What is Organic Gardening?

Organic gardening has been described as several things: chemical-free gardening, Earth-friendly gardening, natural gardening are just a few. And it is all of these things, but these phrases tend to be so ambiguous they end up causing confusion. For example, “chemical-free gardening” is a total misnomer, because whether you are using organic or synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in your garden, they are all “chemicals.” “Natural gardening” espouses images of weeds run rampant and hornworm-infested tomato plants. “Earth-friendly” gardening works, except that everyone has a different view of what they consider to be “friendly” to the planet.

So, to try to narrow it down, organic gardening consists of three main tenets: Feed the soil.Focus on prevention.Use the simplest solution first.

The soil is the basis for everything that grows in our gardens. If the soil is nutrient-weak, compacted, or devoid of beneficial microorganisms, it will not support healthy plants. You can try to “fix” it with fertilizers, but it will never grow as well as a plant grown in healthy, rich, crumbly soil. By feeding the soil, you provide plants with a good foundation for healthy growth. Plants that are healthy are less likely to be bothered by pest and disease problems.

So, how do you feed the soil? By adding organic soil amendments, such as compost, manure, chopped leaves, and mulches in and onto the surface of the soil. A soil test will inform you of any mineral deficiencies, and explain how to remedy the situation.

There are several things you can do to help your plants thrive, which will limit their susceptibility to pest and disease problems. Pay attention to the plants' light, moisture, and soil preferences. Match the plant to the right site, and it will grow more robustly and be better able to resist pest and disease issues.Give your plants some breathing room. Fungal diseases run rampant when plants are planted too closely. Susceptible plants, such as lilacs, monarda, phlox, and roses should be given a site with plenty of space for air to circulate around the foliage.Purchase and plant disease-resistant varieties. Maintain a clean garden. Remove diseased foliage from the area. Pick up fallen fruit. Pay attention to pruning; powdery mildew and blackspot can be thwarted by opening up the plant and cutting back diseased or weak stems. Observe, observe, observe. If you catch a problem at the beginning, such as a case of blackspot or an aphid infestation, you can nip it in the bud right away and be done with it. It is much easier to deal with it in its early stages than having to fight off a full infestation. Check your garden regularly, daily if possible, to watch for problems.

When you see the arsenals of lawn and garden chemical available at your local home center, it seems so simple: if you have a problem with aphids, buy a chemical to kill them. But the fact of the matter is that taking care of most garden problems is simple, and requires much less drastic measures than drenching your garden with chemicals. For example, the first course of action when one notices aphids in the garden should be to try to spray them off your plants with water from the hose. Usually, this will solve the problem. The next option, if the water isn't enough, would be to concoct a simple, natural, home-made spray to treat the problem. Very, very rarely will a problem actually require a chemical spray. The most effective option, especially in terms of beetles and caterpillars, is to regularly pick them off with your hands and kill them. This is tied to the previous point; by regularly observing your garden, you'll be able to head off problems before they become a big deal.

Organic gardening is not difficult, and it isn't complicated. What it requires is an observant eye, an appreciation of all of the creatures that live in your garden, and the determination to deal with problems as they arise. And, think about it: it's much more pleasant to stroll through the garden, picking an occasional cabbage worm off of the kale, than to suit up in protective gear and start spraying insecticides.

Growing Organic Lettuce

Water

The most important factor in succeeding with lettuce is meeting its moisture requirements. Because lettuce is shallow rooted and comprised mainly of water (nearly 95% water, actually) it simply will not grow if you let the soil dry out. The roots of lettuce reside in the top three to four inches of soil. If you stick your finger into the soil and the top inch is dry, you need to water. This may require watering several times per week in hot, dry weather.

Fertilization

Fertilization is also important. If you are growing in soil that is full of organic matter, you may not need to fertilize. However, providing your lettuce with nitrogen-rich fertilizer will keep your plant growing well and producing regularly. Fish emulsion is an ideal organic fertilizer for lettuces. Apply the fish emulsion at half of the recommended dosage every two weeks. It is best to apply the diluted fish emulsion directly to the soil. You can use it as a foliar feed as well, but be sure to wash your lettuce really, really well before eating it.

Mulching

As with anything in the garden, lettuces benefit from a good layer of mulch. Install a two to three inch layer of organic mulch, such as wood chips, straw, leaves, or grass clippings around the lettuce, being sure to leave a little space around the plant to prevent rot. This layer of mulch will help retain moisture, keep the soil cool, reduce the amount of weeding you have to do, and keep the lettuce clean by preventing soil from splashing up on the leaves when you water.

Pests

Lettuce is bothered by very few pests and diseases. Slugs are its biggest enemy, and they can be thwarted by setting out a saucer of beer to trap them in, or by sprinkling diatomaceous earth or crushed eggshells around your plants. These sharp substances cut the slugs' underbellies when they slide across it, and kills them.

Aphids can also be a problem. If they are, try knocking them off with a blast of water from the hose or try a homemade spray to get rid of them. Cutworms can also be a problem, and the best way to protect against them is to install a collar made of thick paper or cardboard around the base of any newly-planted lettuce seedlings.

If your pests are of the long-eared, four-footed variety, the best defense is to install a metal fence around the garden, or around the bed in which you are growing your lettuce. You can also try sprinkling cayenne pepper on the plants to deter the rabbits.

Lettuce is easy to grow, as long as you meet its basic requirements. And the benefits of doing so are well worth it: being able to harvest salads full of homegrown, tasty, organic lettuce mere minutes before mealtime is a luxury that you'll appreciate throughout the growing season.

Steps to an Organic Lawn

Organic lawn care is much simpler than it seems. We've grown so used to the idea that a green, attractive lawn is attainable only through the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides. The fact of the matter is that a healthy organic lawn will naturally withstand weed and insect invasions. All but the toughest weeds are nothing against a thick, strong, deep-rooted lawn. These five steps will result in a healthy, beautiful organic lawn.

Lawns are a bit picky about their pH level and nutrient requirements. The only way to accurately measure these factors is to get your soil tested professionally. For example, lawn grasses need a pH of between six and seven to thrive. You can add either lime or sulfur to your lawn, depending on the results you get, and your lawn will grow much better. The nutrient requirements for lawns are also rather specific: too much of certain types of nutrients will benefit weeds at the cost of lawn health. A professional soil test, performed by a facility such as your local county cooperative extension service, will accurately measure soil pH and chemical composition and supply you with recommendations for how to improve your soil based on their findings.

Adding amendments and additives without getting a soil test first is not only a waste of money, but can also potentially result in a less healthy lawn than the one you started with.

Regardless of what your soil test finds, every single lawn can benefit from a semiannual topdressing of compost. It will add trace minerals and some nutrition to your soil, which is always a good thing. Even more importantly, compost introduces beneficial microbes into the soil, which results in healthier soil that has better water retention rates. Also, earthworms love compost, and will tunnel through your soil to get to it, aerating your soil, adding fertility, and increasing worm populations.

So, how much should you add? A one-quarter inch layer of compost, raked evenly over your lawn, will accomplish all of these tasks without overwhelming your lawn. An easy way to figure out how much compost you'll need is to remember that for each 100 square feet of lawn area, you'll need one cubic foot (or .05 cubic yards) of compost. Simply measure your lawn area (total square footage = lawn length multiplied by lawn width) and divide by 100. Then, multiply that number by 1 (for cubic feet) or .05 (for cubic yards) and you'll know how much compost you'll need.

Mowing high, which is mowing at 2.5 to three inches tall, does several important things. First off, taller grass shades the soil, which helps prevent weed seeds from germinating. It also helps keep the soil moist and cool, so the lawn will require less water. Finally, mowing your grass high will increase its ability to photosynthesize. Each blade of grass soaks up the sunlight and converts that energy into food. The longer the blades of grass are, the more surface area there is to absorb sunlight.

Another beneficial mowing practice is to use a mulching mower, and leave your grass clippings right on the lawn. The clippings will shade and cool the soil while they decompose, and will give your lawn frequent, low doses of nitrogen at the same time.

People waste more water on lawns than anywhere else in the household. The fact of the matter is that lawn grasses need approximately one inch of water per week during the growing season. If it doesn't come from rain, then you'll need to supplement with a sprinkler. Lawns should dry out between waterings. The reason for this is twofold: first, a lawn that is watered frequently and never allowed to dry out only develops roots in the top inch or two of soil. These lawns are especially susceptible to droughts. The second reason is that while lawn grasses grow best when their roots extend deep into the soil, the vast majority of weeds are shallow-rooted. So, by watering frequently and not allowing the soil to dry out, you're actually encouraging weeds.

The best way to ensure that your lawn is getting the proper amount of water is to place a rain gage on your lawn while you're watering. Another good alternative is to place a cup or can out to catch the water, and then measure how deep it is every ten minutes or so until you reach one inch.

A note on watering: water early in the morning so your grass has a chance to dry out before evening. A damp lawn can lead to fungal issues, and that's something we definitely don't want to have to deal with.

Weeds are not the end of the world. No one wants a lawn that is more dandelions than turf grass, but a bit of white clover here and there isn't going to hurt anything, and can even be beneficial. Clover captures nitrogen from the air and releases it through its roots into your soil. In addition, it is a source of food for beneficial insects such as honeybees.

That said, there are several good, organic ways of dealing with weeds in your lawn. The first method is to simply pull or dig out weeds on a regular basis so they don't take over your lawn. This is especially important for weeds like dandelions, which can easily get out of control. The second way is to apply corn gluten meal, which is an organic pre-emergent herbicide, in early spring around when the forsythias bloom. Corn gluten is good at controlling dandelions, crabgrass, and other weeds, but it may take a couple of years of use before the corn gluten gets the situation under control. Another great method is to leave your fallen autumn leaves on the lawn, and simply run over them a few times with the lawnmower. A recent study by Michigan State University demonstrated that chopped leaves (especially maple leaves) left on the lawn and allowed to break down naturally prevented dandelions from germinating the following year.

Organic lawn care isn't hard, and, as you can see, it's not expensive either. By paying attention and changing a few longstanding lawn care habits, a beautiful organic lawn is within every home owner's reach.