Organic Gardening: Gardening used to be a regular aspect of daily life for many individuals. Just a few generations back, neighbors would trade fresh vegetables over fences (those surplus zucchinis!). Additionally, it was common for individuals to be acquainted with their neighborhood farmers. The act of grandmothers opening a jar of homemade pickles or jam is a cherished memory for many of us.
If you want to begin your small plot of land, here’s how to start a garden.
Despite the changing times (hello, Wal-Mart?), we can still cultivate some of our food for a portion of the year in nearly all regions worldwide. However, a significant number of individuals, particularly in the US, do not engage in this practice.
Preserving a local food source is vital, and tending to a garden is beneficial for both the body and spirit. This year, make a positive impact on the Earth and your family by exploring your green thumb! Instead of purchasing costly organic produce at the store, experiment with organic gardening in your backyard.
It’s Time to Revive Gardening!
During wartime, families were urged to cultivate “victory gardens” to mitigate food scarcity. At its peak, there were more than 20,000,000 such vegetable plots in the US. However, as the war subsided and individuals transitioned from farming to urban living, the practice of home gardening gradually waned.
You can still have your garden no matter where you live! If it’s your first time gardening, start small and use what you have. A new garden can be as simple as a container garden on your back porch or an herb garden on your kitchen windowsill. If you have room for in-ground garden beds you can easily produce enough food to feed a family.
In recent years, gardening has made a significant comeback, which is great news!
How to Start a Organic Gardening for Beginners
Starting your first garden might feel overwhelming due to the variety of plants/seeds available and different gardening styles, not to mention the challenge of keeping everything alive.
If prioritizing fresh, nutrient-rich food, even a small garden or indoor herb box is a positive step. Garden produce needn’t be canned; much can be frozen or enjoyed fresh.
One gardening benefit I love? Kids engage in nutritious eating in a fresh, enchanting manner by witnessing the origins of their food. Here’s a step-by-step guide to kick off your very own organic garden in the backyard!
1. Select Your Space
I know many individuals fortunate to possess a large backyard suitable for gardening. Yet, numerous city or small suburb residents have limited sunny space available. Determine your garden area and plan accordingly.
Monitor your yard or porch multiple times daily to assess its direct sunlight exposure. This evaluation will aid in selecting the optimal garden location. Additionally, proximity to a water source, such as a spigot or hose, is desirable. Carrying a watering can for an hour daily can be exhausting!
For maximizing space and yield, consider utilizing raised beds. If you have limited space, using containers on a patio can be beneficial with the use of quality soil, organic fertilizer, and proper sunlight along with sufficient water and good drainage.
2. Selecting What to Cultivate
Your selection of plants should be based on the available space. Consider the options between annuals (such as eggplants and tomatoes) and perennials (like echinacea and rosemary).
In the initial year, it can be challenging to decide what to plant. When I began gardening, we frequently had excess tomatoes and wished for more cucumbers. If you aim to maximize yield, here’s the recommended quantity per individual for a year’s worth of family sustenance.
Currently, my approach involves cultivating foods that are both highly consumed by us and are relatively costly when purchased organically. This leads us to focus on the extensive production of spinach, strawberries, winter squash, tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and peppers.
To determine the appropriate amount and timing for planting different types of plants, visit GrowVeg.com. They provide a complimentary 30-day trial of their gardening planning tool, allowing you to determine the quantities of each variety to plant.
Here’s an image of how our spring garden appeared one year following this garden layout:
They provide a helpful planting date chart tailored to your climate.
Beginner Tip: Don’t get stressed about gardening resources or detailed plans for growing veggies. The above is my approach after years of gardening. Start by diving into practical work. Pick a couple of seed packets and follow the directions. Each year, experiment and progress towards your dream garden!
Excellent options for novice seed selections:
- snap peas (kids love these!)
- tomatoes
- peppers
- marigolds (gardens need flowers – this variety is even edible)
- zucchini
- radishes
Opting for simplicity? Get a novice’s garden set with instructions and planning tools. Decision done!
3. Begin Indoor Seed Starting
Beginning seeds indoors provides a head start for your garden and extends the growing season. Initiating the growth of plants such as tomatoes and peppers indoors is almost essential for a successful growing season.
While you can purchase starter plants from a local garden center, cultivating your own from seed offers a rewarding learning opportunity! Additionally, it is more cost-effective and convenient to access a diverse range of heirloom and organic plants.
It’s important to determine the seed planting time by checking the last frost date in your growing region. Refer to this post for detailed instructions on how to do so. For a fall garden, you can either directly sow the seeds outdoors or begin the process indoors during the summer.
As previously stated, there are kits available for novice gardeners to simplify the process. Consider using a basic seed starting kit for detailed guidance tailored to individual plants.
For a diverse selection of seeds, I suggest True Leaf Seeds for non-GMO and organic options. Heirloom seeds are traditional varieties that have endured through time and have been conserved across generations.
4. Get Ready for the Garden
Once you have the garden space reserved, ensure you have quality garden soil to utilize. If not, consider incorporating organic matter or blending in compost.
Most county extension offices provide affordable soil testing services. Analyzing your soil will identify any necessary additions to support optimal plant growth. These tests typically cost around $20 and provide crucial insights for your garden’s success throughout the year.
We’ve worked in numerous truckloads of organic compost during the past years. Although initially costly, it proved beneficial in the end. Our soil, naturally dense clay with high acidity and poor drainage, was transformed by the compost into rich, black soil yielding an abundance of vegetables!
Beginner Tip: Seek simplicity. Consider a DIY planter box! I previously provided guidelines for my basic cedar planter box, which offers an uncomplicated method to cultivate a small backyard garden. This planter, measuring just three feet in length, is suitable for nearly any patio or porch. In ours, we successfully nurtured kale, herbs, and a selection of microgreens.
5. Make the Most of Your Space
Maximize your growing space and prevent pests with organic gardening methods like companion planting, succession planting, and square-foot gardening to boost productivity in small spaces.
Companion Planting
Companion planting enables the growth of plants that mutually benefit each other nearby. A traditional instance is the Indian practice of interplanting corn, beans, and squash. Here, corn acts as a support for beans and squash, while beans enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefiting the corn and squash.
Another case involves planting basil beneath tomatoes. Apart from their complementary flavors, these plants repel pests and enhance each other’s growth quality. Furthermore, taller plants offer shade-loving varieties some relief.
My preferred plants to cultivate in unison are:
- Basil and tomato for promoting growth and deterring pests.
- Plant marigolds throughout the garden to repel pests and minimize nematode infestations.
- Dill with cucumber
- Catnip, mint, and chamomile are planted among brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) to repel pests
- Plant beets underneath cabbage to maximize space.
- Mammoth sunflowers with cucumbers – the sunflowers serve as the trellis.
Planting successions
Planting different crops one after the other can increase garden yield and lengthen the harvest season. Currently, my garden features young cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, chard, spinach, and lettuce. After harvesting these, the beds will be used for growing melons or winter squash.
In some regions, it’s possible to cultivate specific plants throughout the fall and winter. Following the summer harvest, consider sowing root vegetables, greens, and lettuce that thrive in cooler temperatures.
Vertical Gardening
Cultivating plants vertically rather than allowing them to spread out can decrease their space requirements and boost productivity through improved airflow and lower disease risk. Trellises and cages work well for tomatoes, cucumbers, vining squash, and more. Visit this page to explore how we’ve incorporated vertical features in our garden.
Beginner Tip: If these choices feel too complicated, simply follow the seed package instructions and plant in rows. For tomatoes or cucumbers needing support, consult the garden store for suitable trellises.
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6. Feed (and Weed) the Garden
Once the garden is planted, it’s time to feed and weed! If you’ve tested your soil and prepared it with compost, this step won’t be necessary for a little while at least, but I do like to use this homemade compost tea to give the garden a boost. It’s a great alternative to expensive natural fertilizers and easy to make when needed.
Organic gardening does come with its fair share of weeding since we’re not using chemical herbicides around food (shudder). Thankfully there are ways to simplify the process. Weeds can’t grow where there isn’t light, so smother them before they start by covering garden aisles with newspaper, cardboard, or organic mulch. Or use a natural paper weed barrier that will simply till into the soil when the season is over. It works!
Beginner Tip: A basic garden hoe handles the remaining work and should be used among plants every few days. My youngest children have garden tools tailored to their size and enjoy assisting with this task.
7. Get prepared for natural pest control.
Believe weeds are the main issue in a garden? Not quite. Pest control is crucial in gardening too. It’s disheartening to dedicate hours to your garden just for plants to be ruined by insects, caterpillars, and even small (or large) creatures.
In organic gardening, traditional pesticides are restricted, but numerous effective methods exist to deter pests! Explore this post for a range of natural pest control solutions.
Beginner Tip: Learn to “scout” the garden. Gardeners understand that consistent observation is crucial for success. Bring your morning coffee to the garden and observe the activities. This way, you will detect any pest damage while it is still minimal.
8. Explore Your Organic Garden!
There are bound to be some hiccups in your inaugural year of organic gardening (or even your tenth!), but it’s all par for the course. A good portion of your crops will flourish, and nothing compares to harvesting fresh produce from your backyard. The flavor is incomparable to store-bought items (a sun-warmed cherry tomato straight from the vine… bliss). Moreover, your children will adore the fruits of their garden labor.
Tip: Utilize the fresh zucchini and summer vegetables in this hearty Italian sausage soup!
Understanding the origin of your food (and what it was not sprayed with!) is incredibly rewarding and justifies the time and effort invested. Moreover, you will enjoy the rare opportunity to spend time outdoors in the sun and soil. Your body will appreciate it!
Are you gardening this year? What are you planting? Let me know below!
