Growing your own organic garden can be a great way to get some clean, healthy produce into your house, while also providing yourself with a relaxing, stress-relieving hobby. If this sounds great, but you aren't sure where to start, don't worry. Read on to find out how to make your own home garden!
Use fertilizers that are free for the taking. Using chemical free grass clippings or human urine for a nutrient rich and free fertilizer. Twenty parts water with one part urine is an excellent fertilizer for seedlings, or steep the grass clippings in water to make a tea for watering and fertilizing the plants. So don't spend a lot on the garden when the fertilizers can be had for free.
When growing potatoes, make sure you choose a variety with a starch content that corresponds with the way you'll be cooking them. The more starch there is in a potato, the drier and flakier it will be when cooked. Potatoes that are good for mashing have approximately 7% starch. These potatoes cook quickly and retain a high moisture content, so they're easy to mash. Baking potatoes have a starch content between 15% and 18%, and frying potatoes have the highest level at 22%.
To avoid injuring yourself while gardening, be sure to do some warm-up stretches before starting your project. Most people may not think of gardening as exercise, but injuries like pulled muscles frequently occur in the garden. You should also be sure to move around and not stay in one position for a long period of time.
Create an illusion of space. If you have a small garden, use color to create an illusion of more space. A background of blues, grays, pinks and mauves will create a misty effect, giving you the feeling of depth. If you use a bright color in the foreground such as red, this will emphasize the effect, as it draws the eye forward.
As you plan your garden this year, change the layout so that it's different from where the various plants were located last year. For example, place your tomatoes in the part of the garden where the corn grew last season. This rotation of crops will help keep your soil from becoming depleted of the nutrients needed by each type of vegetable.
Treat yourself while you garden with a little petroleum jelly. Before donning your gardening gloves, apply a bit of petroleum jelly or your favorite moisturizing cream to your hands. The gloves protect from the dirt, while your hand movement works the cream into your skin. You will finish your gardening with silky soft hands!
Make sure air can circulate around your plants, and keep leaves moisture-free. Moisture on the surfaces of your plants is an invitation to pests and illness. Fungi commonly afflict a number of plants. There are many effective fungicide products that will prevent fungi growth and clear up any existing problems as well.
Are fresh mint leaves something you love but cannot stand how quickly they grow all over your garden? That's why it's better to place mint in containers rather than letting it have free rein in your garden. You can then plant the container down in the ground if you like, but the walls of the container will hold the roots captive, and keep the plant from taking over your garden!
Start your home organic garden today, and soon you'll have plenty of delicious fresh produce, and the satisfaction of knowing that it came from plants you grew with your own hands. Don't hesitate, use the information you've learned now to start building your own organic garden in your home!