So you have gone through the trouble to plant a garden to be proud of. You have planned it, collected the proper supplies, and sown your seeds. You are all done now, right? Wrong! You have to help that organic garden thrive.

There are five simple things that most new gardeners overlook when they plant their first garden. Once everything is planted, the real care begins. You have to tend your garden well in order to produce the best results.

Tip #1: Water your garden. Watering is the number one responsibility you have when it comes to a garden. The best practice is to get into a routine and water consistently every day at about the same time. Don’t let a rain fall get you off track, you still have to water the next day.

Tip #2: Water in the morning. I know this goes hand in hand with number one, but this one is equally important. If you water in the afternoon, the heat from the sun can evaporate the water before your plants have fed. It is best to water prior to 10 am when possible.

Tip #3: Weed your garden. It sounds like a no-brainer, but weeds are a vampire to your garden. They suck the nutrients and the water out of the soil. You have to get out there every day and pull weeds before they are allowed to take root. Dig them out when possible to remove all traces.

Tip #4: Rid yourself of pests. Since you are growing an organic garden, over the counter pesticides are a no-go. You can make your own homemade pesticide though that will assist you if your garden is being overrun. Mix two teaspoons of dish soap with one cup of vegetable oil. Add a couple of teaspoons of this to a spray bottle with water in it. Then spray the heavily infected areas with this solution to control pests.

Tip #5: Care for your spot all year round. If you let the garden just be overrun with weeds, leaves, etc in the off season, you are asking for trouble. Even if you are just seasonally growing, you should keep that patch of earth clean. Caring for your garden area all year round will lead to a more bountiful, disease free harvest the next season.

Armed with these 5 tips and a “can do” attitude you are well on your way to a healthy organic garden.

Organic gardening is all the rage and for good reason. Risks to pets, people and the environment are just beginning to be understood. Becoming an organic farmer takes a little planning. Typical garden problems need to be proactively managed as opposed to correcting them after they happen.

Pesticides and toxic chemicals can build up in your system or have long-term effects on your health. Pesticide exposure has been linked to nerve damage, cancer and birth defects.

Children and infants are at a dramatically increased risk for damage done by chemicals and pesticides. Children have excretory systems that are still developing. This means that they are less able to rid their bodies of chemicals consumed. Chemical damage can alter the biology of their bodies permanently, causing all sorts of problems. Developing organs and tissues can suffer when chemicals block absorption of nutrients.

Needless to say, avoiding chemicals and pesticides in your garden is a good step towards protecting the health and well being of yourself and your family.

To grow an organic garden, you need to anticipate problems that you may encounter. Keep a garden diary to document problems that you encounter and treatments that were effective for you. This way, you can adjust your planting patterns and types of plants each year. Many people find that it takes a bit of research to really have a successful organic garden.

If you have had a garden in your area before, you probably already know what to expect. For example, you may be able to predict that your garden will get fire ants and rabbits will make themselves at home. If you already know what you will be up against, preventing problems will be easier. Talk to your neighbors if you are not sure.

Prevention is key. You really do not have to worry about many bugs. Nature has a good balance of its own and over ninety percent of bugs will not harm your plants. Simple organic solutions can help you keep bugs and animals that you do not want out of your garden.

For example, human hair spread around the garden will keep out rabbits. Lavender and basil deter ants. Rosemary will repel mosquitoes. The way that you arrange your plants can help protect certain vegetables, too. Garlic and peppers planted around tomatoes and squash will help protect them from harmful insects and rodents.

Finding the right balance of beneficial bugs and plants may take a little time and effort, but the fruits of your labor will be well worth it. Once you have the right combination of plants, caring for your organic garden is as simple as watering. Keep your garden hose on a hose reel for quick and easy access. You will love your organic garden and how easy it is to take care of.

In years gone by, before the use of toxic chemical sprays, gardeners were still able to grow wonderful plants and healthy vegetables for their families.

Although many gardeners can give anecdotal evidence of the benefits of companion planting there are still those who consider it to be a myth; scientific information is very limited with regards to enlightening us on the actual merits of companion planting, even though gardeners throughout Europe steadfastly argue that if used correctly, the method is faultless, and a true way to be organic.

Regardless of the arguments for and against companion planting, it is safe to say that some combinations do work, and its worth looking at reasons given why this alternative to toxic sprays is successful.

Companion planting is essentially a method of growing the correct combination of plants together to help them fight off pests, improve growth and enhance flavor. If this is done correctly then you can also attract beneficial insects to improve your plants, but be warned that some plants can be detrimental to others, so make sure you choose good neighbors.

Whatever the outcome of trying this type of protection for your garden plants, you can be assured of a very interesting showcase of plants that can bring balance and harmony to your garden and just maybe, healthier organic plants without having to use toxic fertilizers. With the environment in mind this would be a huge benefit.

You can refer to lots of very comprehensive lists of companion planting that justify the use of this type of protection, and who can argue the fact that generations of gardeners who have never used modern day methods of protection have always provided very healthy vegetables for their family. Still, with very little scientific facts to back any of this up, I guess the majority of gardeners will still use the quick fix of toxic sprays and fertilizers, and so long as there is no sign of pests in their garden, bugger the planet.

Anyway, let’s have a look at some of the companion planting combinations that might just work for you. If you have cabbages, and broccoli in your vegetable patch, try growing rows of onions around them, the argument here is that the onions stronger scent will confuse and deter cabbage moths, so your cabbages and broccoli would be less prone to the caterpillar and larval infestation. Tansy is also very effective for protection against many caterpillars.

Try planting a few French marigolds and nasturtiums near your tomatoes or roses to reduce aphids. Flavor and yield are increased in strawberries if you plant them with or in a combination of borage, chives, marigold, lettuce, onion, sage, and spinach.

Various herbs have very strong reputations in protecting citrus, stone fruit, roses, and lettuce. Planting garlic, cloves, basil, lavender and sage will help deter aphids and fruit fly.

Strong claims have been made that if you plant chamomile alongside culinary herbs it encourages the flavor and increases the production of essential oils.

It’s been noted that many advocates of companion planting frequently plant heavy feeders such as sweet corn and squashes alongside nitrogen fixing legumes such as beans and peas, in doing so they give protection to the soils nutrient need. The corn provides a natural support for the climbing beans while the squash vines smother the weeds and help prevent soil moisture from evaporating, this is mutually beneficial for all plants.

If companion planting is something you would like to try to combat pests and diseases in your garden and move away from using chemical pesticides and fungicides, its best to make some sort of commitment to a few rules. Be prepared to experiment and do some reading on what to plant together, then keep written records on what combinations have been successful for you. Combinations of soil and locations and conditions can have varying results so success should be carefully noted.

With a little planning, your garden can become a very interesting place to observe how well plants can thrive and protect each other.

Companion planting is a fantasitic way to achieve biodiversity within your garden. Experiment to your heart’s desire and you will meet with success, after all, what have you to lose except maybe planet Earth; now there’s a reality.

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT VEGETABLE VARIETY

The first requirement to start your vegetable project is to select the best crop to plant. Survey the market what kind of vegetables the market wants.

Be sure to discover the common problems the customers are looking in the market place.

The market might be flooded with the vegetable you’re planning to plant. This will affect your production cost such as; your capital, time, efforts and other resources incurred during your initial operation.

But if your purpose is only for home consumption, you need not have to do a survey. You can plant anything that you need for your daily needs.

Select the Right Variety

Selecting the right variety is essential when trying to go into vegetable growing.

Select the best one which will give you the highest possible returns.

Does your area fits to the crops, say; upland or lowland?

Do you want a hybrid or open pollinated variety?

The location of your land is a critical factor.

Is your land rolling or level or slightly rolling?

Some crops grow will in upland areas and some in lowland soils. Try to figure out the location of your land.

If your land is hilly or upland, there are crops that suit to the kind of land you desire. You can now decide which crop variety is suited to your area.

Most vegetables are tolerant in upland soils such as; legumes, brassicas, solanaceous, and cucurbits except water spinach (kangkong). But there is a variety of water spinach that grows in upland – the upland kangkong.

Another consideration is whether you need to plant a hybrid or open pollinated crops.

Hybrid varieties produces higher yield and matures early as compared to open varieties.

But hybrid costs high than open pollinated. Your decision again lies as to the intention or purpose you want in your garden. If your purpose is for commercial gardening, hybrid varieties will give you a better return.

But if you intend to provide only for your home daily consumption, you don’t need a hybrid variety.

Try to make all you can to maximize what is available in your locality to minimize extra expenses in your gardening project. Open pollinated varieties could be your choice just for home use purposes.

The decision is yours as to what kind of varieties you wish to consider. But the bottom line here is you aim to have a profitable business.

Some crops also grows well in cold and warm areas. These factors are also important in your vegetable ventures.

Consider the Following Factors…

requirements. Some grows in sand, silt(Alluvial soils) or clay type of soils.

For best result, vegetables must be planted in sandy loam to clay loam soil.  But for shallow rooted crops, it is advisable not to plant them in sandy soil.

The reason is moisture easily percolates in this type of soil which makes the plants easily wilt due to water starvation.

Another thing you should consider is the introduction of organic matter to your garden to increase soil fertility, invites friendly micro-organisms.

Once your garden is rich with organic matter other living organisms abounds especially worms.

Did you know that worms exudes excreta which is rich in Nitrogen?

And besides, worms has twelve functions to the growth and development of plants.

Experts have proven  that a soil with plenty of worms are considered fertile that are ideal for vegetable growing.

Almost all  vegetable crops tolerates at a  pH of 5.5 – 6.8  level. To make certain that you’ll get the right pH level in your garden, have your soil tested with a pH meter instrument.

This instrument will measure the level of your soil whether it is acidic or alkaline.

Don’t ever attempt to plant your crop without having your soil tested.

Soil testing determines what kind of soil you have. This is vital if you want your gardening to succeed.

Acidic soil  can be neutralize by applying lime three weeks to one month before planting, while in alkaline soil apply basally Ammonium Sulfate ( NH4SO4).

Lacking or over supply of water to your plants would greatly affects their growth.

It is a wise decision  for you to determine the availability of water in your area before  venturing into vegetable production.

Could it be that your area is flooded during rainy days or totally dry during summer. Is the area along a river bank where the water increases into capacity when heavy rain occurs?. All of these should be taken into serious consideration when you engage in vegetable business.

temperature. Cucurbits grows successfully in high temperature while solanaceous, brassicas and other crops thrives best in low temperature.

the production capacity of vegetables. It aids for the maximum production of photosynthesis that will supply the plant in its food manufacture process needed in their growth and development.

Consider the supply of sunlight to be available at least 6 – 7 hours a day. This is ideal for most leafy and fruit vegetable.

Biological Factors

1)  Fungus. It attack the plant by sucking plant sap from the leaves, stem and other parts.

Their mode of attack starts at the bottom going upward and from older plant parts. This could be easily controlled by applying local biological methods and in serious cases by fungicides as the last recourse.

By all means don’t use chemicals to avoid chemical hazards to the environment especially to human and animals.

2) Bacteria. This is a serious diseases that affects the

vegetable industry. In fact, there is no chemical yet invented to control this disease.

It multiplies every 10 minutes at maximum speed once inside the plant. Plant affected with the disease smells a bad odor. The only remedy to control bacteria is to uproot affected plant and burn  to kill the bacteria.

Caution please…

Don’t bury affected plants in the soil, since the disease will just be there in the soil and might transfer again to other plants.

3) Virus. Like bacteria, this is the most serious disease especially to solanaceous crops.

Plants affected by the disease becomes stunted with curly and rosetting leaves. No known chemicals have been discovered yet to control virus.

Affected plants should be uprooted and burned to avoid the spread of the disease to other plants. Planting varieties resistant to virus is also advisable to get higher returns.

Tobacco mosaic virus are most common disease to all solanaceous crops like tomato, eggplant and pepper.

4) Nematode. Microscopic worms that attack the root systems of plants, nematode is not serious as the other diseases.

While inside the roots, nematode clogged the passage of foods from the root up to the other plants parts causing the root to form swelling depriving the foods to pass through the xylem and phloem and vise versa.

But once the disease presence is visible,  proper control measure should be applied to avoid further damage to the plants.

5) Insects. There are millions of insect species that destroys all types of plants.

However, not all insect pests are destructive. Some are friendly or other terms it as beneficial insects.

You’ll be guided how to identify some friendly or an enemy insect pests as we go along in the succeeding chapter on controlling insect pests and diseases. Your knowledge in the identification of these insect pests would guide you which one is detrimental or friendly to the plants.

6) Animals. In this scenario, public relation plays a vital role with your neighbors and surrounding gardeners.

You should be a good friend with everybody in your community.

If you can make it to help them when they need your assistance or any services you can provide, in return they will pay you back in terms of respect and trust.

If they have some astray animals that may destroy your plants inform them what happen in a cordial manner. Don’t act like a commander in the military, instead act like talking to a brother or sister.

There is no other way you can win their trust by being always friendly and helpful.

7) Human. Like the previous one, humans are most destructive than animals.

A single blink of your eyes, you will lost everything if you’ll not keep in good terms with your neighbors.

Again, public relation is vital here to make your gardening a success. Failure to have a good relation with the people in your community will lead you waste your time, money and labor.

Rodents. This small animal is very destructive especially to fruit vegetables and cereals.

Their presence in your farm should be given your utmost attention to minimize attack to your plants. You can control them by giving some anti-rodent chemicals.

There are vast supply of chemicals to control rodents (e.g. Racumin, Ratoxin, etc.).

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Cris Ramasasa, Freelance writer, writes about home gardening and Internet marketing tips. You can get a copy of his latest ebook “How to get started in Flower Gardening”and  “Vegetable Gardening made Easy” and lots of tips, Free articles, and bonuses at: www.crisramasasa.com