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Organic
gardening tips
and techniques for a natural garden.Encourage
the balance of nature at all times, and imitate the laws of nature to your benefit.
When
gardening by the moon, all normal rules for gardening apply, especially the
health of your soil! Lunar planting has been proven to be more effective in organic,
non-chemically treated soil. There is no substitute
for creating a wonderfully rich microclimate by continually adding organic matter
to your growing beds. This creates a living system that includes microbes to break
down the soil, and adds nutrients and nitrogen content. This is the backbone of
healthy, disease resistant plants. Think
of your garden as a complete ecosystem that includes life and decay in the soil,
the needs of the plants, and insect life cycle as well. Work in harmony with nature
to duplicate and replenish the essential elements at the base of the food chain.
 In
order to create a more disease and pest free environment, try to cultivate
favorable conditions for beneficial insects, butterflies and bees. Encourage
a diverse environment where they will live, reproduce and prosper to do the work
of bug control for you.
Avoid chemical sprays, opting for the least invasive methods of control, such
as hand picking pests, or using insecticidal soap, which, although it will kill
the good bugs on contact, won't leave harmful residue and lasting effects. Provide
crops that offer food and homes. These include many herbs like dill and parsley,
yarrow, nasturtium, angelica, evening primrose, baby blue eyes, strawflowers,
daisies, cosmos, Queen Anne's lace, even weeds. Let some lettuce, parsley, cilantro
or dill go to seed, then scatter the seeds around the garden. This keeps
the butterflies happy, providing a continuous supply of food (for both of you!).
Bees love borage, oregano and thyme and are necessary for plant pollination.
Switching
to Organic Gardening
If
you have been chemically dependant for a long time, you need to make the changes
in stages, because you have created a situation where the plants are artificially
protected by those chemicals. They only get nutrients from what you feed it, and
none from the natural breaking down of matter. If you take that away without compensating
for it you could have problems. Too much nitrogen from chemical fertilizers can
weaken plants. Even though they may look lush for a while, if they are putting
too much energy into leaf growth, the resistance to disease suffers. The first
step is to increase the health of the soil, so it becomes alive again. You need
to add as much organic matter as you can. If you don't have snow on the ground
it is not too late to do this. Pile on the shredded leaves, mulch, and manure
and just let them break down over winter. Soon you will attract the worms, helpful
fungi and other tiny creature that feed on the soil and break it down for you.
Healthy
soil has trace minerals, which can be added through powders like kelp meal or
bone meal, and gives a slow steady supply of nutrients. When the soil is improved,
then you can back off the chemicals. If the soil is not compacted, the worms will
even do the work of turning it in for you. I encourage you to create permanent
beds that are never walked on. This concentrates the good amendments in one area.
Keeping it uncompacted will pay off in the ease of turning, and the health of
the root systems of plants. You don't even need to have solid sides to the bed.
Just mound the soil to a width that you can reach across, and treat it as sacred
ground. You need to replenish the nutrients that the plants have used every season.
At least an inch of compost a year is a good rule of thumb. You
can get the upper hand on weeds by hoeing or pulling them young, and then adding
mulch to smother them. For bugs, start early, before populations multiply, with
the least invasive method first. Pick off and squish beetles, cabbage loopers;
rinse off aphids with a strong blast of water. If you really need something for
a situation that has gotten out of hand, try an insecticidal soap, or if you are
desperate, Neem. Floating row covers are a great thing too. They are light weight
blankets that create a protective barrier so the buggers can't get to your plants
. Seal the edges well with dirt so they can't get in.
Compost
is crucial
It is not difficult to start a compost pile, especially if
you are not in a hurry. The basic formula is to layer equal parts brown matter
(straw, dried leaves) and green matter (grass clippings, plant matter, kitchen
scraps, manure). Keep wet, but not too wet. The more you turn it, the faster it
will work, but it will work eventually. Rot happens!
Remember
to do succession plantings, especially of quick crops like lettuce, bush
beans, radishes, spinach, carrots, and beets. That means planting again, as your
first crop is reaching maturity. This will keep you in continual harvest during
your season. Stay
attuned to the seasons. You can start seeds inside under lights or in a
greenhouse, and have them ready to go in the ground when the time and temperature
are right. Don't be afraid to plant beyond the usual times if it looks mild, or
to use row covers and cold frames to extend the season. Or you may hope
for a late warm spell in fall and see if you can get in another crop. Use the
microclimates created by overhead cover, ground slope or bodies of water to plant
marginal crops that need a warmer spot. Working with the forces of nature tips
the balance in your favor. Use
your own judgment when planting by the moon
Life
is full, however, and sometimes you just can't plant at the perfect time. You
may have to choose if it is best to plant in the correct moon phase, or a fertile
sign of the zodiac, as your time allows. Or if you have to plant in the wrong
phase, at least give it any advantage possible by working in the fruitful signs.
It may be more important to plant before a storm comes, before the plant has outgrown
its container or before it is too late in the season. Feel free to use your best
judgment. Next
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