5 Things You Need to Start an Organic Garden Today

Gardening is a great way to put healthy, nutritious food on the table for your family. Organic gardening isn’t difficult, and here are 5 Things You Need to Start an Organic Garden Today.

1. Soil
The first step is to create a space for your organic garden. Decide if you are going to garden in the soil, in a raised bed, or a container. If planting directly in topsoil, pick a space that has not had any pesticides or herbicides applied to it. If it has, consider using a raised bed for a year or two until they have leached out of the soil. Check out Happy Frog Organic Potting Soil to get you started.

Start with an organic potting soil or compost and add it to the topsoil and mix it in well. With a raised bed or a container, only use the organic potting soil so you know that you are starting out with an organic sterile environment.

2. Organic Seeds or Transplants
It is more cost effective to pick up organic seed packets than to buy organic transplants. If the growing season is slipping by, purchase the plants so you don’t miss out! Organic seeds mean that they have been open-pollinated or the desired genetics have been done on the vine and not in a lab. Organic Seed Packets By Botanical Interests

3. Organic Fertilizers
Make sure to add in organic fertilizers such as blood and bone meal, earthworm castings or bat guano monthly to your garden. Rake them in and water well. A plant’s roots will only take up what it needs and no more. Organic fertilizers do not burn a plant’s roots as synthetic fertilizers can.

4. Newspaper or Organic Mulch
To keep weeds away organically, lay down newspaper or organic in between the plants. Newspaper breaks down in the soil and creates a natural barrier that prevents weeds from sprouting up. Mulch also helps with water retention.

5. Irrigation or Watering
Most water that is applied to gardens evaporates before it is used by the roots. If possible, install an irrigation system to eliminate water runoff. If watering by hand, attach a shower sprinkler spout to the end of the hose. This lets the water come down gently and soak up in the soil. Use a rain water barrel instead as that is the best option yet!

What are you planning to grow in your garden this year?