No matter how much
you wash them, pesticide residues won’t come off of fruits and
vegetables. But, if you want organic food without paying high
prices, learn to grow your own. That way, you can happily say that
you have contributed to making meals better for your family.
The best products to grow on your own are strawberries, tomatoes,
lettuce, greens like kale, and Swiss chard. These fruits and
vegetables are relatively easy to care for. They will also keep
producing year after year as long as you take care of them.
An organic garden can be started outside or in your home. In your
home, the seeds should be grown in large flower pots or containers
to leave room for growth. Because the direction of the light changes
indoors, make sure that your produce receives an adequate amount of
natural light. To do this, purchase a lighting device that will
simulate the sun and provide the needed illumination when there is
none inside.
Outdoors, you have several choices for how to grow your organic
garden. You can use containers to grow your garden outdoors with
minimal fuss. Container gardening avoids the problems of grass and
aggressive weeds growing between the plants and stealing the water
and nutrients from the soil.
Another option is a “no-dig” raised garden. The advantage of this
type of organic garden is there is no need to break up the soil or
kill the grass that is already there. For those who have clay soil,
a “no-dig” garden is perfect.
Start off by edging off the area that you have chosen for your
garden. Cover the soil with pieces of newspaper. The newspaper will
keep the grass and weeds from growing up amongst your produce. Next,
layer the following: hay, straw, fertilizer (organic, of course),
and compost. Basically, you are creating your own favorable growing
environment for your food.
When planting outside, make sure that the last frost for the winter
has passed. This won’t be as important if you are using a “no-dig”
raised organic garden. You will, however, need to make sure that the
produce you choose is right for the planting zone that you live in.
Once the garden has been established, experiment with other plants.
Peppers are easy to grow and delicious. Pretty soon you will only
have to buy a few fruits and vegetables from the grocery store
because you will have a thriving organic garden within your home or
your backyard.
Organic gardening sounds difficult but it actually is not. A large
space is not needed, either. Once the garden is set up to your
satisfaction, you just have to remember to use all natural
ingredients to keep it going.
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Organic Living
