Maintaining a healthy organic garden is something my husband and I have always tried to do. Taking care of our lawn and garden is something we take pride in and doing it in a manner that Mother Nature would want us to do it, makes us proud. Besides, it costs less and is environmentally friendly.

In a recent article that I read written by Ashley Halligan (a market analyst for Software Advice) called “5 Simple Steps to Green Your Properties Landscape“, she says “… a little green TLC can be beneficial to the environment by reducing contaminants in water runoff and providing a toxin-free environment for humans and animals”. We certainly agree with her.

Greenscaping Helps Our Organic Garden

Greenscaping is a set of landscaping practices that improves the health of your garden and it protects and preserves the natural environment. Basically, it’s putting Mother Nature to work in your own yard.

There are 5 steps to successful greenscaping:

1. Build and Maintain Healthy Soil – Remember this…healthy plants grow in healthy soil. Regularly test your soil to find out what nutrients might be missing in your soil. Contact a Cooperative Center Office or check with your local nursury for a soil test kit.

Supplement your soil with compost (read Compost For Your Organic Garden) and use mulch around your plants to conserve water.

2. Plant the Right Plants for Your Site – Pick plants that grow naturally in your geographic area. Choose plants that grow well in the pH of your soil. Don’t grow too much grass and choose plants that don’t need too much water.

3. Practice Smart Watering – Too much water is unhealthy for most plants…give them only what they need. Water deeply and infrequently. Conserve every drop.

Establish a system for collecting rain water. For information, read Drought Insurance For Your Organic Garden.

4. Use a Holistic Approach to Pest Management – Start with prevention…maintain healthy soil and choose plants that are bug resistant.

Identify the type of bugs that are on your plants…some bugs are helpful. Manually removing harmful bugs is one way to control them and their are many organic ways to do it, also. Read Pest Controls From Your Kitchen Cabinet to learn more.

5. Practice Natural Lawn Care – Mow frequently and don’t remove over 1/3 of the height of the grass. Save time by leaving the clippings that will also naturally fertilize the grass. Use “natural organic” fertilizers and water infrequently, but deeply.

To keep us focused on what needs to be done depending on the season at hand, we use this free government seasonal calendar.

Greenscaping has certainly helped our organic garden and we encourage others who are not doing it to give it a try.

Until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog…

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I’m excited! Spring has sprung come next week and the tomato seeds that I planted two weeks ago have already come to life. Of course, I planted those seeds in our greenhouse, but, in a few weeks I can move them outdoors to our organic vegetable garden. I love growing tomatoes and in this Organic Gardening How To Blog post, I wanted to share some fun facts about tomatoes.

Did you know…

* Tomatoes were considered poisonous to man until the mid 1800′s…

* We eat more tomatoes per person than any other fruit or vegetable…

* Some medical research indicates that consuming organic tomatoes may drastically decrease the risk of heart disease…

* There’s TWICE the amount of vitamins in a homegrown vine-ripened tomato than a commercially gas ripened tomato…

If you like to grow tomatoes like me, I wanted to share some FREE INFORMATION that I came across while I was searching the internet. If you truely enjoy growing tomatoes, I think you will enjoy these.

The first one is a web page where you can find 10 short videos that provide tips on growing healthy tomatoes. These videos cover such things as providing a nutrient rich soil, to stimulating early fruit growth, and even how to make your tomatoes to taste even better. Go ahead and watch these videos.

The second thing that I found is a 12-page PDF called 3 Tomato Secrets… this is also FREE…so, go ahead and grab it! This PDF has some valuable information that can help you grow bigger and better tomatoes.

Noticed that I said bigger? My husband and I have a challenge every year on who can grow the biggest tomato…either him or I. Last year, I won that contest! I grew a 1.4 lb. tomato and he could only manage a 1.2 lb. tomato. I got the bragging rights for this last year.

Some time back, I posted a video on this Organic Gardening How To Blog that showed a really big tomato that Patti Moreno had grown in her garden. If you like big tomatoes, watch this video…it’s located on a blog article I wrote called A Large Tomato In Your Organic Vegetable Garden? Not Like This!

Now, if you think that was a big tomato, watch this video:

Does that get you excited like it does me?

Until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog…

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It’s February, and we are still harvesting an enormous amount of vegetables from our organic vegetable garden. That’s because we (my husband and I) had built a small greenhouse for less than $50 year-before-last. That small greenhouse allows us continue to grow organic vegetables even when the temperature is freezing outside.

I wrote an article about building this greenhouse in August of 2010 and if you missed reading that article, you can read it here: An Organic Vegetable Garden Dome for Under $50. I encourage you to read this short article.

We’ve had this small greenhouse for nearly 2 years now and we are certainly happy that we did build it. But, it has only made my husband and I more eager to do this type of vegetable gardening in a bigger and easier way. You see, there were some drawbacks to this inexpensive type of greenhouse gardening.

First, the greenhouse we built was low to the ground, so we have to do a great deal of bending to maintain and harvest our garden. As we get older, this is becoming more of a problem.

Secondly, we have to remove the plastic from the “ribs” of the greenhouse whenever we are maintaining and harvesting our organic vegetable garden. And, when we are finished, we have to re-cover the greenhouse with the plastic… not difficult to do, but just a pain to do.

Well, this year, my husband and I have decided to take our greenhouse gardening to the next step. We are going to build a larger greenhouse with raised beds… a greenhouse that has doors on it for ease of entry and windows that will allow ventilation while we are gardening. Best of all, we have found a way to do this for less than $500!

In these tight times, money is important to us as it is to most families.

The idea to build this type of greenhouse was not really our idea, but we found it online in an ebook called the Biodome Revolution. This ebook shows you step-by-step on how to build a Geodesic Greenhouse Dome and where and how to get the materials at a fraction of the cost.

Now, this ebook is being marketed by Clickbank for $49.97, it’s well worth the cost. Otherwise, we would never have ever thought of building a greenhouse like this. And, if we had of thought of it, how much time and materials would we have wasted trying to build this structue? Well, I can tell you… a lot!

My husband and I bought this ebook knowing that we had a 60-day guarantee to return it and to get all of our money back… but, we won’t be returning it! We were surprised at how much info this ebook contained and how good the step-by step instructions were.

Spring is approaching and we plan on building our Geodesic Greenhouse Dome as soon as the weather turns a little warmer… that should be in about seven weeks.

To give you an idea of what my husband and I are looking forward to, watch this short video:

Now, watch this short video that shows some of the construction steps. Supposedly, this dome was assembled in four hours, which may be true if all of the sections were previously constructed and assembled.

The Geodesic Greenhouse Dome that we are going to construct is going to be a 32 foot diameter dome. This dome will allow us to grow some citrus trees that we have previously been unable to grow in our organic vegetable garden.

Until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog…

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In a previous Organic Gardening How To Blog article, I discussed the proper procedure for pruning your organic roses (if you haven’t read it, read it here Organic Gardening How To – Pruning Roses). In this article, however, I want to discuss the proper tools that the organic gardener should use for pruning plants, bushes, and trees.

If you need more information on the procedures for pruning different types of fruit trees, I found a great PDF called Training and Pruning Fruit Trees that was free to download. It’s a 16-page report written by by North Carolina State University.

You can’t prune properly if you don’t have the right tools… and pruning tools need to be kept sharp. Here is a list of pruning tools that you can use.

1. Bypass Pruner – Also called hand pruners, these are operated with one hand and are similar to snips. Bypass pruners are intended to cut branches that are 1″ and smaller in diameter. Cutting brances any larger than 1″ can damage the tool and your fingers.

2. Loppers – Loppers are for cutting bigger branches and are operated with two hands. This tool looks similar to bolt cutters. Due to their long handles, you have greater leverage.

3. Hedge Shears – Hand operated hedge shears look like over-sized scissors and are intened to cut mall branches and leaves. Their handles are typically shorter than the handles on a lopper and the cutting face is longer. When choosing hedge shears, choose one that fits your hands comfortably.

Almost any organic gardener needs a set of loppers, bypass pruners, and hedge shears… these are basic.

4. Pruning Saw – Also called folding saws and limb saws, this tool is intended to cut branches that are 1″ and thicker and small diameter limbs. You operate this tool with one hand. The blade is typically bow shaped and tapered towards the end. When choosing a pruning saw, choose one that cuts in both directions… both when you are pushing and pulling the saw blade.

5. Pole Saw – These saws are intended to cut branches and small limbs that are out of reach when standing on the ground or on a ladder. They consist of a saw (similar to the blabe on a pruning saw) that is attached to a long pole. Be cautious when using this tool, especially while on a ladder… moving the pole saw back-and-forth could throw you off balance and cause injury if you fall from the ladder.

All of the tools mentioned above are hand operated. Of course, in today’s world, there are many electrical and gas powered versions of these same saws. These powered saws are powerful and work much faster, but they are more costly, require more maintenace, and can be very dangerous.

Following is a Organic Gardening How To video that shows the proper use of some of these tools:

When brand new, these tools will be very sharp and will work very effectively for you. But, after using for a short amount of time, these tools will become dull and you will need to take them to a saw sharpening shop to have them re-sharpened or you can resharpen them yourself…which is what I do.

I found a great tool online for sharpening saws and I found it on Amazon.com. It’s called the GardenSharp Tool Sharpener and it really works great… it’s easy to use and it only costs $11.99. This tool has 24 user reviews on Amazon and has received 4 stars. Read those reviews and see what you think.

I also found a YouTube video that demonstrates on how to use this saw sharpener. Now, in this video they are sharpening knives (I’m not sure exactly why!?), but I use it basically the same way to sharpen the blades on my saws. Watch this video:

That’s it for now… until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog.

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who live in the northern hemisphere, and I know that most gardeners are not raising an organic vegetable garden during these cold months…at least, unless you have a green house or an inexpensively constructed dome house. That’s why in this Organic Gardening How To article I wanted to take a few minutes to encourage others to give organic gardening a try in this coming spring.

Organic gardening is no harder than any other type of gardening, it only takes a little bit of ingenuity. For example, if you have pesty aphids in your garden, instead of buying harsh chemicals, use what Mother Nature has naturally provided you to rid your garden of those pesty insects. Our environment will be much healthier and you can be proud of what you have accomplished.

Organic vegetable gardens results in produce that is better than anything else that you can buy. The produce is nutritional and much healthier for you and that’s why most of the world’s major chefs are now using only organic vegetables and fruits.

If you haven’t tried organic gardening before and if you might be interested in giving it a try, I found this great video on YouTube that will show you how simple it is to get started. Watch this Organic Gardening How To Blog video:

If you are new at organic gardening, start your vegetable garden out in a small plat of ground…this will allow you to get your “feet wet”. If you run into problems along the way, return to this blog and enter some search terms into the Search Window on the right sidebar of this blog…you should be able to find answers to any of your questions and/or problems.

I encourage all of you that are not already doing it, please give organic gardening a heart-felt try…I think you will be glad (and healthier) for doing it!

Until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog…

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I’ve just finished picking the organic horseradish that I planted this year… this is the second year that I have grown this organic vegetable. And, as I always do, I began to think about what new type of vegetable there was that I could grow in my vegetable garden come next year… something that I had never grown before. Well, what came into my mind was wasabi (perhaps that came into my mind because we had just eaten wasabi at a Chinese restaurant last night). I decided to do some research on the possibility of growing it.

I found out that wasabi is a perennial plant in the mustard family and is native to Japan. It’s grown for it’s stem or root which when ground up produces a hot, pungent flavor similar to horseradish. The biggest difference, however, is that after is is eaten it leaves a rich, sweet taste in the mouth with no burning sensations… unlike horseradish.

The most important thing that I found out about growing wasabi is that it is incredibly difficult to grow. The plant grows in cool and moist temperate climates… that’s why it is mostly grown in selective regions in the mountains within Japan. There are very few regions in North America that have a climate suitable for growing wasabi, with the exception of certain coastal regions in the Pacific Northwest.

I did find a well-written PDF on growing this organic vegetable in the Pacific Northwest. If any of the visitors to this website live in that area and would like to learn more about growing their own wasabi, click on this link to get a FREE copy of Growing Wasabi in the Pacific Northwest.

For the rest of us, we need to look elsewhere else to find something new and unique to grow in our organic gardens next year. I did enjoy growing horseradish again this year and, if you have not done this, you can find read an article I wrote on growing organic horseradish by reading Organic Gardening How To – Growing Organic Horseradish.

Before I leave you, I did find an interesting Youtube video that explores a Japanese wasabi farm. The video is only 3-1/2 minutes long and you can view it below:

You know, I just thought of another interesting organic vegetable that I might be able to grow next year… how about mushrooms? I’m off to do some more research…

Until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog!

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Your once bountiful garden has been invaded by pests intent on devouring everything they can get their grubby little hands on. Maybe your spider mites treatment isn’t working, bacteria has infected a number of your plants, or even bigger pests such as rabbits or deer and have decided to feast upon your luscious fruits and vegetables. No matter what the pest is there are a number of measures you can take to save your garden without using harsh chemicals and pesticides or other invasive methods.

The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences offers one such approach to pest control, it’s called Integrated Pest Management or IPM for short. This first step is identification. It may go without saying but to know how to get rid of a pest you first have to know what it is. The preventative measures used against insects are not going to be the same against mammals or other species.

The next step is Prevention and Exclusion. What this means is preventing invasive pests from showing up in the first place by eliminating their foods sources and water supplies by fixing leaky plumbing, cleaning your kitchen, making sure garbage is securely wrapped. This also means caulking any cracks and making sure pests have no way to enter your home.

Another preventative measure is to add coffee grounds to your garden. Not only do coffee grounds add nitrogen to the soil they are also acidic and can raise the PH of the soil to plant friendly levels. These grounds can also repel many pests such as slugs and deer. Introducing strong scents, such as scented soap and cheap perfume, is one method that can deter larger pests. In addition to adding coffee and strong scents to your garden you can also bring in some of the pest’s natural predators, such as spiders and some snakes, to reduce the pest population.

All the preventative measures in the world can’t save your garden if you don’t adhere to the next step in the IPM approach, Monitoring. You need to keep an eye on any new infestations or pests so you can stop them before they do extensive damage to your garden. One way to do this is to place traps and to keep a detailed document concerning where and when problems occur.

Lastly, Multiple Tactics, especially non-chemical tactics if possible, is the last step to maintaining a healthy garden. See what works best for your garden through trial and error and apply these measures accordingly.

The Integrated Pest Management approach focuses on preventing pest problems. This long term process is more environmentally friendly than spray based approach and as a result can reduce the need to use pesticides. If pesticides are needed than it is important to use organic ones that won’t contaminate the water supply, do even more damage to your plants, or do harm directly via exposure to toxic chemicals. Until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog…

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Have you ever been cooking and wished that you had some fresh herbs to add to your family’s meal so that it would taste even better? You probably have and I know I use to make those wishes up until a few years ago when I started growing my own herbs in my organic garden.

Most people consider herb gardening too time consuming and not worth the trouble. But, it’s really not hard to do and having fresh herbs tastes so much better than using those dried out packets that you get at the store.

In most cases, you can grow an herb garden either indoors or outdoors…either way will work. But, the first thing you need to decide upon is what type of herb seeds is it that you want to grow.

Herb garden seeds can be found at almost any organic garden store. You could make a herb garden using small plants that others have already grown from seeds, but I think you’ll be much happier growing your own herbs from seeds….it’s kind of like being a mother…most mothers would rather have her own child versus adopting an infant.

To begin, choose the herb seeds that you want to grow. When choosing, closely read the “recommended climatic conditions” information that is usually printed on the back of the seed packet. Some herbs won’t grow in certain types of climate. Thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, dill, and parsley are some of my favorites. Consider the things that you most often cook and think about what flavors would go with those recipes.

Once you have purchased your seeds, you will need to sprinkle them on top of moist soil and cover them with another light layer of soil to keep them moist. Read the instructions on the back of the seed packets to ensure that you are planting them correctly. A great way for beginners to start is to consider purchasing a herb garden kit . These kits have all the components for growing an herb garden successfully.

Many organic gardeners start their herb gardens indoors in pots and then move them outside to their organic gardens when the conditions are right. You can do this although you may decide just to keep the herb garden permanently inside.

Once the seeds start sprouting, it’s important to give them proper care. Weed and water your herb garden regularly. To furthur assist you on growing your own herbs, watch this short video…it’s just over 9 minutes long:

And, remember, if you grow more herbs than you can immediately use, you can naturally dry them and use for months in the future. A while back, I wrote an instructional article on doing that and if you haven’t read that article, you can read it here…Organic Gardening How To – Drying Herbs Naturally.

Believe me, growing your own fresh herbs is easy! And, all of your efforts won’t be wasted when you find yourself picking fresh herbs from your organic garden and adding them to your family’s meal.

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Many types of vegetables, such as zucchini, cucumbers and peas, are viny plants and take up a great deal of garden space if planted solely on the ground. You may be especially shocked at how much space it takes if you grow more than one of these plants.

To solve this type of problem, grow these types of plants on a trellis. The trellis can be made out of wood, PVC, steel pipe, or even wire. I’ve provided a video below that shows a number of different ways to build a trellis. Watch this Organic Gardening How To video:

My favorite way to make a trellis is the third way that they show in the video…making it out of PVC pipe. I’ve used that way of doing it this year and it was simple to do, inexpensive, and worked very effectively. Best of all, come Winter I can disassemble it and store it in a small space in our carport.

Another cool thing about making a trellis in this manner is that I can start growing lettuce much earlier in late Fall because the lettuce is shaded from the heat of the sun.

An added benefit to growing viny vegetable plants on a trellis is that the leaves get more exposure to the sun and will stay much greener. And, cucumbers grow much straighter due to the force of gravity… this makes them much easier to peel and cut.

Until next time from the Organic Gardening How to Blog…

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Are you familiar with dibbling? It’s a great way to plant bulbs in your organic garden…particularly in areas of your garden where you already have bulbs planted and growing.

What exactly is Dibbling?

Dibbling is a method of cultivation that uses a tool called a dibber to plant bulbs or seeds. Yes, that’s a picture of a dibber on the upper-right hand side of this page.

A dibber is basically a short pointed stick that allows you to push it into the ground so that you can drop a bulb or seed into it…simple, but it works effectively! If you have other plants in the area, a dibber allows you to plant bulbs or seeds without digging up the ground.

To get the most out of this method of planting, just follow these steps:

1. First, thoroughly wet the ground. It’s much easier to push a dibber into the ground if it has been moistened, especially if you have clay in your soil.

2. Decide on the depth of the hole. Different bulbs and seeds grow best at different depths. If you have purchased these bulbs from your local organic garden center, ask them for their recommendations on the depth of the hole. Normally, it’s 2-3 times the size of the bulb.

3. Using a ruler, measure the recommended depth from the end of the point on the dibber and mark with a pencil or eraseable ink.

4. Make the hole by firmly pushing the dibber into the ground…stop when you have reached your desired depth. If your bulb is somewhat large, you can wiggle the dibber to make the hole larger at the end of the point.

5. Place the bulb or seed into the hole and fill the hole organic garden soil .

That’s it…quick and simple. Until next time from the Organic Gardening How To Blog…

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