By: MIKE SELVON

Building up sustainable soil for organic gardening starts right after the garden soil testing has been completed. The testing of the soil helps to identify the additional fertilizers and conditioners that can be added. When attempting to garden organically, testing, maintaining and improving the soil is a constant process and one that is well worth the effort, according to those who advocate organic farming and gardening.

Creating sustainable soil for gardening organically means that you have to be able to replenish the topsoil of the garden. One of the best substances to have for keeping the soil rich and healthy enough for an organic garden is a good supply of compost. In addition to compost, it is good to have enzymes, earthworms, and beneficial microbes available to add into the soil mixture as well.

In most cases, when the garden bed has been established with great quality soil that is able to support and sustain organic gardening, it can then be maintained by simply adding home composting on a routine basis. This can easily be done by replacing a layer of the garden soil with a layer from your compost.

Backyard composting is a terrific way to improve your soil structure and also enhance moisture retention. In the average compost heap there are billions of bacterial organisms that will grow, feed, reproduce and die. Through this life-cycle of the microorganisms, the organic waste material that has been added to the compost pile will be recycled into a robust organic fertilizer and effective soil conditioner.

Many people say that composting is truly the ultimate in recycling because it benefits the soil in so many ways and supports organic farming and gardening in its highest and best sense. In addition to improving the structure of the soil and the moisture retention ability of the soil, composting also provides excellent aeration, full fertilization and nitrogen storage. Composting also creates a beneficial pH balance in the soil, releases a stream of nutrients and supplies food for the beneficial microbial inhabitants in the earth.

Shredded alfalfa hay is one of the best types of material that you can add to your compost heap, and some say it is “the” secret to a great compost recipe. Worms really thrive on alfalfa, making worm composting even more effective and faster, and it provides excellent mulch and soil additive components for your soil.

When you want to get your compost ready for your organic gardening undertaking, you should make the compost pile about four feet high and also about four feet wide as well. It needs to be located in an area that allows for good drainage and it should be surrounded with chicken wire so it will have proper air circulation. After about three to four months, your compost will be ready to mix in with the soil and begin working wonders for your garden.

By: Kolawole Olambiwonnu

Nowadays, more and more people are getting into organic gardening. Although organic gardening applies to all forms of plants, most often when you say organic gardening product, the first things that come to mind are vegetables and fruits. But, products of the organic way also cover other plants like ornamental and flowery plants. Regardless, may it be growing vegetables, flowers, or even fruits, people are trying to reap the benefits of the organic way.

Organic gardening is a science. It is not just simply planting the seeds and waiting for the plant to grow, flower or bear fruit. The process involves careful planning since organic gardening follows the natural principles of nature in soil cultivation, managing pests, and propagating plants.

However, don’t be daunted since we only mention that organic gardening is a science to emphasize that we don’t just let nature do the work. We grow our plants or crops by applying a system that is approved by Mother Nature. That’s the essence of it.

There are a lot of elements involved in organic gardening but for our discussion we will focus on general aspects of soil cultivation and pest management.

To succeed in organic gardening, we need to keep the soil healthy. You can’t use chemical fertilizers, obviously, since it negates the very purpose of the activity and also the long term use of such fertilizers damages the natural components of the soil. Composting is an essential part of organic gardening. Composts have various benefits for your plants. One, it provides the needed nutrients and improves the overall soil constitution. Second, the compost can help the soil retain more water which means less time spraying your plants with a garden hose.

Aside from proper soil cultivation, the problem that is dreaded by most growers is pest control. From flying to crawling, from walking to boring, managing pests is a vital key in producing quality organic produce or maintaining a healthy organic garden.

In an organic garden, the plants should be able to handle the damage of ordinary insect attacks or damage from common diseases. However, if you feel you need to support your plants there are several ways you could do so. You can spray your garden or plants with solutions that are friendly to the environment such as diluted soapy water or organic sprays from naturally occurring insecticide plants, the neem tree for instance.

Or another way is to “equip” your garden with friendly insects. You can find out what kind of pests are there in your garden and look for its natural enemies. This way, population of pests can be controlled by your own army of insects. By introducing natural predators, you will no longer fear of pests getting immune from insecticides. But, pest management for an organic garden really involves combinations of techniques.

With proper care, and the right techniques, your organic garden can be sustained. You can be assured that the soil is cared for and healthy, plants will be able to pollinate effectively, water will be conserved, and plants in general will survive longer.

All these elements when combined together will result to a hefty harvest of an organic garden product of your choice. Your vegetables or fruits will be fresher than before. You will have a garden with vibrant and healthy flowers.