04/04/14

Time to Talk Gardening! Organic Gardening Tips

Oh yeah, baby! It’s finally that time of year. So go find those gloves, sunblock and shovel and start prepping for some sweet, relaxing, therapeutic, organic  gardening. Here’s some basic organic gardening tips.

You may think with one day of 60 degrees then snow fall the next that it’s still a little early, but there are lots of things you can start doing now to prepare your garden for a successful season.

Tidy up. You can take the dead material on top and march it over to the compost bin (any weeds with seeds need to go to the trash pile). Loosen the top inch or so of soil and add a little of broken down compost or organic fertilizer, maybe even some decomposed horse manure. Be sure that the horse manure comes from a source that hasn’t included feed contaminated with herbicides or other chemicals (that means non-treated glass clippings).

Aerate. Yes, you need to start rockin’ out those little tubes of dirt that we avoid thinking of as goose poop. Do you know why we aerate? Aerating your lawn allows nutrients and water to get into the soil more easily. Aerating in the spring time allows your lawn to repair itself before you really start using it regularly. A lawn that can breathe is a happy lawn. Don’t forget to “lift” up the soil of your garden beds and loosen the top few inches – the same benefits apply.

Fertilize. Speaking of doo-doo, did you remember to fertilize last fall? If not, now is the time to do it. April is the perfect month to spread a little love on your lawn. Your grass has been hibernating all winter long and it wakes up hungry and thirsting for nutrients, so fertilizing and feeding your lawn in the spring is essential. But remember to think organically – no chemicals – your pets and kids will thank you for it.

Plant some seeds. Now is also a perfect time to start growing some organic, heirloom, non-GMO flowers and veggies from seeds. Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and pollinator-friendly flowers such as calendula are great to start in the warmth and light of a sunny window or under a grow light so that when the soil warms up outside, they can be transferred with a little hardening off into to your garden. You’ll be eating veggies sooner and be the envy of your neighbors. You can even plant some lovely medicinal plants to whip up your own facial steam (think fennel, calendula, lavender, peppermint).

If you have other questions or suggestions, feel free to send us an email or comment on our Facebook page. We’ll be happy to answer your gardening questions or send you to the most reliable sources so that you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful and beautifully luscious garden.

               Can you dig it?   ~ IBB

Share This >