Planning your organic vegetable garden isn’t a difficult step, but it is important.  If you start without a good plan, your garden could fail miserably.  A good organic vegetable garden can provide a cost savings versus purchasing at the supermarket.  When you cut out the profit to the farmer and the middle man, you save a lot more than you can imagine.  It takes a little time, but with some effort you could end up selling your very own vegetables to help subsidise your own income.  

So, the first thing you want to do is decide what to plant.  That is an article in itself and I assume you already have an idea.  If not, as soon as you are done reading this article, look up different vegetables to plant.

The worst thing you could do is rush into your yard and start plugging holes into the ground without a plan.  There are some things to consider when it comes to your garden location that could cost you time and money if you aren’t careful.  So, once you have all of your supplies and you have decided what vegetables you are going to grow, it is time to plan out your garden.

Start with a sketch of what you would like your garden to look like.  Get a piece of paper and a pencil and draw out your plan.  Plan out exactly where you would like your garden to be, but be sure to pick a spot that will get plenty of sunshine.  Your best bet is to watch your yard for about a week prior to digging up your garden.  This will give you a great idea on what section of your yard is bathed in sunlight.  

There are other things that you should be mindful of when selecting your site. Don’t use areas that have recently been repaired or that are near metal fences. The chemicals you recently used and the metal from the fence could be infecting the area and would contaminate your crops.  Another pitfall to avoid is divets in the ground.  If there is a large enough area that is low, it could cause water to pool after watering or a rain.  That stagnant water will drown your garden before it gets to start.  

When you think you have the perfect spot, immediately stop using any chemicals in the area. When planting your seeds, aim for an efficient layout.  Beans or peas can be grown near corn.  This would allow you to use the corn stalk as a stake and save you the money and hassle in buying stakes.  A quick pest control tip is to plant onions, garlic, or basil.  The odor from these plants is a natural insect repellant.  Use them as a barrier on the outside of your garden to help control the pests.

So, there you have the simple steps of planning your organic garden.  Happy planting and feel free to offer me the first tomatoes.  

Picture three ripe red tomatoes arranged on a wooden cutting board awaiting your pleasure. They’ve each come from a different source: can you tell which one was grown organically?
Two of the tomatoes were lovingly tended in backyards – one in a conventional garden and the other in an organic garden. The third tomato came from the supermarket, and it’s easy to eliminate from the guessing game.
The supermarket tomato is the pale red one the size and shape of a tennis ball. Bred for packing, shipping, and storing, (not flavor), this tomato was picked green, has traveled more than a thousand miles from farm to store, and has sat on the shelf for weeks — looking none the worse for wear.
Set this one aside. It was definitely not grown organically.
Two remain. For the sake of the game, they are the same tomato variety, let’s say Big Beef slicers. Bright red, they were just picked and are still warm to the touch from afternoon sun.
It’s not so easy to tell the difference in these; we have to look beyond the surface… literally. The quality of the soil from which they grew is the key element to naming the winner of this game: conventional tomato vs. organic tomato.
The chemicals in the fertilizers used in conventional gardens actually break down the health of the soil. Microbes that are necessary for making soil nutrients available to the plants are killed off.
The dead soil requires increasing doses of conventional fertilizer, and still the plants are malnourished, falling prey to insects and disease. Enter the deadly pesticides, sprayed liberally on the plant.
Now, the game is getting serious. One of the two remaining contestants in our tomato contest had better be carefully washed before being eaten; it’s been dusted with poison.
On the other hand, the organically grown tomato also had fertilizer applied to it, but this fertilizer was made from naturally occurring substances like bone meal, fish emulsion, and rock phosphate. These additions fed the soil and did no harm to the beneficial microbes that make nutrients available for use by plants.
Pesticides probably weren’t necessary because a healthy plant produces its own pest-resistant chemicals. But if there were pests, the organic gardener might have used a home-mixed spray of hot pepper and garlic, or something similarly non-toxic to humans.
There are a few additional techniques the organic gardener probably used, such as tilling in a cover crop to add organic material for the microbes and earthworms to decompose. This process results in a crumbly textured soil that holds moisture and allows the roots to breathe.
But even without the soil improvement from a cover crop, it’s fairly clear which tomato is better for health: the only nutrients that can be found in the fruit had to come from what was available in the soil. The organically grown tomato provides better nutrition.
What is not so clear is which tomato is better for flavor. A test of the ratio of sugar to acid might be made, but that isn’t a big issue. Both the conventionally grown and organically grown tomato are vastly superior in flavor to the poor tomato found in most supermarkets.
The original question in this tomato guessing game was whether you could tell which one of those ripe, juicy tomatoes on the cutting board was organic. Turns out that it’s hard to tell just by looking, or even just by tasting.
So, what’s the big issue? Mainly this: sustainability. Conventional growing depletes and eventually destroys the soil. Whereas organic growing techniques actually build and improve the soil.
In the end, the nutritious organic tomato contributes more to your health, and it is certainly better for the health of the soil from which all future crops will come.

A plant newly potted will need some time so that it can grow new roots in order to absorb or take in the fertilizer that you will apply. How you fertilize and what type of fertilizer you use is dependent on what kinds of plants or crop you grow in your greenhouse, because every crop has a particular requirement with regards to nutrients, and this requirement should be met. For house plants, it is usually much easier to fertilize a large group together. Generally, plants need to be fertilized every one or two months while there is rapid growth and all throughout the winter season, twice or once only. Alternatively, you can apply the fertilizer more frequently when using a liquid fertilizer diluted in water; this familiarizes certain plants that otherwise be injured when you use a fertilizer of full. Generally half of the recommended strength or dosage means that you use only half fertilizer in every plant. Annual plants can flourish very rapidly and will require fertilization every two weeks throughout their “short season”. A few flowering plants such as the Azalea must not be applied fertilizer while in their blooming or flowering stage. Most fertilizers that are generally used have considerable amount of nitrogen (50 percent); they contain the preferred amount of nitrate f and are usually labeled and identified as “peat-lite”. This type is preferred and recommended for greenhouse hobby use. The N-P-K ratio can be verified by reading the label that is found at the fertilizer bag. Fertilizers are usually applied at the amount or ratio of “200 ppm nitrogen” fertilizer like “21-5-20″ or “20-10-20″. This is completed by continuous liquid application; this ratio is the basis for mostly all pot grown “greenhouse plants”. The rate may be adjusted downward or upward depending on the plant that is grown. Any pre-mixed or ready mixture of fertilizer for the kind of plants that you grow is acceptable; for most flowering and foliar plants. An N-P-K ratio analysis that is similar to “1-2-1″ will supply a balanced growth. Soluble fertilizers can be conveniently applied and deliver faster results compared to solid fertilizers or “slow release” gravel-like fertilizers. Just apply the solution in a manner like you are watering your plants, however, instead of water, use the fertilizer solution, making certain that the plant soil is slightly moist before application. You should never apply fertilizer solution onto plants with dry soil the roots can be injured by the fertilizer chemicals; moist soil further dilutes the chemicals. Apply fertilizers always following or much weaker dose than the suggested dilution strength, and not stronger, as seedlings, newly established cuttings, and developing plants will derive benefit from much weaker solutions; stronger solution will only injure young and soft roots. There are many injections or siphon devices available in the market to make application of soluble fertilizers much easier; however, when you use them, be certain that you install “backflow preventers” in order to keep the nutrients or chemicals in the fertilizer solution from contaminating your water supply in the home. Likewise do not water your plants with a “water-softened” water due to its “high salt” content. Recommended fertilizer products A mixture of floramicro, florabloom and floragro, will enable you to combine a wide range of many different nutrient blends or solutions in order to fulfill the specific requirement of virtually any kind of plant that you grow, and at different stages of the plants life.  This is accomplished by changing the mixture combinations as well as the general strength of your solution. You can combine different ratios and different strength of nutrients by adjusting the water quantity when blending floragro, floramicro and florabloom. Calcium Nitrate in Greenhouse Grade may be used in large scale growing. It can be economical to buy fertilizers in 50-pound quantities. Calcium Nitrate in Greenhouse Grade and Hydro-Gro are great combinations to achieve complete nutrient blend. Greenhouse plants need your attention. Check on them each day to be sure that they are free from disease and pests and act immediately if there is any problem. It is a wise idea to know the characteristics of each type of plant that you grow in your greenhouse. Have fun taking care of your plants!

A good greenhouse need not be always big and spacious. Although those requirements are ideal for big plant growers and commercial greenhouses, those who only have a small area for a greenhouse can also have their own by building a mini version of a greenhouse. Gardeners who are much into planting and growing crops but have a limited garden space have an option to build a mini greenhouse. This mini greenhouse can actually be placed anywhere such as on balconies, patios, backyards, and decks as the typical size is just around 6 square feet. Though small, it also provides the same benefits that the regular greenhouses do. Mini greenhouses are also ideal for those are just beginners in the greenhouse technology. Before venturing into building a big one, it is best to learn how greenhouse works and know the different things needed to have an ideal growing condition for the plants. And this learning process for beginners can be done by starting with mini greenhouses. A mini greenhouse can be used to start plant growth before the cold season in a particular area. Once the weather gets better and warmer, these healthy plants and crops planted inside the greenhouse can now be transplanted outside into the garden. This will allow for early harvesting of crops. A huge selection of seeds can also be planted in the greenhouse which makes planting a lot more fun for hobbyists and gardeners. There are a good variety of herbs and lettuce that can be grown healthily and successfully in mini-greenhouses even for the whole year. Other delectable vegetables such as Swiss chard, spinach, and kale can also be planted and grown inside the mini-greenhouse. These would make for a great bowl of salad with freshly-picked greens even during the cold season. That would be wonderful for you and your guests. Mini greenhouses are also useful with tender perennial plants. The greenhouse can protect them from ice, snow and frost during the winter season. They can be placed in plant containers and stay healthy inside the mini structure until spring begins. Once the weather becomes friendly enough, these plants can then be again transplanted into the garden outside for a much healthier environment. The decorative plants commonly found inside the house can be given a healthy change by placing them inside the mini greenhouse and placing them outside during the summer months. This mini structure can offer tropical plants a humid climate. Miniature greenhouses, just like the regular ones, maximize the amount of sunlight and make the most out of the heat absorbed. It also provides the needed protection of plants from rain, wind, destructive insects and other pests in the garden such as rabbits. Since mini gardens or greenhouses can be as light as possible because of their small structure, they may be easily blown by wind or knocked over by pets and kids. Thus, it is recommended that these small gardens be placed or mounted in to a wall or garage than be a free standing structure. It is best to place them in a location where there is enough sunlight but be safe from other outside factors as well. There are also do-it-yourself greenhouse kits available in the market that include complete instructions and step-by-step guide for a beginner to build a mini greenhouse in not time. These kits can also be inexpensive and can commonly accommodate up to three shelves. So should one really choose to have a full-sized greenhouse or just go with a miniature one? Even if a big space is available for a full-sized greenhouse, having a small one may be more practical. If the main purpose of having a greenhouse is to grow only a few plants, germinate seeds, or provide protection during the colder season, having a mini greenhouse is just fine. Also, the cost to maintain small greenhouses are significantly lower than the full-sized ones because of the several factors that need to be maintained. Thus, it is recommended that gardeners have a greenhouse, even a mini one. This structure can prove to be a good investment and yield better results than just doing the traditional gardening. And if one really finds happiness in caring for plants and harvesting a few crops, greenhouse-gardening can definitely offer lifetime enjoyment.

There is a lot of talk about mulching your tomato plants, and the rest of your garden. This is a good thing, but don’t think you have to run to the local garden center and get a truckload of expensive mulch.

Mulching around your vegetable garden, or the rest of your garden for that matter, helps to retain moisture, which helps cut back on watering, which of course helps the environment stay green, but it doesn’t have to be the expensive bark mulch you can get in a rainbow of colors now, unless you are going for a trendy looking garden!

As long as you have not sprayed your lawn, and your lawn is not on any “drugs” you can bag your clippings as you cut your lawn, and use these around your tomato plants. Lawn clippings are full of nutrients. Or you can use that pile of dead leaves you have in your back corner, or hay from a local farm.

But the important thing to remember about mulching your tomato garden, is that you must wait until the soil reaches a good warm temperature, or else the mulch will insulate the cold in the soil.

Your tomato plants, need the soil to be warm to thrive, so depending on your climate, let the plants get a good start first, keep the weeds down, (weeds don’t seem to care what temperature the soil is!) , and make sure they get watered. As the temps start to rise overnight, and the soil gets warmer, then mulch. This will retain the heat in the soil as well as the moisture needed.

Plus as an added bonus, mulching tomato plants keeps those dreaded weeds down. I usually mulch to about 2 inches deep and then turn it into the ground in the fall. It also helps energize the soil for next years tomato crop.