What are your best tips for organic gardening?

[ChilliGirl]

I love organic gardening, and I'm committed to it now more than ever. It does take time to try and test the best methods, but it's worth it in the end.

The best possible tip I can give to you if you're starting out with organic gardening is to keep at least some weeds around your produce plants. The place I tried out this method first was around my blackcurrant bushes that were always prone to massive green fly attacks each year. I left some weeds around the area which many of the pests went to instead of my bushes. Then I learned about planting garlic around the area, and this seemed to help with keeping the rest of them away. It was simple enough really.

Attracting ladybird bugs to your garden is another great way to keep the aphids in check - ladybugs feast on them regularly, and this helps to keep the population down. I have a little ladybird house that seems to attract a lot of them, and gives them a little cozy spot to gather and populate the garden.

What are your tips for organic gardening?

 

[Carolyn]

I have two tips. Stop tilling is the best advice I can give. You just can't get black gold when you till and I always leave a few of the larger dandelions in my beds. Eventually I pull them, but they have such nice deep roots they pull nutrients toward the topsoil. As long as you don't leave them long enough to spread seed your good.

 

[Chuck]

Keep feeding your soil and keep it slightly moist even if there is nothing there. Keeping the micro-organisms healthy and reproducing is the key to future sucessful plant growth

 

[js85]

I've read that you can buy ladybugs online (as well as other insects, like praying mantis) for a rather inexpensive price. Maybe that could help instead of using resources trying to draw them to you.

 

[Chuck]

I've read that you can buy ladybugs online (as well as other insects, like praying mantis) for a rather inexpensive price. Maybe that could help instead of using resources trying to draw them to you.

Yes you can, but. You can't stop them from leaving

 

[ChilliGirl]

I have two tips. Stop tilling is the best advice I can give. You just can't get black gold when you till and I always leave a few of the larger dandelions in my beds. Eventually I pull them, but they have such nice deep roots they pull nutrients toward the topsoil. As long as you don't leave them long enough to spread seed your good.

I do exactly the same with the dandelions; I remember reading about their ability to pull nutrients upwards stronger than most other plants. I didn't realize that tilling had so many disadvantages though. I've just had a quick search on the internet, and it seems that tilling can most definitely be detrimental to your soil. Thanks for prompting me to read up on that.

I've read that you can buy ladybugs online (as well as other insects, like praying mantis) for a rather inexpensive price. Maybe that could help instead of using resources trying to draw them to you.

I didn't know you could buy them online - I might look into doing something like that.

Yes you can, but. You can't stop them from leaving

I think the little insect houses can be good at keeping them around for a bit longer though.

 

[freedhardwoods]

I am not an organic gardener, but I do use my homemade hot pepper bug spray. It doesn't kill anything. Bugs (and animals) just don't like spicy food (my plants).

 

[ChilliGirl]

I am not an organic gardener, but I do use my homemade hot pepper bug spray. It doesn't kill anything. Bugs (and animals) just don't like spicy food (my plants).

How do you make your hot pepper spray? I imagine you'd have to be very careful using something like that as it's an irritant. Come to think of it, I would worry about my cats and other wildlife getting close to it. Can you tell us more about it?

 

[freedhardwoods]

Put 6 or 7 jalapenos in a blender with a cup or two of water. Turn the blender on high for at least 5 minutes. Thoroughly strain the results. I use a sieve and cheesecloth. I put that liquid in a 2 gallon sprayer, add 1/4 cup of organic liquid soap to help it stick to the plants, and fill it full of water.

The recipe doesn't have to be exact if you want a smaller amount. You're just making the plants taste bad to pests.

As far as animals go, many can smell it and don't try a bite. Even if they do take a bite, they don't like it and will spit it out.

I raised habaneros this year. Going on the pepper hotness scale, 1/2 pepper will be enough for my mix.