Planting your own produce is very popular in Sacramento and growing, particularly among people who want fresh organic produce, can’t afford the supermarket prices, find some farmer’s markets aren’t organic, and need to eat healthier foods and to fight childhood obesity. Even school gardens are growing in popularity. In Sacramento county, in addition to what’s in the city, there are a total so far of 60 community gardens.
First of all, you need to know what Organic Gardening is. To give a basic definition it is when you only use natural items to help your plants grow. This means that you don’t use any type of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers to try and get your garden going. Many people will actually take kitchen scraps and other wastes to make their own composts so that they can fertilize. This entire process of being organic usually does take a bit longer than most other types of gardening but there are a lot of additional benefits that come with it.
I had already laid beer traps. These are shallow hummus containers filled with the cheapest beer. The Rodale folks rated a malt beverage number one, followed by Michelob and Bud. The next morning I only found large slugs, so I figure even slimy insects have an alcohol age limit.
Save your old panty hose for use in your garden. When you are growing vines with fruit on vertical supports you can drape the panty hose around the fruit and secure it to the vertical support. The panty hose won’t restrict the growth because it will expand as the fruit grows.
Grow your own produce. The increasing cost of vegetables and fruit nowadays is spurring people on to start their own garden. Remember that when you grow your own produce, you are in charge of exactly how you grow it, and with an organic garden you can be sure that it is grown in the most natural state.
You will want to measure to determine if your soil as the proper amount of phosphates, hydrogen and acidity. Maybe you have learned of this as being the pH levels. To acquire a testing kit to determine the pH of your soil, you can search the internet or go to your local garden shop. A better way to check out your soil is usually to take a sample to your local nursery or county agriculture agent. Both alternatives will probably give you a good idea about the quality of your soil. It ought not cost very much to obtain this information.
For example, human hair spread around the garden will keep out rabbits. Lavender and basil deter ants. Rosemary will repel mosquitoes. The way that you arrange your plants can help protect certain vegetables, too. Garlic and peppers planted around tomatoes and squash will help protect them from harmful insects and rodents.