised bed so that you are never leaning farther than a second row of plants, when watering or doing anything else. (So a four-foot square would need to be accessible from all sides.) The plant bed never becomes compacted from your walking on it, and therefore you don't need a lot of heavy tools that would normally be used for breaking up packed soil. Watering is easier, since it can be applied more carefully with a watering can, and not just sprayed indiscriminately with a hose. In addition, in the smaller space, water is retained better. And the plants will tend to help each other by "shading out" weeds before they can really take root. Any weeds that do take hold can be much more easily removed.

Diseases won't spread very easily, because the plant in the next bed over is likely to be resistant to something that might attack any particular plant. And often you can put "companion" plants side by side, so that one can protect the other from certain insects. (You may need to research which plants are good "companions" for which others.)

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But how will you know which plants work best in just one square foot? It's not that hard to figure out. For a large vegetable, such as cauliflower, you would plant just one, in the very center. You would put one tomato plant in the square, and set up some kind of trellis so it could grow upward (large tomato plants may require more than one square - see the Square Foot Gardening book for space requirements and spacing for different plant types). The same principle would operate for other trailing plants like beans or cucumber.

On the Square Foot Gardening Foundation website, originated by Mel Bartholomew, the recommendation is that you take your cue from the seed packet itself: "If the seed packet recommends plant spacing be 12 inches apart, plant one plant per square foot. If 6 inch spacing; 4 per square foot. If 4 inch spacing; 9 per square foot. If 3 inch spacing; 16 per square foot." Plant only two or three seeds in each spot, and save the rest of the seeds in your refrigerator.

In many ways, this sort of garden can produce even more than would a regular small garden planted right in the ground. If one sort of plant is harvested early, you can then remove that plant, toss on some compost, and put another vegetable in the same spot.

If you've got quite a small space, but still want an organic garden, the square foot garden just might be your solution. It's relatively easy, requires less maintenance than a regular garden, and produces great mini-crops for you to enjoy. Check out the resources below if you would like more information on this unique type of gardening.

Learn More About Square Foot Gardening:
   

More Cool Organic & Sustainable Gardening Resources

Wrapping up our week on great gardening resources, here are some good ones to bookmark in your browser (besides this blog, of course)!

Cover via AmazonCheck out these links to find organic gardening tips and ideas, sources of organic seeds, new organic and sustainable gardening products, and much more. And if you haven't already, be sure to check out our main sustainable gardening web page for another good list of suggestions!

Online Organic Gardening Resources: Garden Websites Give ...
Beginning gardeners, experienced green thumbs, and organic farmers can find flower and vegetable growing answers from garden associations and online chat forums.
Publish Date: 03/02/2009 23:24
http://jamiemcintosh.suite101.com/online-organic-gardening-resources-a99907

Buying Organic Garden Seeds: Gardeners Can Find Online Sources ...
Each year more nurseries are increasing their organic seed offerings, giving a choice to gardeners who want to eliminate chemicals in every step of the growing process. ... combined with the research and breeding activities at the 40-acre Maine farm, means that Johnny's can offer over 300 organic seed varieties to gardeners, including cover crop seed. The company is a valuable resource to organic farmers as well, offering many organic seed varieties by the pound. ...
Publish Date: 12/28/2009 22:24
http://jamiemcintosh.suite101.com/buying-organic-garden-seeds-a183614

New Organic Garden Products for the 2010 Growing Season ...
Organic gardeners can choose from several new fertilizers on the market to enrich the soil and boost flower and vegetable growth. Bridgewell Resources, LLC introduced a balanced organic fertilizer, Par 4 3-3-3, enriched with ...
Publish Date: 07/05/2010 10:38
http://jamiemcintosh.suite101.com/new-organic-garden-products-for-the-2010-growing-season-a256815

Cover of Natural GardenCold Climate Gardening Resources You May Not Know About ...
I was just helping out a gardener who moved from California to upstate NY. (I think she's over the shock.) It made me realize that not everyone who stops by thinks to look at the top menu bar to see.
Publish Date: 04/13/2011 21:10
http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2011/04/13/cold-climate-gardening-resources-you-may-not-know-about/

Organic and natural Garden Helpful Concepts and Ideas ...
Marigolds make the organic garden border colorful, and ward off a lot of pests. Onions and garlic are also wonderful deterrents to pests that would like to break in and steal natural make. Resources for Much more Organic ...
Publish Date: 08/28/2011 11:24
http://seenewcaledonia.com/2011/organic-and-natural-garden-helpful-concepts-and-ideas/

Yum & Yuk: More Gardening Resources
More Gardening Resources. Wow, thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Here are some more books (and one blog) on gardening, food politics, etc: * The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart ...
Publish Date: 07/22/2011 11:15
http://yum-and-yuk.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-gardening-resources.html


Be sure to visit www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html for more great sustainable gardening resources!

Weed Control for Efficient Gardening of Vegetables

A true garden aficionado must know that cultivation or weeding is required for growth control. Weeds are your garden's most persistent and cloying enemy. You need to be able to know how to handle weeds in order to foster growth in your organic garden. If you let weeds take over, they will completely obliterate your capacity to yield a rich number of vegetables.

Image via WikipediaWeeds are the number one stealer of nutrients, sunlight and revenue for farmers, so the earlier you try to eliminate them, the better will it be for your gardening. This can certainly eat up your time in certain seasons, depending on the size of your garden, but monitoring weeds and eliminating them is definitely worth your time and effort.  

Weeds are usually much harder to remove when they have matured. So your best plan of attack will be to monitor your garden closely, and eliminate them at first sight. Cultivating your soil regularly in the garden will help eliminate the younger weeds. Once you let those young weeds take hold and become firmly established in the garden, it will become a more herculean task to try to remove them. 

Seasons also affect the appearance of weeds. Warm-season and cool-season weeds proliferate at different times of the year, and it will be your advantage to recognize which weeds are in season so you can more easily expect them in your garden and prepare your anti-weed arsenal more effectively. Some of the weed seeds may also lie in your garden for a while before germinating, so make sure that you are able to cultivate your soil properly to prevent them from ever taking root and sprouting up.

Make sure that your garden space is filled up with the good stuff - the things YOU want planted there. If you leave any portion idle or bare, the weeds are more likely to secure that area for their growth. If you are unable to fill the entire area with desired plants, you may want to consider planting a ground cover crop to keep the weeds from invading your plant territory. (This can also be a great fertilizer later, as you can till the ground cover in at the end of the season, to provide extra nutrients for next year's garden.)

In the case where weeds have already grown large by the time you discovered them, chopping them off from the ground may be the most efficient way to remove them. Some of these weeds however may have deep roots, and will continue to sprout up even after you cut them down. But repetitive cutting down of those weeds will help eliminate them for good after some time.

Image via WikipediaThe use of herbicides and pesticides is not advised, and should not be necessary when you are able to do good cultivation of your land. The pesticides and herbicides, especially the commercially available ones, may prove to have other harmful effects. They may also pose as a threat to other useful organisms living in your garden, so they are not a viable option for organic and sustainable gardening.

Mulching and composting are other great ways to help maintain the soil and ward off the weeds. Ultimately, you should not encounter huge problems in weed management if you are able to keep them from gaining a foot hold in your garden in the first place.

If you are really consistent in cultivating your space, and eliminating weeds at their first sign, you will have taken a big step towards making the most out of your organic vegetable garden.

More Organic Gardening Resources:
   

Video - Starting An Organic Garden

Here is a good basic video on organic gardening, which demonstrates how to start small (important if you're a new gardener!) and prepare your soil - even if you're starting with just a big patch of lawn, which has never been gardened before. Scott covers what tools are needed, how to dig and prepare your soil for planting, how to make your soil more fertile and prevent weeds, some ideas on what to plant in late summer and fall, and more.

Check it out and get inspired to start your own organic garden!

Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden
www.howdini.com Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden What does it mean to grow vegetables organically? Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine shows how to plant and nurture an organic vegetable garden. Keywords: organ...

More Resources for Starting an Organic Garden: