Last Updated on April 8, 2024 by Real Men Sow
Plants need water and light that is why organic garden maintenance is essential to keeping your garden healthy. We all know this, so make sure you decide how to provide them both. Artificial light will be required if you are starting seeds indoors. You don’t need to worry about lighting if you plant directly outside. However, it is essential to ensure that your garden has enough water.
Watering
You can water a small garden by hand. A drip irrigation system is better for large gardens. The size of your garden and the amount of money you are willing to spend on it will determine what you choose.
Give your plants enough water but not overwater. It is important to drain the soil. Because containers retain more moisture than in-ground gardens, raised beds and raised beds require more water.
Feeding
This can be done with either a commercially available organic fertilizer such as fish fertilizer, homemade compost, or even compost tea. You can fertilize once a month by either spraying liquid fertilizer on the soil, or adding organic, well-aged compost over the soil. Watering is also important.
Weed & Pest Control
These are the nemeses of every gardener. These are the two side effects that gardening can have on you. If you choose organic gardening methods, you will need to be more diligent and work harder.
How to Deal with Weeds
Landscape fabric or mulch can be used to suppress weeds. You can also adjust the pH balance of your soil by adding coffee grounds or lime to increase acidity or alkalinity.
You’ll have to stick with hand-weeding if you don’t have that. Although it is a tedious task, it’s an important part of gardening. Once you get into the flow, it can be very therapeutic.
Organic Pest Control
Some of the most effective organic ways to combat pests include:
- Soapy water works well for aphids
- Eggshells are used to repel slugs or snails
- Diatomaceous earth (great for insects that have an exoskeleton, such as ants or earwigs).
- Beneficial Nematodes are good for underground pests such as wireworms, grubs, and others.
- The “hands-on” method is also available.
Predator insects are another great way to manage pests. Predators that are effective in pest control include praying mantis, spiders, and ladybugs. Ladybug eggs can be purchased to add to your garden. Once, I caught a ladybug to put on my parsley stem that was infested by aphids. It began to eat the aphids and then ran away. No aphids the next day!
Talk to your local garden supply shop about your particular weed or pest problem to receive suggestions on organic ways to control them and put your organic garden maintenance plan.
