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The Benefits of Growing Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden

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More and more people are becoming so health conscious nowadays. They want healthy food on their table, and the best way to get healthy food is to choose organic food products. Organic food products are pretty expensive though. This is because the crops were cared for the old way. No pesticides, no insecticides, and no artificial methods of controlling pests. Just the old, time-consuming, back-breaking methods of taking care of your vegetable garden and seeing to it that they’re kept pest-free. However, the cost of organic food products doesn’t stop people from buying them though. In fact, organic food products have become all the more in-demand.

Growing your own organic vegetable garden may be very intensive, but the rewards are plenty.

Healthy Food

As mentioned earlier, no artificial means of pest control are used in growing your own vegetable garden. There are no chemicals used to make the crops healthier, tastier, and bigger. Only natural and organic methods are utilized in caring for the plants.

Because the plants are chemical-free, you can be assured of fresher and healthier vegetables. This also guarantees you of safer and tastier food crops. Vegetables grown organically may not be bigger though, but they more than make up for it in the health benefits they offer.

By eating healthy and chemical-free vegetables, you can improve your family’s health.

Save Money

Another benefit of growing your own organic vegetable garden is that you can save some money on groceries. After all, you no longer need to purchase vegetables in the supermarket because you only have to pick them in your garden.

You can preserve some of your food crops. You can can the tomatoes and preserve them for future use; you can dry your herbs and use them in your cooking; you can even keep the seeds for the next growing season. Having your own vegetable garden can tremendously help you save some money.

Reduce Stress

Tending to your own vegetable garden can also help reduce stress. Going to your garden, doing the mindless task of pulling weeds and picking pests, watering the plants, trimming the shrubberies, cleaning the garden – all these may be very repetitive and tiring, but there is something very meditative about gardening that pretty soon you’ll feel yourself relaxing and the stress leaving your body. After tending to your garden, you’ll feel more invigorated and more optimistic to face the day. After all, the task has given you time to calm down and think things over.

Gardening can help boost emotions, relax you, ease stress away, and make you feel more positive and optimistic.

Earn Money

You can also earn some money from your hobby. There are so many people looking for organic vegetable products, and through word of mouth advertisement, you can sell your products. This is a good way to increase your savings.

Growing your own vegetable garden is indeed very rewarding, but it can also become very tiring especially if the garden is infested with pests. If you have pest problems in your garden and you need the help of a professional pest control company, then always choose a contractor that offers eco-friendly, green pest control services. Their products won’t harm your organic vegetables and the environment.

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Jennifer Dallman writes for PreventivePestControl.com. Growing your own vegetable garden offers a lot of benefits, but you also have to protect them against pests.

 







Chemical Free Gardening: 3 Natural Pest Control Methods

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Healthier crops can easily be grown without them being exposed to toxic chemicals especially when dealing with pests. You simply must ensure that your garden full of crops stays eco-friendly when you eradicate pests that can destroy your hard work. When you do your research and utilize different methods such as rotating crops, natural pest control and sustainable garden techniques, your garden will successfully be healthy and free from pests. Here are a few simple and inexpensive gardening methods you can practice if you are determined to maintain healthy crops and an eco-friendly garden. Remember that patience, determination and regular care will help you along the way, so do not give up easily.

Proven Natural Pest Control Methods

Here are three eco-friendly gardening pest control methods used in many gardens throughout the years.

Crop Rotation

One simple method of controlling pests is by implementing crop rotation. As there are different plant families, you can opt to invest in one plant family for the year and then plant another family in the following year. Many professional gardeners have been using this method of gardening to prevent pests from attacking their gardens. Keep rotating your crop planting every year and keep in mind to add in plants that attract beneficial pests to help keep harmful pests away.

Sustainable Garden Techniques

Garden techniques such as plant spacing, mulching, plant inspection and eliminating infected plants have always been used through the years. They ensure that natural pest control methods are only used in gardens and they also assist in the healthy growth of plants. When pests are detected on the plants, these pests are hand-picked and killed. This will also help you identify which type of pest has been attacking your garden, thus allowing you to apply the correct method of pest control according to the pest you are dealing with. Even weeding and removing the debris whenever you practice sanitation schedules, will help you have a garden that is ready and healthy for the following year’s planting.

Natural Pest Control

Surely there are plenty of over the counter pest control products being sold in the market today, but a majority of them are actually harmful to a garden. If you are looking for pest control products that are effective, you can use products made from natural ingredients or make your own formulations at home. Such products are called natural because of the ingredients being used and chemicals are avoided. If you are planning on making your own pest control products you can look for pure essential oils and extracts being sold in specializing stores. Even fresh and dried herbs can be used to make such products.

Stick To Natural Methods

When the soil of your garden is healthy, your crops will be healthy as they will be able to resist pests and other plant diseases. There are many garden treatments that are rich in nutrients, but are not made from natural ingredients. These treatments must always be avoided. Instead of pesticides, the application of beneficial pests and natural pest control products can keep the annoying critters away without harming the crops. However, if you only notice a pest infestation too late and it has already inflicted massive damages to your garden, then you must consult with a pest control professional who can also help you keep your garden safe from toxic chemicals when eradicating pests.

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  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://mrg.bz/2S3Xg

Valerie Banks is a freelance writer specializing in natural pest control methods. She regularly contributes pest control articles for Rove Pest Control websites where a well experienced professional can be consulted.

Top 8 Gardening Mistakes and How to Fix Them Easily

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Gardening mistakes are far more common than you may think, and many people who are new to this hobby will make several. Therefore, discovering the top 8 gardening mistakes and how to fix them easily will ensure that you are better informed.

Choosing the wrong plants

One of the biggest mistakes that new gardeners make is choosing the wrong plants. If you make the right decision in the beginning, it can guarantee that your plants thrive. You need to consider several elements, including the climate for where you live to ensure that the plants will survive.

Caring for your lawn

Many people think that you simply need to cut the grass and then the lawn will look amazing; however, this is one of the harder areas to get right in your garden. You need to ensure that you learn how to cut the grass correctly, to produce an even length, and top quality lawn. You need to ensure that you keep on top of cutting the grass, and care for your lawn like every other area.

Choosing the wrong location

There are both good and bad spots in your garden for the plants that you have carefully chosen, therefore, you need to ensure that you choose wisely. Taking the time to select the perfect place for every plant will guarantee that it thrives, and that you do not despair. Preparation is essential with all plants, and will help them to grow.

Removing plants instead of weeds

A common mistake to make when you are a novice gardener is not realizing the difference between weeds and plants. Many people pull up new plants thinking that they are weeds, which is a shame, and can ruin the look of your garden. Therefore, using tags or markers is essential, and will ensure that the plants stay in the ground.

Bad soil preparation

You cannot simply plant things in the soil in the garden and expect the plants to thrive. Some plants may do well, however, to give your garden the best chance of survival you need to prepare the soil. Testing the soil and discovering what style is in your garden is necessary, and can help you to prepare it in advance.

Watering issues

Both too little, and too much water can have a huge effect on the life span of your garden, and far too many novice gardeners get this wrong. As your plants mature, they will need consistent watering, and even deep soaking. If you are unsure a water irrigation system is ideal, and will allow you to water correctly.

Excessive fertilizer

Fertilizer is good for gardens, however, if an excessive amount is used, you may discover that your plants have bad problems. The nitrogen within the fertilizer can be an issue, and will destroy the stems of the plants, therefore, little amounts is advised.

Overplanting is common

All new gardeners get excited about the possibilities they can create in their gardens, however, this can lead to planting too many plants. If you plant too many seeds, they will go to waste, which will be heart breaking when they die. Being cautious with your garden is ideal, and will ensure that you learn the top 8 gardening mistakes and how to fix them correctly.

Since his childhood. Karen has been passionate about home decors. You can visit her site if you want to get more information on buying durable patio furniture covers as well as grill covers at Outdoor Cover Pros.

Planting Vegetable Gardens In Raised Beds

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Planting a vegetable garden can be done easily in raised beds, and can greatly reduce the risk of injuring your back while you’re tending the garden.  It is also a great way to utilize a small space and maximize the area available to you.  It’s wise to first determine if you want a permanent gardening bed or a temporary one, and then you can move on to selecting the materials to make the raised beds.  Rot resistant wood, stone, and brick are all suitable materials for building a gardening bed.  Growing a vegetable garden in raised beds is a beautiful and convenient way to reap all the benefits of home grown produce.

Permanent Beds

A permanent bed is a good choice for those of us who might want the garden design to remain the same forevermore.  It’s the best way to go for individuals who want to build it and then forget about it, with the single exception, of course, for planting.  Cedar is a rot resistant wood that would be suitable for a project like this.  If you’re leaning away from wood you might want to consider rocks, bricks, or cement blocks.  The goal is to create a bed from materials that would provide long lasting support for the garden year after year.

If aesthetics are important, decorative rocks or bricks might be more attractive to look at than plain cinderblocks, but remember that once the garden starts growing your eyes will probably be more focused on the plants than on the materials you used for the garden housing.

Temporary Beds

The benefit to building a temporary bed is that you can adjust the design and layout of your garden each year.  Having more than one way to set up a garden might add fun and exciting element to your horticulture endeavors.  It would be suitable for individuals who have families with ever changing needs.  Space in the backyard might be limited for gardening if you have small children or pets that use the area.  As the children grow and their play areas are used less and less, you could move the raised beds to different locations in the backyard.

The materials for a temporary bed may also include rot resistant wood, bricks, rocks, and cinderblocks.  The heavier the materials, however, the more cumbersome take down and setup will be.  Oftentimes you will have to joist wood like cedar together, so it might be challenging to move framed pieces to another location.

Dimensions of Raised Beds

When you’re thinking about making raised beds to grow a vegetable garden, it’s important to get the proper dimensions so the garden is successful, and so you can maximize the ease of gardening on an elevated surface.  Dimensions to keep in mind are adequate depth, width that is reachable, and length that is to your liking.  It might be a good idea to make your beds based on the following dimensions:

  • Create beds at are at least 12 inches deep.  To ensure roots penetrate deeply enough into the soil, it’s important to make the beds at least one foot deep.
  • Beds need to be reachable in width.  In order to make the garden accessible for you to work in, you may not want to build the beds more than 3 to 4 feet wide, unless you have long arms and an even longer reach.  Keep in mind that you can work on one side, and walk around to the opposite side and work along that side as well.  It’s not necessary to reach the entire width from one side of the bed.
  • The length can be determined by your desires.  Depth and width are the two dimensions that really need to be planned carefully.  Length can be based on what your area allows and your own personal taste.

What to Plant in Raised Beds

You can enjoy all the variety of produce in a raised garden that a traditional garden might offer.  You might want to put gourds in one bed, root vegetables in another, and tomatoes off on their own.  Herbs can also be planted in raised beds along with flowering plants, and berries.  Each variety of plant needs to be placed in the soil in the appropriate season.

Feed and Water Plants in Raised Beds Regularly

Raised beds have a tendency to dry out faster than regular garden beds, so be vigilant in watering.   The soil will not be able to feed the plants in your garden as easily as it could in a traditional garden, so regular fertilization is also a key ingredient in a successful raised garden.

Lawrence Reaves writes for The Growers Exchange, a gardening company offering flowering plants, potted herbs and vegtable plants delivered directly to your home.  Check out the products they offer here.

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