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Grow an Organic Garden
Support organic farmers. Buy organic produce.
Grow an organic garden.
If you garden and have been using conventional pesticides and/or chemical
fertilizers, it will take up to three years for your "organic" garden to
live up to its name. If you are new to gardening, going organic is a great
way to intiate yourself and your land.
Nurturing your soil, choosing the right plants, and companion planting are
among the many ways you can keep your organic garden growing green. Here
are some steps to help you get started:
Planning. Choose plants most suitable to your area. Research
your area's first and last frost dates and your plant hardiness zone. Visit
your local botanical garden to learn about native species.
Soil. At the figurative root of the organic garden is healthy,
chemical-free soil. Evaluate yours and nurture it. With a home or
laboratory test, analyze its health, texture, and pH. After a harvest,
plant cover crops such as rye or clover to build soil structure and enhance
soil fertility.
Compost. Composting helps create healthy plants and soil more
resistant to disease and pests. All you need is an outdoor space at least
4 feet high by three fet across; a bin or wire mesh fence; and a mixture of
browns (dry leaves, wood chips, sawdust, used napkins and papertowels,
twigs and straw) and greens (fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds,
plant cuttings and grass clippings). With regular mixing, your compost may
be ready to use in as little as three months. We recommend the Envirocycle composter.
Companion Planting. Certain crops planted in pairs team up to
defend soil, repel pests, and promote growth. By planting garlic near
bush beans, or catnip with eggplant, for example, you can ward off aphids
and flea beatles.
Insects. Less than 2 percent of insects can be considered pests;
the rest are 'beneficials.' Encourage them by planting food they like -- such
as daisies, mint, yarrow, butterfly bushes and more.
Diversity. Minimize the risk of blight by planting a variety of
vegetables and flowers, including traditional or forgotten 'heirloom'
varieties.
Rotation. Because disease and pests can acumulate in soil, learn
which crops belong to the same botanical family and rotate them yearly.
For example, plant your beet family (beets, spinach) where you last planted
your cabbage family (brussels sprouts, radishes); then move the cabbages to
the squash family plot (cucumbers, melons); and plant the squash where the
beets last were.
Thanks to NRDC for these tips!
Useful reference books:
Rodale Press has published a series of straightforward books and guides to
organic gardening, including How to Grow Vegetables Organically and The
Encyclopedia of Natural Insect and Disease Control. For these and other
helpful Rodale publications, check your local bookstore. Or write to the
Rodale Bookstore at 611 Siegfriedale Road, Kutztown, PA 19530.
Organic Gardening magazine provides simple, easy-to-follow information on
chemical-free gardening techniques nine times a year. Subscriptions are
available for $18.97 from Organic Gardening, P.O. Box 7320, Red Oak, IA
51591; telephone: 800-666-2206.
Sensible Pest Control: A Handbook of Integrated Pest Management. 46 pages,
$7.65, from the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Educational Resources Office,
South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773.
"Earth Share, a federation of America's leading non-profit environmental and conservation charities, promotes environmental education and charitable giving in workplace employee campaigns. For more tips or to find out how your workplace can help the earth, see Earth Share's Web site at www.earthshare.org or call (800) 875-3863."
For general advice, contact your local county extension agent, or the
National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, 530 7th Street, SE,
Washington, DC 20003; (202) 857-7000.
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