I want to try and grow some vegetables in pots and grow bags, but I know nothing at all about gardening.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Nowadays, one of the gradually emerging lucrative activities for hobbyist, and environmentalist for that matter, is organic gardening. It is slowly replaces the traditional type of gardening that involves harmful chemicals that speed up the destruction of our Ozone layer.

Organic gardening, basically, refers to one type of gardening that deviates from the customary use of chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides. Because of these, many agriculturists contend that engaging into organic gardening makes one in synchrony with nature.

The basic notion of organic gardening boils down to the fact that it is best to feed the soil and not the plant. Thus, we can hypothetically say that, in organic gardening, it is the soil that needs more nourishment than the plants, or simply because its from the soil that the plants obtain their nourishment. A healthy soil yields a healthy plant, so to speak.

In organic gardening, the basic concept of “fertilizing” the soil is to use organic materials like composts and manures. When fertilizing the soil, it doesnt necessarily mean that you use fertilizers. In fact, fertilizers were primarily denoted as anything that increases the soils fertility.

Hence, organic gardening is a way of going back to the basics, the traditional use of basic fertilizers that increases the soils capability to enrich the plant. In this manner, the grower uses minerals like calcium coming from the fossils of dead animals, nitrogen from legumes or manures, phosphorus from bones of dead animals, and potassium from wood ashes.

On the other hand, organic growers also consider composts of other living things like vegetables or plants when incorporating the idea of organic gardening. Its by-product is known as the humus, which is definitely good for the soil. In organic gardening, humus is an important element in plant production because it contains cellulose that performs like a sponge and retains moisture in the soil so that it will be made available for the plants as they grow.

Moreover, organic gardening incorporates the traditional way of controlling animal pests like physical removal of insects, crop rotation, interplanting, and the introduction of prey species. These methods lessen the growth of insects and curb the multiplication of pests. It also impedes the development of diseases that were emphasized by “agribusiness monocropping”.

In addition, organic gardening employs the typical suppression of weeds and vegetable pests without having to opt for herbicides. In this organic gardening method of removing weeds, “mulches” are placed on the weeds to prevent them from obtaining the amount of light they need in order to grow. These mulches act as barriers for weeds and vegetable pests. They come in different forms like leaves, stones, wood, or straw.

In general, the technique of organic gardening lies on two agricultural concepts: permaculture and biodynamic agriculture.

Permaculture or permanent culture refers to that area in agriculture wherein certain ecological principles, “shared ethics” like earth care and people care, and design tools are used so as to gain sustainable development in plants. On the other hand, biodynamics agriculture is composed of a biological at the same time sustainable system of agricultural assembly.

With these two concepts, we can safely derive the fundamental idea of organic gardening as a system based on environmental, sustainable, and ethical principles of man.

So, we now know for a fact that organic gardening is definitely a lot better than what science and technology teaches us these days.

The only drawback is that it is science that taught us the basic ways on how to care for the environment in the first place, and yet, it is also the same mentor who is teaching us how to employ concepts that eventually leads to natures destruction. Isnt it ironic?

Household throwaways can be valuable to the alternate enthusiast. Here are ten recyclable ideas to make gardening a little less hard on the pocket!

1. Hedge clippings: Instead of burning or direct composting, beg, borrow or even buy, if the quantity justifies the price, an electric garden muncher.

Branches up to an inch in diameter are posted into a slot and the machine munches them up into small chips. Spread these chips thickly around shrubs or fruit trees to help keep moisture in, and control the temperature of the soil.

2. Food Waste: All food waste must be composted. Composting is becoming quite an art form, and special composting bins can be bought, or very simply made.

There are many different theories and each gardener will find his or her preferred way. Keeping the compost fairly warm is the overall key to a good result. Or, if you’re in no hurry, simply keep adding to a heap, and dig out the bottom when required. Sieve before using and the compost will be ready for planting small plants and even seeds.

3. Old carpets, large damaged cardboard boxes; and similar materials can be laid over the vegetable plot in autumn to help prevent those early spring weeds appearing. Spread over a whole patch and weigh down with stones or logs. Lift off on a sunny day in early spring a few days before digging.

4. Paint trays: Keep old roller painting trays and similar containers for seed trays. Punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Add a little fine gravel before filling with seed compost. Seed trays shouldn’t be deeper than 15cm.

5. Yoghurt pots: All plastic yoghurt or dessert pots can be washed and saved for re-potting seedlings. Make a hole in the bottom of each and add a little fine gravel before filling with compost or soil..

6. Glass jars: Glass jars with sealable lids are excellent for storing seeds, beans and peas for planting next year. (Safe from mice as well) After washing the jars, dry in the oven to remove all traces of moisture before storing your seeds. Collect dark glass jars, or wrap paper round clear jars to prevent seeds being damaged by light.

7. Ice Lolly sticks: Make perfect row markers in your seed trays or greenhouse beds. The wooden ones won’t last for ever but you can at least write on them with pen, pencil or crayons!

8. Wire coat hangers: Make mini-cloches with discarded or broken wire coat hangers. Pull into a square shape. Place the hook in the soil and push down gently until the natural bend in the wire rests on top of the soil. Place another a short distance away in your seed bed to create two ends of a cloche. Now throw over a sheet of plastic and hold down with logs or stones.

Note: this will work only when creating very small cloches.

9. Clear plastic: Keep any clear plastic containers that could be placed upside down over a plant. Cut a mineral water bottle in half to make two handy individual cloches. Large sheets of clear plastic from packaged household items are fine for throwing over mini coat hanger cloches.

10. Aluminium bottle tops: Keep aluminium tops from milk or juice bottles, and also coloured foil around beer or wine bottles. Thread together to make a bird scarer. Simply thread with thick cotton and hang on your fruit bushes before the birds find the new fruits.

Look out for other tools for the garden from kitchen throwaways such as: old kitchen spoons and forks for transplanting tiny plants in the greenhouse. Leaky buckets for harvesting small quantities of potatoes, carrots etc; light wooden boxes for harvesting salads through the summer, and transporting pots etc;

Keep an eye on that rubbish bag and turn today’s throwaways into tomorrow’s tools!

Linda Gray is a freelance writer and, with her partner, has spent ten years renovating an acre of neglected woodland. With a growing family to feed ‘off the land’, frugal gardening has become second nature! Drop in at http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com for pots of gardening inspiration!

First of all, organic gardening requires your personal involvement in the whole process. The plants need you to supply the soil with fruitful compost. The natural compost is made of kitchen and garden waste, with no chemical pesticides in it.

Chemicals are the second issue solved by organic gardening. When you grow the plants organic, you need not add any artificial substances in the soil. Pesticides are made of toxins that kill every living thing in the natural environment. They can be extremely harmful for the human body, as well. Organic gardening contains no risk for any living creature, and saves the life balance in the surroundings.

The above-mentioned reveals the third advantage of organic gardening: it is harmless for the environment. You can try it and preserve nature. In that way you get two great extras: eating healthy food without being a monster to the living habitat around you. Trees and plants have produced their harvest for millions of years without being propped up with chemical substances. By organic gardening we let nature do something for us, and feed us, as it had feeded our ancestors with delicious food, long before pesticides came into fashion.

By trying organic gardening, you help your children grow up healthy. Many research works show that a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from food than a full-grown adult. The necessity of healthy food for children is not a myth, but a scientifically proven trut h.

The last thing that makes organic gardening utterly irresistible for the practical people, is that it is CHEAPER. Pesticides and artificial supplements DO cost a lot of money indeed. But this doesn’t mean that organic gardeners leave things go their own unpredictable way. A devoted gardener always comes up with smart ideas like making cheap compost of coffee grounds. If you want to get rid of aphids, a typical organic gardening tip would be to plant marigolds nearby. There are many do-it-yourself practical advice for making your plants grow stronger. Take mulch, for example. Mulch is done by mixing pine needles and grass clippings. It helps keeping the soil moist and the weeds off. There are many recipes for producing cheap substances to fight against garden pests. The most inexpensive way to make a quart of garden pest spray is by mixing water with one spoon of dishwashing soap and one cup of cooking oil.

When taking up organic gardening, you start to feel that you are really doing something use ful for the environment and for your health, and the satisfaction is rewarding. Saving money is the other great privilege that an organic gardening practitioner feels over the others.

Article by Robbie Darmona – an article author who writes on a wide variety of subjects.

Here are the benefits of organic gardening:

1. Organically grown foods are not sprayed with chemicals.

That means less health harming chemicals on the food that you and your family may consume. Keep in mind that pesticides are created with only one purpose, to kill living things. A certain kind of protection might be dangerous. Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the childs life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

Organically grown foods are nutritious and full of taste although they may not look as colorful and well presented as shop produce.

2. Cost savings

One example of organic fertilizer that you could make use of is as lowly as the stale coffee and coffee grounds. You dont need to buy chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are expensive. Besides, the main purpose of taking care of vegetables and organic gardens will be defeated if they become “tainted” with pest control chemicals. In organic gardening, pest control relies on a series of strategy, not on a highly toxic chemical. For example, you can plant suitable flowers to attract pests natural predators like wasps and lacewings.

Compost can be made using vegetable waste. You can also add tealeaves, coffee grounds, eggshells and banana skins. Although this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it would surely be one rewarding activity.

3. Less harm to the environment.

Growing foods organically can protect the topsoil from erosion. As an addition, it has residual effect on ground water. According to The Environmental Protection Agency, 38 states have cases of contaminated ground water.

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way of getting closer to nature. The independence and satisfaction that can come from growing your own food is as rewarding as the peace of mind you have when you know exactly how the food was grown. By doing it, you have participated in safeguarding the future of the next generations.