With the focus turning to healthier eating habits, many are turning to organic home gardening as an option. Many gardeners are pleased to learn just how easy and economical organic gardening can be. Your own backyard may make the perfect setting for your very own organic garden that you can start with just a few basic principles. This article will provide the basics of organic gardening so you will be ready to get started as soon as the next growing season rolls around.

When beginning organic home gardening, the first question to ask is exactly what makes a garden organic? An organic garden is filled with herbs, vegetables and flowers that have not been grown with chemical fertilizers or pesticides of any kind. Instead of chemicals, elements from nature are called upon to feed and protect crops so they can grow the way they were originally intended. Organic gardens are good for the environment as well as healthy and nutritious for the people who eat their harvests.

To begin a successful organic home gardening experience, you must first have healthy soil that will help the plants to grow and thrive. To make a nutrient-rich soil, begin with a compost creation that you make by adding food scraps, coffee grounds and other organic matter throughout the year. These ingredients can be kept in a makeshift compost bin right in your own backyard, until it is ready to be added to your garden soil. Avoid adding potentially unhealthy ingredients to your compost pile, such as animal waste, diseased plants or those that have been treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

When it is time to begin your organic garden, add your homemade compost to the soil before spading it up. A soil test can also be done on a small sample of your bed to ensure your soil is rich in all the nutrients your crops will need to thrive. Soil testing can either be done at home or by taking a sample to your local nursery or extension office for analysis. Preparing the soil is probably the most important step in the entire process, since healthy soil reduces the risk of pests or diseases harming your crops.

Organic home gardening is an excellent way to expand your gardening repertoire. The right preparation of your garden soil will result in healthy, productive crops throughout the growing season. Your organic gardening efforts are sure to be appreciated when your family has a rich, healthy harvest to enjoy all winter long.