Have you ever thought about how healthy your soil condition is in your garden? Do your plants look very weary from the summer? If you answer No and Yes to these questions, you need to know more about how you can have healthier soil which will bring you healthier plants...even in drought. This blog will take you on an organic garden journey to help you better undertsand and learn to love the land.
I am an organic gardening junkie and have always fed my soil as if it were my favorite pet. In nature, life starts at the bottom to sustain what is on top. Soil is one of the most important things in a plant's life. It gives the plant a place to grow, gives access to fertilizer and water which means that your soil foundation will either help a plant die or help a plant thrive in your garden.
Think about what happens when you do not take care of your body. Well, soil will react the same way. All the chemical stuff that you use in your garden may give your plants that instant look of green and color but does nothing for the soil which leads to eventual failure of your garden. A good organic program in your garden and lawn will give you unbelievable results and lead to healthier and stronger plants, lower maintenance, lower gardening bills and paradise in your garden.
I started organic gardening about 25 years ago when my daughter was born. I attended organic classes (very few in the Central Texas area at that time) and started applying those techniques. I had great success with my flower, herb and vegetable gardens. However, I still found myself only using products that were suggested and never really understanding what they do. I just knew they were not chemicals and made our life healthier.
When I embarked on a career in a retail nursery, I then started to really study why organics did what they do. I learned about all the little creatures and fungi in the ground and how it worked together with leaves and soil to basically recreate natures forest floor. I applied all of this new knowledge in my own yard and had greater success. I attended every organic class I could and learned to decipher the difference between 'rich' smelling dirt and 'bad' smelling dirt. I was even further hooked and started teaching organics to gardeners that requested me to help them with their lawns and gardens.
I believe that everyone should be organic gardeners to make your life and the earth healthier. To help you get started on an organic program, I have put together some basic baby steps to help make your gardens healthier:
1. Pick-up a soil conditioner (organic) spray at your local nursery. Suggestions: Garrett Juice, Vitazyme (Earth-Safe), Gardenville products or any soil conditioner that contains at least molasses and compost tea. Spray as directed on your flower, herb and vegetable gardens.
2. Buy 'true' compost from a reputable company and apply a 1" to 2" layer on the soil and around the plants in your flower, herb and vegetable gardens.
3. Buy mulch to finish the process. There are many mulches to choose from and I have my favorites...Shredded Cedar, Shredded Native Mulch, Shredded Hardwood and even a partial compost. Apply a 3" to 4" layer on the soil while remaining at least 1" away from the base of your plants (this keeps moisture and bugs from concentraing on the stem). Remember that mulch is used to retain moisture, buffer from temperature extremes, reduce weeds and protect the health of your little soil creatures so they can do their job.
4. Buy a granular organic fertilizer and apply every two months during the growing season. Next buy an organic foliar fertilizer spray and apply twice a month to flower and herb gardens, while applying weekly on vegetable gardens.
5. Buy organic pesticides and only use when absolutely necessary. Remember when you feed the soil which in turn feeds your garden, the plants will build healthier defense systems to fight off pests. There are alot of beneficial creatures in the world and it is ok to ha some in your garden. Learn to love nature.
6. STOP USING CHEMICALS. Using chemicals kills the beneficial little soil creatures which reduces your gardens ability to sustain a healthier life. Every living thing dies and rots. Nature knows how to take care of recycling the dead things to produce food for the living things.
Organic practices are the original gardening practices on earth. The cycle of life has been working through nature for thousands of years to sustain and nurture our planet. There is alot to learn about organics and as the weeks go by, this blog will guide you down the 'organic path'. I am suggesting the following books for reading enjoyment and learning:
*The Organic Manual - Howard Garrett
*Lessons in Nature - Malcom Beck
*Texas Organic Gardening - Howard Garrett
*Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening - Howard Garrett/Malcolm Beck
*The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control - Rodale Press (Edited by Barbara Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley
Stay tuned next week for continued discussion on Soil Conditioning
If you have any questions, just e-mail me and we can chat.
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