Plant an Organic Garden

Let’s plant an organic garden!

If you’re interested in starting a garden for the first time it’s fairly easy. Like with anything else you need to decide what your goals are and the amount of time, energy, and funding you’re willing to contribute to the project. If you’ve never gardened before and you’re indoor plants are only the cut flowers from the florist then start small. If you have experience taking care of your yard and maybe growing some herbs or strawberries in a pot then you can probably go a little bigger with ease.
You also need to consider the amount of space you have in your home and yard. If you live in a house with a fairly large plot of land you can grow almost anything. If you live a small apartment or a dorm room your choices will be more limited, but you can still start using your green thumb.

For small spaces without a yard:
· You can start an herb garden inside using window pots.
· You can use slightly larger pots and grow lettuce and mustard greens. Make sure the pot is at least a foot deep and can be placed in a very sunny window.
· If you have safe access to a rooftop you can even use children’s wading pools. Punch some holes in the bottom for drainage, fill the pool with soil, follow the directions on either the seed package or plant container (if you’re buying starter plants) and in time you’ll have some delicious veggies.
· If you live in a dorm room check in with your RA or your Housing Director, you might be allowed to have a small collection of pots in your dorm’s courtyard.
· If you live in a city you can look into joining a community garden, in which you help tend to a garden as a group and reap the organic benefits together.

For larger spaces with our without a yard:
· If you live in a house or a larger apartment building you can grow strawberries in pots on the front stoop or grow lettuces in window boxes.

Homes with yard space:
If you are lucky enough to have some land at your disposal you have multiple options.
· You can still plant in pots or wading pools.
· You can still have an indoor herb garden.
· You can also create beds and designate one for each different type of crop.

Creating bed:
There are two options for creating vegetable and flower beds.
· In ground beds: Dig into the ground about two feet deep and turn the soil. Continue turning the soil until you have a patch approximately the size you want. Add some of your compost to give the bed more nutrients. Smooth out the earth slightly and plant your veggies.
· Raised beds: Take 4 wooden planks, at least 6 inches wide. Build a frame. My father’s are about 6x3 and we have 6. Place the frame on the ground and fill with soil and compost. This method takes more soil to fill the frame instead of using the ground beneath your feet. But is faster to create if you have soil on hand.

Choosing plants:
When you choose the plants you would like to grow be sure to read everything on the packages. Some plants need sun, some need shade, and some need a combination. You need to make sure that your environment offers the plant what it needs to survive and thrive.
Lettuces, strawberries, carrots, radishes, parsnips, and other greens are almost fool-proof. Plant them properly, water them as needed and they’ll do the rest. Plants like tomatoes, peas, and peppers take a little bit more care since they need stakes or frames to help them stay up, but even that is not terribly difficult.

For more information:
Go to your local library and check out books about organic gardening, compost and natural fertilizers and pesticides. For instance, did you know that you don’t need poison to get rid of slugs? Just put out some saucers of beer. Seriously.
You can also talk to farmers at your local markets to get tips about their growing practices and what they recommend.

Have fun using your green thumb!