| Provide steps to create a thriving vegetable and herb organic garden. |
| Organic gardening starts with healthy soil. You can enrich your soil over a period of years and end up with rich garden loam if you add organic matter. Start this spring by removing all vegetation from the area and spreading 4-5 inches of organic matter over the vegetable bed. You can use compost, aged manure (fresh manure can be too hot and might contain weed seeds), shredded leaves or whatever organic matter is readily available in your local area. Dig or till this organic matter into the soil - 8-10 inches deep. Plant your veggies and mulch over the bare soil between the plants with additional organic matter. A 2-3 inch layer will help suppress weeds and slow water evaporation. At the end of the season dig the organic matter into the soil and add a fresh layer. Repeat this process annually and you'll end up with rich garden loam - and a spectacular vegetable garden. Since you'll be consuming the herbs and vegetables, you'll want to avoid the use of pesticides. Daily monitoring of your garden will allow you to recognize insect and disease problems in their early stages. Simply pulling off damaged leaves and picking off insect pests should help you maintain a healthy, pest free garden. Hope you have a bountiful harvest! |
