Vegetable Garden Naturally
Vegetable Garden Naturally They taste better and are healthier for you,being fresh and full of anti-oxidants,no transport involved which is good for the environment and you don't have to use chemicals or pesticides either.
Here are three tips for growing the best vegetables for you and your family.
1. Mulch - Mulch is a protective covering that is laid on the top of the soil. It reduces the moisture loss from the soil by preventing evaporation . Mulch also prevents erosion by protecting the beds when it rains.
Another advantage of using mulch is that it helps to regulate the soil temperature. By regulating temperature mulch helps encourage plant root growth. Healthy roots,healthy plants! Mulch reduces the need for other weed control measures because it effectively smothers weed seedlings, and prevents air-borne seeds from germinating.
Mulch has the added advantage of enriching the soil as it breaks down and releases nutrients back into the soil. Mulch that is not completely decomposed will encourage microbial organisms that are beneficial to healthy plants.
Common mulches include chipped hardwood bark, softwood bark, compost, straw, hay, rice husks, peat moss, sawdust, wood chip, peanut hulls and lawn clippings.
2.Natural Pest Control - We have become too dependant on chemicals and these may not be good for our health instead interest in non-chemical pest control has increased in recent times along with the notion that natural is best! All plants release different chemical agents which attract or repel insects, and either help, or discourage their growth and reproduction. These chemicals are released, either above ground through leaves, or below ground from roots. Investigation into companion planting can be extremely helpful here.
There are a number of 'natural' sprays you can use to control or eliminate pests and diseases in your garden. For example, garlic, pyrethrum, chilli, wormwood, and rhuarb all make excellent sprays for different garden pests and diseases.
If you have an infestation of aphids, spray the infested stems, leaves, and buds with a very dilute soapy water, then clean water.
3 - Organic Fertilizers There are many ways we can fertilise our garden and maintain its natural status. Chicken,horse,cow and sheep manure can be added to the soil,before planting. One of the most effective fertilisers is to use worm castings. Liquid worm castings make very nutritious fertiliser. If you set up a worm farm it serves two purposes. You will have a ready disposal for your kitchen scraps. You will also have a seedling mix from the worm castings, and you will have liquid worm castings for fertilising your vegetables
A great fertiliser for young plants is one quarter liquid worm castings and three quarters water. For older plants the mixture can be stronger - about 50/50.
By: Willow Mason