Organic Gardening
Sweet13_Princess
Posts: 1,207 Member
I'm going to try planting my own garden this year, starting from seeds. I'm completely new to gardening and, on top of it, I'd like to try to keep everything organic. I'm looking for buddies to help me through the process and to give me, much appreciated, advice.
Also, I have a pear and peach fruit tree. The pears get gritty, tough, almost bug-bite like areas on them. My peach tree produces a few peaches, but the bugs eat them before they ripen. What do you do to protect them, so that you get a decent harvest, without using harsh chemicals?
Shannon
Also, I have a pear and peach fruit tree. The pears get gritty, tough, almost bug-bite like areas on them. My peach tree produces a few peaches, but the bugs eat them before they ripen. What do you do to protect them, so that you get a decent harvest, without using harsh chemicals?
Shannon
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Replies
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Gardening from seed is something I have yet to master.... I might never get it down.
However, I don't generally use fertilizer or pesticides on my veggie garden. I find that compost and water is all I need to make it grow.
I haven't had too many problems with pests until the veggies are ripe. Then, I have to pick them right away or else they will get eaten or spoil on the vine.
I don't know much about fruit trees, but if you google organic gardening, you can find different devices or household items that can assist you with your pest problem. I think certain types of soaps can help or waxes or different bugs to eat the bugs you have... I don't know. It just depends on the problem you are having and the plant you are trying to protect.0 -
I started with seedlings, and we are working our way to gardening with non GMO seeds eventually. I think it's important to start slowly if you don't know much about it...we started out with just some herbs and tomatoes and bell peppers the first year, along with some strawberries.
Last year we grew thyme, cilantro, green onions, red onions, rosemary, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, jalapeno peppers, strawberries, broccoli, garlic, radishes, green beans (and a few decorative flowers so our manager wouldn't get upset lol) and we had dwarf lime and lemon trees. Unfortunately our trees were infested by the Asian psyllid moth and we were unable to save them. The USDA showed up at my house asking to spray them for me and I said no-our whole family has asthma and I want to grow our food without pesticides-a month or two later our trees had leaf curl and we had to take them back to the store. It's an epidemic around here. So far we haven't had to use anything that wasn't organic on our garden.
We live in a townhouse in Southern California and have made our garden work in two small patches of dirt. In the back patio it's about 3x3 feet, and in the front yard it's about 6x3 feet. We also put some of our herbs and the strawberries in pots. The peppers and zucchini, along with the cilantro and green onions we planted last year are still producing.
I haven't started my garden for spring yet, but hope to by the end of this month. I'm super excited to do it after all the stuff we managed to grow last year!0 -
fiberartist21 - I've never started plants from seed before, either. When I was a kid, I always tended to overwater them. I'm hoping at least half of the pack germinates for me. I'm hoping to start composting soon, too. It's something I've always been interested in, but wasn't sure how to go about doing it.
ishallnotwant - I usually start with seedlings, too, but my husband got a good deal on seeds; so I want to use them. Is "non GMO" seeds basically non-genetically modified? I just watched a documentary on genetically modified foods and it's scary! No wonder we're all getting cancer! I have no clue about my seeds though....
I saw that Miracle-Grow is now coming out with organic mixes for gardens. Wal-mart and Lowes both carry their Seedling Starter Mix, which includes very basic ingredients.
Shannon0 -
i soak my seeds for 1-2 days in a baggie. This takes them a lot less time to germinate. It is so hard to grow anything in texas. I want to try again this year see what happens. Coffee grounds really do help with nitrogen and eggshells ground put down under the plants keep the ltitle snail friends away. Make a spray of coffee and molasses water to spray your plants wont keep bees away but will help keep bad ones away. Make sure coffee grounds are organic.0
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you could try sq. ft gardening as well.0
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bump hard to grow in az also! havent started ours yet either0
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I would say don't be discouraged when things don't grow the way you want or expect them too. Last year was a bad year for planting for us in Ohio, and some of our stuff just didn't grow from seeds. This year we plan to move to the community garden to try out luck (we were planting mostly in pots/buckets). It is definitely worth all the hard work! I love eating all the fresh grown veggies and herbs.
Good luck to you!0 -
HI I am by no means a gardening expert but I have been trying for a few years now- essentially I started because I grew up in the US eating super fresh sweet corn and while in Belgium they do grow a lot of corn it is mostly feed corn and I have never once found a fresh sweet corn stand (they have some corn in the supermarket but that is no longer fresh cause corn should be eaten the day it is harvested, if you ask me) anyhoo:
www.bbc.co.uk/gardening has a lot of great resources
also Burpee (as in the seeds) is great (lots of organic materials)
umm - not sure how much space you have but I highly recommend using raised vegetable beds- much easier to work in mulch, good drainage, easier on the back, and you don't overly compact the soil down - I have built 4 and thing that the best height is probably 50cm/ 20 inches- I have two which are 24 inches tall and that seems just a little too tall- for the reaching- it may in fact be perfect as those beds are also a little too big- 5 feet wide- by 8 feet- I think 4 feet by 8 feet or 4 by 6 is better- that way you can always reach the center of the row/bed without too much reaching
burpee, lowes, etc all sell either entire kits for raised beds or just the necessary parts- if they would have shipped to belgium i would have bought the corners kit - as it is I made my own and since I have no carpentry skills it wasn't super easy but it wasn't horribly complicated either
patience and trial and error will get you through0 -
I'm hoping to have a larger garden this year. I was thinking about starting from seed as well so I am also looking forward to reading everyone's advice.0
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I've had successful gardens, but when I moved I had problems with deer and rabbits eating my plants so I gave up on it, It was
costing more to keep them away than just buying my veggies at the store.. 7 yrs later we finally bought a house and moved in last
June, so this summer I will attempt my garden to see if I have the same problem in this neighborhood.. I didn't notice any deer or rabbits during last summer so hopefully I can have my garden back..0 -
Seedling are definitely easiest to start with. A lot depends on your location as what will be the most successful. For me, as a professional, certified organic, landscaper with 20 years of experience... My own personal veggie garden is always a bit neglected, but rewarding. The simplest plants to start from seed are summer squash, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkins, radishes, swiss chard (loooove swiss chard because it doesn't bolt like spinach!), carrots, beets. I always grow potatoes from organic seed potatoes, garlic from sets planted the previous fall (I'm in CT). I have great success with shallots and onions from seed if I start them in flats. I have a patch of Purple Passion asparagus that I started from seed 5 years ago that produces really well. Everything else (tomatoes, eggplants peppers, cabbages etc ) I get as plants because I don't have the space to start them early. The most challenging part of the process is keeping the furry critters out! The garden needs to be fenced.
As for the fruit trees... It's hard to say. Do you remember the cultivars of the plants? How old are they? Pears often need a second tree to be pollinated correctly. I would definitely spray them both with dormant oil (you can buy some that is not petroleum based) during the winter, this will cut down on some of the pests and fungi. Make sure they are consistently well watered and fertilized. I top dress with well composted compost, bone meal and green sand. Kelp or fish fertilizer is always a good addition. Some people have issues with the sustainability aspect of fish fertilizer and green sand. For me, it's all about moderation. Baking soda and horticultural oil sprays can help keep the fungi down.
The first gardening book I ever read was The Garden Primer, by Barbara Damrosch. I still use it as a reference, the new addition is entirely and organic approach. I highly recommend it.0 -
I meant "new EDITION"
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I used to have a very thriving organic allotment and my back garden as well.
I won't attempt to give you advice as you are no doubt in a totally different climate where you live from that of mine.
Well done on the decision as I am quite positive that you will notice the difference with all your fresh produce.
Only one thing to add to that ...you may find that you have more things that are failures at first but hang in there as you will soon get to know lots of ideas how to combat those.0 -
I'm SO excited to see a gardening topic!
I have a 6"x16" rectangle in my parent's back yard. It isn't organic, but I don't use preventative sprays or chemicals-- I only use them if there is a problem. The past couple of years, it has been Mexican Bean Beetles. They look like little orange lady bugs, but they are destructive as hell. Anyway...
A truly organic garden is pretty labor intensive, especially if you come across a pest problem. I used to work on a plant and vegetable farm, and they used something on the fields (only if absolutely needed) that was actually approved for organic gardening. Unfortunately, I don't know too much about it.
I like to start my seeds indoors (Southern Connecticut... no outdoor planting for me until nearly May!), but space is a huge concern. There aren't many sunny places in the house where I can leave seedlings where the cats won't chomp on them. One important thing that I have learned with starting indoors is to make sure that the plants don't wrap around each other when they're growing, because I always manage to break a couple of them during the untangling process.
It's also really important to make sure that your soil is in good condition. If you browse around, you can usually find places that will do soil analysis locally. Many universities that have an agricultural department will do them for free. The more organic matter (chemical-free composts, mulches, and manures) that you can provide your plants with, the happier they will be. 0 -
I want to start my garden from seeds also.. Im in North east Ohio, I know that I should start them Indoors but when should I start them. I was thinking April? any suggestions?0
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gee, not for me. i have a large herb/spice garden and the only labor i put into it is digging up the "delicates" (basil, mint, thyme, etc) in the fall to spend the winter in pots on a southern facing window inside. then after danger of last frost has past i re-plant them outside. my basil 'bushes' actually have wood stems they are so old. and the ones that winter well outside like chives and rosemary, oregano, italian parsley, etc are still he same plants that i planted some 16 years ago when i bought this house. no weeding needed cause everything is so established, no fertilizer or anything (and my 'soil' is more sand than dirt). lol, i basically don't do much except enjoy them in my cooking.A truly organic garden is pretty labor intensive
organic veggies i don't bother growing any more since there is an organic farm stand at the end of my street w/ in walking distance.
since i don't believe in manicured green lawns, i let my property go wild making is a refuge for wildlife. due to that i have a bounty of wild raspberry and blackberry and blueberry bushes everywhere and very much enjoy their bounty. i planted a few types of grapes last fall so i'll see how they do this year....should be successful since eastern long island is known for it's local wines.0 -
mammalammaz – What do you mean, you start them in a baggie? Is it just your general sandwich bag, with a little water and soil in it? Do you seal the bag or let the end open to ventilate? Starting the seeds this way, may actually be of help to me because I usually overwater them during the germination process.
kristina509 – Glad to see a planting neighbor. I live in central PA, so I’m Zone 5/Zone 6 depending on the maps you look at. We probably have similar gardening situations.
JeninBelgium – I also love fresh, homegrown corn. I’m envious of how Europe has such fresh ingredients on hand, without all of those pesticides. The supermarket stuff just doesn’t compare. We used to have a farm when I was a child that one could stop at and buy corn picked right off of the stalk. I really miss it, so corn is definitely going to be something I try my hand at!!
Shannon0 -
I have had an organic garden for 3 years now, each year it grows bigger! I'm in Oregon, so our outdoor planting can start in late March/early April, but I've already started some of my seeds indoors.
There are a lot of organic fertilizers and pest control things on the market now. Obviously the BEST organic fertilizer is manure, but I really have a difficult time in my head about using that lol!
As far as your trees go, I have heard diatamacious (sp?) earth works great. It's this white powdery substance that is actually ground up glass from the sea floor. The best way to spread it is by dipping a sock into it, then shaking the sock at the tree/plant. Any pests that try to eat the leaves/fruit will die off.
Feel free to add me!0 -
Square foot gardening is awesome! I have three raised beds - one 4x4 for herbs and rhubarb, and two 8x4s for veggies. I live in central California so we have a year round growing season, and I always have something growing out there! A favorite source of info and seeds is from Mike The Gardener Enterprises: https://www.averagepersongardening.com/seed_subscriptions.php I belong to his Seeds of the Month Club and I love it - very inexpensive and the seeds I get from him always do better than the ones I get at the store. Plus with the club, I get seeds and varieties that I might not usually buy, so encourages me to try new things. He has a facebook page too - just called Vegetable Gardening, but lots of good info there and easy to ask questions from other gardeners.0
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Marvincolon – I sympathize with your wildlife infestation. We don’t have deer, but we do have bugs that eat the fruit off of our fruit trees and rabbits galore. I plan on using some old chicken wire we have in the shed as a perimeter barrier around the garden bed. You could always add a mesh cover on top in order to save your veggies from the deer. The best thing, is the materials will be reusable next year! I still have to check into an organic way to deal with the bugs in the fruit trees, though.
mangozulu – What zone are you in? I’m in Zone 5/6, so I was thinking that CT would be somewhat similar. As you’ve listedin your post, I think I’m going to start off with the easiest, most used veggies: corn, tomatos, spinach, lettuce, onions, bell peppers, and hot peppers. If I’m successful, I’ll try more next year. I’ll have to check the gardening book out that you recommended. This is going to be a challenge for me, especially since I haven’t gardened traditionally, let alone organically.
Shannon0 -
Just came across an article last week stating that the USDA has revised the zone maps to take into account warmer weather. Here is the new zone map.
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
Background article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/100621200 -
catfish9 – I also have cats, but we have one room in our house where the cats aren’t allowed: the upstairs bedroom, where our fitness equipment is located. I figured I’d use that room’s window seat to start my plants. It will get morning sun, if nothing else and it’s usually the warmest room in the house. Your soil advice made me ponder something. Isn’t it true that some plants like different soil? Some like it wetter, some dryer, some more acidic than others? So, if you’re doing a basic plot garden, how do you address all of this variety?
Marvincolon – You probably have a smiliar climate zone than I do: Zone 5/Zone 6? Most people in central PA plant after Memorial Day because it’s less likely we’ll get frost then. If you’re starting from seed, you should purchase the seeds and seed starter now. As early as next month, peppers should be started if you’re going the seed route. I used this seed starting chart to calculate my planting periods:
http://organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/seed-starting-chart
sarvissa – I’ll have to check about the diatamacious (sp?) earth suggestion. I really don’t want to spray the fruit trees. It defeats the purpose of growing ones own food. I’m a little concerned that it’s glass based though. Doesn’t it make it dangerous to use, like inhaling fiberglass?
Shannon0 -
@ Sweet13, thanks for the link and the info.. I will use the chart for sure..0
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I organized all my seed packets by how long from planting to harvest. I marked a spot on a calendar of when I'd like everything to start ripening, and count backwards from there. In regards to what I'm planting this year, onions take the longest (115 days), so I planted those a week ago. Next are habaneros, I planted those today. I would like everything to start ripening in mid to late July. I use seedling trays which I start indoors, then in mid March I'll move those out to my greenhouse until they are ready for planting sometime in April.0
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Anyone know if there's a difference between potting soil and seed starter mix? I told my husband to get the second one, but he bought a big bag of the first one. Can I still use potting soil to start my seeds?
Shannon0 -
Sweet13, as long as the fruit is rinsed, it's fine. It's a very, very fine powder (my husband and I joked that it looked like a bag of cocaine lol) so even if a speck was missed, it's not going to hurt a human.0
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Might gross you out, put I use my son's urine.
When I was single I used my own urine. It is a natural fertilizer as well as bug repellent. My mom in law from Korea taught me this. It is common over there.
If I feed someone my fruits/veggies I do let them know. I don't think it's unsafe, if you are healthy. Google it.0 -
I have raised an organic squarefoot garden from seed. It can be difficult, but it is entirely doable. I am also a Maser Gardner with my local extension office. I'd be happy to help in anyway I can.0
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I want to start my garden from seeds also.. Im in North east Ohio, I know that I should start them Indoors but when should I start them. I was thinking April? any suggestions?
I am in South east Michigan. Check the back of your seed packets. There you will find information about how long the seeds will take to mature. I decide from there how early to start inside...if I want pumpkins for Halloween and they take 75 days to mature I know they need to be in the ground outside by August...so I start them a few weeks before inside.0
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