Organic Vegetable Gardening For Beginners

To be successful at organic vegetable gardening you must draw up detailed plans. The soil is your first consideration; how to make it rich and fertile, and how to prepare it so harmful pests won't attack your vegetable garden. The two ways that organic vegetable gardening differs from conventional gardens is the usage of fertilizer and how to keep pests under control. Phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium are the three components essential to your organic garden.

For lush, green foliage you must have nitrogen. For strong roots and stems phosphorus is needed. And for the important protection from disease and brief cold snaps, potassium is a must. Let's call them the big three. The big three are available in commercial fertilizers however they are synthetic. In organic vegetable gardening the big three are added in a much different way.

Organic

The best way of enriching your soil is by compost. Dig some pits in your back yard to start your compost from kitchen refuse. Use things like pine needles, corn stalks, leaves, carrot tops, fruits or vegetables that have spoiled, manure, egg shells and coffee grinds. Some organic gardeners use weeds in their compost but I do not recommend this for obvious reasons. As the compost materials decompose they release bacteria and fungi into the soil that you are preparing. The bacteria and fungi convert nutrients like nitrogen to ammonia and nitrates that will be usable for your vegetables. Use substances such as seaweed, potash salts, tobacco stems and wood ash to help make potassium in your compost. By making your own compost, you are controlling the mixture and balance to achieve the right combination for your organic vegetable garden.

Organic Vegetable Gardening For Beginners

To be absolutely sure that your compost has completely broken down and is now offering up the right balance, start working it into the soil at least two weeks before you plan on planting.

The pH in the soil must be right for healthy plants. Test your soil, if it has a ph of 0 it is very acidic, while a 14 is extreme alkaline. Of course a seven indicates neutral soil. To raise the pH of the soil inexpensively use ground limestone. An additional benefit of the limestone is that it contains magnesium something that most soils lack. If, on the other hand, you have extreme alkaline soil use sulpher to bring the pH down.

Pest control in organic vegetable gardening is also different that conventional gardening. In many conventional beds gardeners wish to eradicate all pests with pesticides. Many in organic gardening only wish to keep the pest population down so to have a balance in the garden. Obviously, whenever possible, plant pest resistant vegetables. In order for harmful organisms to grow, they need bright sunlight so keep thick mulch around the plants to deny the organisms that needed sunlight and to help hold moisture into the ground. If you find you have a heavy infestation here is a natural pest control formula:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Follow this tips and you are on your way to raising a healthy and plentiful organic vegetable garden.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Organic Vegetable Gardening For Beginners

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at Gardening Landscaping Tips, Gardening Outside and Herb Gardening

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Spent mushroom compost, also know as "spent mushroom substrate" or "mushroom soil," is fast growing in popularity for organic soil amending. Crops thrive with 7 organic vegetable garden benefits of mushroom compost. Generally containing coconut hulls, hay, corn cobs, cottonseed meal, poultry manure and straw horse bedding, the pure compost is dark, rich and odorless.

1) Completely recycled
This compost is the discarded after mushrooms have grown in it. Fresh compost can only be used once to grow mushrooms, so the used or spent compost must be disposed of. One excellent way to recycle these "leftovers" is to nourish your vegetable garden. Considered a renewable alternative to peat moss, recycled compost can also help save the peat bogs' delicate ecological balance.

Organic

2) Adds organic matter to the soil
Just like regular organic garden compost, microbial activity is created as it breaks down, creating humus. Excellent at breaking up clay soil, amend generously in your soil to create a rich loamy texture. Remember that all organics continue to break down. After a few months you may need to add a top layer to container plants. A 3 to 6 inch outdoor application is expected to last 2 to 5 years.

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

3) Drought resistant
Compost conserves moisture to plants by increasing the capacity to hold water, while aerating the soil at the same time. The fungal activity of previous mushroom growing creates a moist barrier against drought and searing heat. This is excellent for vegetable gardens by improving soil structure and saving water costs, especial in arid zones.

4) Controls Garden Pests
Mushroom compost is organic matter that creates good microbial action. Beneficial microbes in turn encourage beneficial insects, earth worm activity and discourage diseases. All these natural controls help gardeners avoid the use of potentially dangerous garden chemicals that can harm our earth and threaten our family and pet health.

5) Fast growing plants and vegetables
Research shows beneficial fungus or mycorrhizae work with plants to produce synergistic energy that results in rapid growth. Since spent mushroom compost used to host mushrooms, it is full of this good fungus and reports abound about fantastic plant growth. Naturally low in nitrogen, mushroom compost does not encourage over leafy growth, making it ideal for flower bearing plants like vegetables.

6) Weed free
Mushrooms must be grown in medium that has been sterilized and composted, so the left over compost is weed and plant pathogen free. This makes perfect mulch for vegetable and flower gardens, trees, shrubs and top dressings for existing lawns. With this compost you can be confident you are not bringing in unwanted weed seeds to compete with your plants.

7) Pleasant smelling
Properly made and stored, this compost does not smell bad. In fact, it has an almost sweet smell when fresh. Even that odor quickly dissipates once put in the ground. A refreshing relief for gardeners every where who may be used to cow or poultry manures as organic fertilizer. No longer will your neighbors shoot you dirty looks for growing organic. If spent mushroom compost has a foul odor, don't use it unless you re-compost.

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Rhonda Abrons bags spent mushroom compost in Austin, Texas. For more information and a free sample of 100% spent mushroom compost, visit [http://mushroomcompostblog.com]

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Spent mushroom compost, also know as "spent mushroom substrate" or "mushroom soil," is fast growing in popularity for organic soil amending. Crops thrive with 7 organic vegetable garden benefits of mushroom compost. Generally containing coconut hulls, hay, corn cobs, cottonseed meal, poultry manure and straw horse bedding, the pure compost is dark, rich and odorless.

1) Completely recycled
This compost is the discarded after mushrooms have grown in it. Fresh compost can only be used once to grow mushrooms, so the used or spent compost must be disposed of. One excellent way to recycle these "leftovers" is to nourish your vegetable garden. Considered a renewable alternative to peat moss, recycled compost can also help save the peat bogs' delicate ecological balance.

Organic

2) Adds organic matter to the soil
Just like regular organic garden compost, microbial activity is created as it breaks down, creating humus. Excellent at breaking up clay soil, amend generously in your soil to create a rich loamy texture. Remember that all organics continue to break down. After a few months you may need to add a top layer to container plants. A 3 to 6 inch outdoor application is expected to last 2 to 5 years.

3) Drought resistant
Compost conserves moisture to plants by increasing the capacity to hold water, while aerating the soil at the same time. The fungal activity of previous mushroom growing creates a moist barrier against drought and searing heat. This is excellent for vegetable gardens by improving soil structure and saving water costs, especial in arid zones.

4) Controls Garden Pests
Mushroom compost is organic matter that creates good microbial action. Beneficial microbes in turn encourage beneficial insects, earth worm activity and discourage diseases. All these natural controls help gardeners avoid the use of potentially dangerous garden chemicals that can harm our earth and threaten our family and pet health.

5) Fast growing plants and vegetables
Research shows beneficial fungus or mycorrhizae work with plants to produce synergistic energy that results in rapid growth. Since spent mushroom compost used to host mushrooms, it is full of this good fungus and reports abound about fantastic plant growth. Naturally low in nitrogen, mushroom compost does not encourage over leafy growth, making it ideal for flower bearing plants like vegetables.

6) Weed free
Mushrooms must be grown in medium that has been sterilized and composted, so the left over compost is weed and plant pathogen free. This makes perfect mulch for vegetable and flower gardens, trees, shrubs and top dressings for existing lawns. With this compost you can be confident you are not bringing in unwanted weed seeds to compete with your plants.

7) Pleasant smelling
Properly made and stored, this compost does not smell bad. In fact, it has an almost sweet smell when fresh. Even that odor quickly dissipates once put in the ground. A refreshing relief for gardeners every where who may be used to cow or poultry manures as organic fertilizer. No longer will your neighbors shoot you dirty looks for growing organic. If spent mushroom compost has a foul odor, don't use it unless you re-compost.

Mushroom Compost - 7 Organic Vegetable Garden Benefits

Rhonda Abrons bags spent mushroom compost in Austin, Texas. For more information and a free sample of 100% spent mushroom compost, visit [http://mushroomcompostblog.com]