Your Own
What is the best way to grow your own vegetables that are organic?
I am trying a organic diet and want to grow my own vegetables without using pesticides. What is the best way I can grow lettuce & spinach without using harsh chemicals?
Also I have alot of clay in my yard, what type of dirt should I use?
Do I have to use a fertilizer? And if so what kind would you reccommend? (Not my own!LOL)
If you know of any great websites that tell you about growinbg your own vegetables (especially organic) I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks!
Great questions! You are going to love growing your own vegetables! Let’s start with preparing your beds. So you have clay! Clay has gotten a bad rap and causes a lot of people to not even attempt gardening. Soil is a mixture of three types: sand, silt and clay. These types are just descriptions of tiny rocks. Sand is the biggest of the tiny rocks, silt is much finer and clay is actually the smallest and flattest. Sandy mixtures drain rapidly taking fertilizers away with the water. Clay actually has an electrostatic charge that can really be a problem if it is churned up with a rototiller for instance or walked upon when it is wet. Management of any soil is first knowing what you’ve got to work with and you can send in a sample (s) of your soil for a free analysis or small fee to your local extension service. People have learned so many tedious but erroneous ways to improve their soils, especially clayey ones. What does one make by mixing lime, gypsum, crushed rock, clay and water together? Concrete. No wonder people become disallusioned with gardening.
To make soil better just remember the ONLY WAY to make any soil type better for plants is to add DECOMPOSED ORGANIC MATTER. I just put it on top and let the micro and macroorganisms of the soil come alive and eat it and take it down into the soil and poop it out. Plants thrive when you feed (with decomposed organic matter!) your soil or rather the micro and macro organisms. Plants need a soil that is ‘alive’ to thrive and uptake more readily Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus(P) and Potasium(K) plus micronutrients (Boron, Magnesium…blah blah blah).
pH of your soil (acidic to alkaline) is also an important factor, critical for some plants for survival. Home tests aren’t reliable. You are pretty safe as long as you don’t add anything to change pH without knowing for sure what your soil’s pH is! For example, I see people putting lime on their lawns every year like a ritual. Along with moss killer (usually with ferrous sulfate that lowers pH while lime raises pH) Your garden soil should be close to neutral (7). Don’t mess with it unless you get it tested.
As for fertilizer, remember the following; Fertilizer is not ‘food’, more is not better, and if you want vegetables (flowers first of course) make sure your fertilizer is higher in P and K than N by percentage…at least equal in percentage. If N is higher than P and K you are going to promote VEGETATIVE growth. Don’t become confused here. Vegetative growth means lots of stems and leaves. You want REPRODUCTIVE growth, flowers, seeds, fruit…vegetables!
Next, drainage. I wish I could draw but here goes. Envision beds in your garden that are 2 1/2 feet to 3 feet wide at the top, at least a foot higher than your ‘paths’ so the sides slope towards your paths. The length is whatever you want. The paths are wide enough for a wheel barrow, a lawnmower (yes, you can have lawn for your paths!)or a rototiller. I’ve even had beds that were 4′X4′ square. It will look like a graveyard sort of. You walk on the paths not on your beds just like you don’t walk on your bed in your bedroom, right? I plant my vegetable seeds all over the top of these graves after I lightly tamp the soil firm and smooth. Then, using a rock rake, I flip soil lightly and thinly on top of my seeds. The salad stuff I put in a hot pepper shaker (like Round Table Pizza?) and mix it all up. Seeds like radish (globe and icicle), carrots, beets, spinach (early and late), all the lettuce types I can find and sprinkle them all mixed up on the ’salad bar’ bed. I cover beds containing root vegetables and those of the cabbage family with ‘row cloth’. It’s a light, white, tightly woven cloth that I keep loose over the new seedlings so they will have room to grow but carefully bury the edges with soil and a few stones. This keeps out a few pests that lay their eggs and ruin root crops, cabbage crops…after the pest’s season for laying eggs is safely past (you can look it up or call your extension service in your area for info). Oh, Water goes right through it so no problem.
I was trying to address drainage. By raising your beds you create great drainage. You don’t have to use wood or stones to shore up the edges. Every winter you plant a ‘cover’ crop like annual rye grass, clover…lots of choices, dig it under when you turn the soil in the beds (fluffing it up) and it adds great organic matter while it kept weeds from setting in over winter! Looks great too. Wood and stone would just give housing for slugs and you wouldn’t get to turn the soil over easily. Paths stay the same each year if they aren’t lawn, you can gravel them with 3/8 minus or sawdust or chips or whatever so you don’t get mired in mud. They get compacted and I love gravel. Finer gravel or crushed granite looks more refined and easier on bare feet.
You never use pesticides unless you’ve got a problem that is LISTED on the label. Also, you HAVE to read the label from top to bottom FIVE TIMES and keep it with the bottle. I rarely use pesticides, don’t need to. I know how not to make mistakes and if I do I know simple ways of manual pesticide. Scissors! I go out and start chopping all slugs, big and small. I love to find cutworms! They are even worse than slugs. I also know that most insects HELP you with the bad pests. Non selective pesticides/herbicides I NEVER use…especially because of bees.
Another story. I hope this helps. I’m a Master Gardener, Pesticide Operator, Landscape Architect and have been a gardener since a child. My fingernails I have given up on.
The more you understand the easier it is to get out there and enjoy being part of the natural world. In this way you are Organic! I just won’t get on my soap box about the misconceptions of words like ‘Natural’, ‘Synthetic’, ‘Chemicals are bad’, ‘Drugs are bad’, ‘Organic’…sigh, just become Garden Savvy and learn how to become a good cook using frest stuffr and spices, stay away from canned, boxed and frozen foods as much as you can. That is all you need to do to eat well. Another soap box of mine I dearly love to talk about.
Oh! My favorite mulch is ‘Gro-Co’ but not for the garden, I use a cover crop during the winter for my vegetable garden. I swear by ‘Gro-Co’ on all planting beds, it is the ONLY product that is tested and you know what you are using. I’ve installed topsoils and other ‘organic’ mulches only to find they were ladden with weed seeds or worse pesticide residues. A few times I found to my horror everything I had planted died because of this. Don’t have to worry about that with ‘Gro-Co’… I added this because I had to snicker at your comment ‘not my own’…It is called something else whereever you are but look it up…I NEVER USE BARK. IF A CLIENT WANTS BARK I TELL THEM TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE.
Whatever you use it just needs to be DECOMPOSED. Never, never use plastic either. Drives me nuts. Undecomposed material used as mulch( anything that blocks out light stops weed growth, plant growth and is termed a ‘mulch’) causes the decomposer organisms to come alive, multiply to do the work of decomposing something that used to be alive, is now dead but not decomposed. Fact of life. Until the bark or whatever needs decomposing there isn’t enough food (decomposed stuff) for the rest of the soil organisms and they go to sleep (become dormant). Meanwhile the decomposers need lots of NITROGEN for energy and the plants suffer greatly. Use of Bark is literally causing deserts in our urban areas. Nothing for the birds to eat…either. If I were king I’d order bark to be ILLEGAL to use on gardens. OK …I could write books and make money….? Grin. Happiness is Gardening…
|
|
INVITATION KITS-PRINT YOUR OWN INVITES-Cream w/Panels $19.99 |
|
|
INVITATION KITS-PRINT YOUR OWN INVITES – White w/ Pearl $19.99 |
|
|
MIMI’S VICTORIA ROSE Make Your Own 16 Inch Doll $4.95 |
|
|
Build your own fly pole kit,Blank,seat,ferril,guides $25.00 |
|
|
Build your own fly pole kit,Blank,seat,ferril,guides $25.00 |
|
|
Build your own fly pole kit,Blank,seat,ferril,guides $25.00 |
|
|
Your Own Design Personalized Photo Keychain $12.99 |
|
|
Your Own Design Personalized Photo Mouse Pad Mat $8.99 |
|
|
DISNEY VINYLMATION CREATE YOUR OWN LAVENDER 3″ FIGURINE $15.95 |
|
|
Specialty Shop Retailing: How to Run Your Own Store Rev $5.99 |
|
|
Build your own fly pole kit,Blank,seat,ferril,guides $25.00 |
|
|
Brew Your Own Beer – CD $0.99 |
|
|
How to Create Your Own eBook – CD $0.99 |
|
|
Skiing Europe: Tread Your Own Path (Footprint Handbooks $19.16 |
|
|
Build your own fly pole kit,Blank,seat,ferril,guides $25.00 |
|
|
CHILDRENS BOOK LOT ACTIVITIY BOOKS BUILD YOUR OWN LOT $19.95 |
|
|
Stencil Trio Enter Your own Risk Skull Bones Halloween $12.95 |
|
|
MAKE YOUR OWN MESSAGE t-Shirt EASY! (rtr7) Black 2XL $0.99 |
|
|
Make Your Own Mixes and Prepared Foods: Fast…Fun….. $47.24 |
|
|
101 Tips for Creating Your Own Legacy $14.50 |
|
|
Disney 4 Color Your Own Pin Set Mickey Mouse Markers $5.99 |
|
|
MAKE YOUR OWN SCRABBLE TILE NECKLACE KIT w/ EPOXY SEALS $4.00 |
|
|
BMW Genuine E92 E93 Fine wood trim burr walnun Interior $399.00 |
|
|
1952 Gibson Serial # Z1415 9 Your can own this beauty $3,499.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
“Your My Sunshine” T-Shirt Create Your Own!!! $25.00 |
|
|
Hummingbird Feeder Tubes For Making Your Own Feeders (Pkg of 12) $10.44 It’s easy to make your own hummingbird feeder with these inexpensive, foolproof feeder tubes. Use any type bottle, jar or other container for liquid. All you need is an opening into which you push the rubber stopper on the feeder tube. The stopper is tapered and measures 1″ at the top and 5/8″ at the bottom. The curved plastic tube has a red tip to attract hummingbirds. Potters will find these fee… |
|
|
Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful 5.5h x 20w vinyl lettering for walls quotes art $8.99 **Please Note*** This is an original from WALL SAYINGS VINYL LETTERING. If you are not purchasing from WALL SAYINGS VINYL LETTERING then you are purchasing a knock off and we cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of the product. Be your own kind of Beautiful. This vinyl lettering comes in Matte Black vinyl and measures approx. 5.5″ tall and 20″ wide. This wall saying comes pre-spaced on applic… |
|
|
Enchanted Fairy Garden Kit $18.54 With a little creative magic you can grow your own enchanted fairy world. This garden set includes a flower-shaped gardening dish, enchanted flower house, tiny gemstone treasures, flowers, butterflies, paint with brush along with soil and seeds that grow like magic. Finish off your garden with a friendly fairy, a sparkling garden path and teeny tiny toadstools…. |
|
|
Dig Your Own Hole $6.00 No Description Available.Genre: Dance, DJMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 8-APR-1997… |
|
|
The Anna Russell Album $5.40 Anna Russell combines her excellent knowledge of and training in opera with her brilliantly satirical wit to create hilarious send-ups of Wagner’s The Ring cycle, Gilbert & Sullivan, and more. Whether you love opera or couldn’t care less, Russell will have you in stitches…. |
|
|
Your Power Within! Self Confidence through Hypnosis $19.95 Take charge of your life! Beverly Hills Hypnosis’ self-confidence CD will help you build self confidence and realize your own personal power. By eliminating any negative thoughts or ideas that may be holding you back, you will be free to enjoy the self confidence and success you deserve. When you believe in yourself, others will too! Why is “Your Power Within!” so effective? By … |
|
|
Master Lock 5400D Select Access Key Storage Box with Set-Your-Own Combination Lock $17.50 If you’re still hiding your spare keys under the doormat, it’s time for a better, more secure solution. The Master Lock 5400D Key Safe is a hanging unit that securely holds up to five keys. Compact and durable, this key safe will open only when you enter your personalized combination.The Master Lock 5400D Key Safe At a Glance:Reinforced metal molded body Holds up to five keys Up to 10,000 combin… |
|
|
Master Lock 5401D Select Access Wall-Mounted Key Storage Box with Set-Your-Own Combination Lock $15.00 Secure, Reliable Key StorageTrustworthy and secure, the 5401D Key Safe offers a convenient locking solution that holds up to five house or car keys. Great for people on the go, the 5401D means you’ll always know exactly where your keys are. And for added peace of mind, this key safe will withstand the tools a thief might use to attempt entry.The 5401D is a great key safe for families with children… |
|
|
Master Lock 175D Set-Your-Own Combination Lock, Solid Brass $9.49 Set your own combination to easy-to-remember birth years, lucky numbers, or any of 10,000 personalized combinations with this padlock for optimal security at school, work, gym, or home. Designed for general security, the lock lets you set your own numbered combination with four smooth-spinning dials for easy operation. A hardened steel, 1-inch shackle and solid brass case stand up to rain and incl… |
|
|
Dexter: The Complete Third Season $21.99 Dexter is an American television drama series that airs on American premium channel Showtime. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a serial killer governed by a strict moral code who works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a blood spatter analyst…. |
