Growing Your Own Organic Foods

The nourishment we eat ought be tasty, wholesome and healthy. The way it is grown should assist, not injure our environment. But can we really be assured that the fruit and vegetables bought from a supermarket meet these two simple criteria? Can we be sure that the levels of pesticides, insecticides and fungicides our food has been treated with will do us no harm? Organically grown foods are not sprayed with these chemicals. They may not look as colorful and well presented as store goods, but they are nutritious and brimming of taste. Growing your own organic fruit and prganic vegetables is easy. You just need to learn some common principles, familiarize yourself with the plants you aim to grow and get started.

Nature will surely do most of the work for you. First, we must think ahead. Plan which crops to develop, where to grow them, and the kind of fertilizer which you will use.

Rotating the crop grown in an space is agreeable for the soil. Not rotating means toxins can build up and may harm the crop if it is grown in the exact plot for successive years. One organic crop can even prepare the soil for another differant type of organic crop. For instance legumes change some of the nitrogen that other crops can remove. If you mean to use more than one plot a simple interchange can be set up by keeping the families or types of vegetables in separate areas and moving them in rotation to a new plot each season.

For example you could grow the cabbage family in one plot, legumes (peas and beans) in another area, and root crops (carrots, potatoes, etc.In a third plot. In organic gardening pest control does not rely on dangerous chemicals, but on a combination of strategies.

For example, pest's usual predators like lacewings and wasps are encouraged into the garden by planting suitable flowers. The insects are attracted by the nectar and pollen. Strategically place differant types of flowers withing the garden for best results. Weeds are another challenge to the organic gardener.

Do not use chemical remedies. Organic mulches like manure, sawdust, and bark chips are one solution. Another is coal-black plastic, but make sure there is adequate moisture in the soil before you conceal it up.

A good manure will provide nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for the soil. Well-rotted animal manure is recommended. Once decomposed it does not smell and it is a rich, brown, friable configuration.

Cow and pig manures tend to decompose bit by bit and so are longer enduring. If you can collect manure from a farmstead let it rot for around eight weeks in a covered container. You can add chicken manure to expand the nitrogen content of the fertilizer. Compost can be made using vegetable waste. You can also add tealeaves, coffee grounds, eggshells and banana skins.

Do not add kitchen scraps as they can invite vermin, and do not use citrus shuck, as it is too acidic for worms. Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way of getting closer to nature. It is also an effective way of teaching our children about the food on their platter and how to look after the planet around us. The freedom and satisfaction that can come from growing your own food is as rewarding as the serenity of mind you have when you understand exactly how the food was grown.

Travis Waack is an author and webmaster. To learn about organics and where to buy them online you will want to start at http://yourorganics.net