The Organic Gardener

Organic gardeners are notoriously obsessed with their organic garden. After all, it is an endeavor that can take many years to perfect. The organic gardener has most likely spent more time studying about organic gardening than they have cumulatively spent doing it.

The organic gardener is probably very passionate about their compost. Getting that compost to the exact carbon to nitrogen ratio may become an obsession. With exactly the right amount of moisture and air, the compost will become black gold in the organic gardener's eyes. Composting is almost a requirement for becoming an organic gardener. If you are in the organic gardening circle of discussion, you better know your stuff about composting!

The next major interest of organic gardeners is balancing pest control with leaving beneficial insects alone. Chemicals and man-made materials are strictly forbidden, so do not even think about using that ant killer to get the ants out of your garden. About ninety percent of insects are beneficial to your garden and some organic gardeners decide to let nature take its course and leave the bugs alone. But what if they are eating your vegetables? Then you really have to get serious about crop placement.

Crop placement is everything to the organic gardener. If you have to get rid of the hornworms eating your tomatoes, you would probably plant marigold around it. Garlic can deter Japanese beetles and so forth. If you are serious about being one with nature, then you will gently redirect bugs that inconvenience you with plants that they do not like. This leads up to the need for a garden journal.

The first time you plant an organic garden, you will probably have some catastrophes. You need to keep a journal of problems that you encounter so that you can prevent it the next year. Organic gardening involves a lot of advance planning and prevention of suspected problems. Keep track of the order that you plant your garden in and adjust it as necessary. Garlic, onions, basil, peppers and marigolds are common plants that repel most insects that annoy us or destroy our crops. Figuring out what bugs are annoyances in your area will be something that you need to ask fellow gardeners about or find out the hard way.

Getting your organic garden just how you like it may take you a few years. You will still enjoy the endeavor, the health benefits and the learning experience of going organic. You will not need to purchase fertilizer, pesticides or weed killers ever again. Using nature to support nature is rewarding and fun. Just get that hose from the garden hose reel and water. With a little studying and record keeping, you could have your dream organic garden sooner than you may think.