Our own garden is an opportunity to grow tasty vegetables. If we decide on organic cultivation, we can be sure that the highest quality vegetables will end up on our plate!
Wondering if it is worth growing vegetables in an organic way? It certainly is! This way of growing requires a bit more work (e.g. weeding, because we don’t use preparations to fight weeds), but the vegetables we grow are much healthier.
Organic farming is not only about eliminating chemicals that are usually used in vegetable gardens. It also means taking care of the balance in nature or using simple methods that improve the properties of the soil.
Many people who are considering organic vegetable gardening are concerned that yields from such beds will be low because they will not be able to use chemical fertilizers. We reassure you – yields can be abundant. Organic crops can be fed with natural fertilizers. You can choose from many ready-made preparations that can be purchased in gardening stores (granulated manure, biohumus, fertilizers from the bio line). You can also try making your own manure (we especially recommend nettle manure, which not only fertilizes but also protects plants), compost or sowing legumes and digging beds.
Another concern is having to give up chemical pesticides. Home gardeners often unknowingly turn to chemical pesticides as soon as problems arise. However, it is important to realize that these chemicals are not a necessity. In the case of fighting insects (eg aphids) potassium soap is invaluable, which can be used in organic farming. It is worth getting such, which was enriched with garlic extract.
Also, the fight against weeds in organic crops does not have to be very tiring. In addition to the mechanical removal of weeds (preferably when they are small and have not yet set seed), it is also worth preventing their appearance in the garden. A great idea is to mulch the crops. The type of mulch is best matched to the plant that is growing in the bed. If it is an acid-loving plant, it’s a good idea to use bark, which not only inhibits the growth of weeds but also acidifies the soil. Other crops can be mulched with straw or grass clippings. The advantage of mulching is not only to reduce the number of weeds, but also to improve soil hydration (mulch prevents rapid drying of the soil) and improve the thermal conditions of the soil (after sunny days, the soil cools more slowly in the evenings).
It’s also worth knowing that some plants can act as pesticides and deter pests that like to feed on our crops. For example, velvet, popular in Polish flower gardens, effectively fights soil nematodes. Its specific smell repels ants and aphids, and moles don’t like it either – so it’s worth planting it in your vegetable garden.
It’s also worth planting nasturtiums at the edge of the vegetable garden, which are particularly popular with aphids. Nasturtium will draw the attention of these insects away from our vegetables.
main photo: pixabay.com/andreas160578
