Two Old Gardeners and a Blog

Many people know that there are a lot of health benefits to eating fruits and vegetables that have been grown organically. However, not all of them eat organic food regularly, in part because of the price. Many organic vegetables are more expensive than conventionally grown ones.

The good news is that anybody with even a modest vegetable garden can grow healthy organic vegetables for a much lower cost than they could buy them off the shelf.

This is great if you have the lots of room in your yard, but many people feel that an organic garden takes more space, time, or skill than they have. This isn’t necessarily true. Growing an organic garden isn’t as hard as most people believe.

Organic gardening is simply growing plants without the use of conventional chemicals to discourage pests or fertilize the crops. Instead, natural methods and materials are used in an attempt to improve soil health and strengthen the local ecosystem, producing better, healthier food.

Organic gardeners will tell you that vegetables produced by this method contain better nutrition than those sold in supermarkets. That’s because natural materials like compost help keep the soil healthy, instead of the routine depletion and artificial fertilization used in conventional methods. Since organic fruits and vegetables grow in healthy soil and ripen naturally, they also taste better.

An organic garden can also help you feel safer, since you control what goes into your food. You’ll feel the satisfaction of having produced your own organic vegetables and fruit, get the physical benefits that come from fresh air and exercise, and help to make the environment a lot better.

Mulching is one of the primary tips for a successful organic garden. The addition of old organic matter on a regular basis helps to keep the soil healthy and well functioning. Mulching helps the soil retain moisture, suppresses weeds, reduces temperature fluctuations, and can prevent soil crusting. Many organic gardeners notice that upon improving the health of the soil, plant disease problems readily decline.

The primary reason for growing things organically is to reduce your exposure to chemically produced fertilizers and pesticides. Keep these things out of your garden, and your soil will remain healthy for numerous growing seasons. The most important thing is that you can rest assured that the food your family eats is not laced with chemicals.

All organic gardeners shun man-made chemicals, but many allow naturally made sprays and concoctions in their gardens. Mechanical devices, such as traps, can also be used for pest control. Another method is to allow the pests’ natural predators to enter the garden, thus allowing nature to take its course.

If organic produce prices stay high and people remain concerned about the food they eat, you might even be able to make a little extra money from your garden. Neighborhood and community gardening projects are also getting a lot more popular.

If you’re interested in home grown, organic vegetables that taste great and are good for your family, now’s the time to get started.

Sarah Duke is publisher of The Vegetable Patch at http://www.vegetablegardensite.com, where you’ll find lots of information for starting a vegetable garden.