Healthy grass that's free of chemicals, veggies and fruit that are free of
pesticides, a yard that's a self-sustaining mini-biosphere; why not make
a difference on your little corner of the planet? Gardening the organic
way is as easy on you as it is on Mother Nature.
Eco-Friendly Ways to Handle Common Gardening Chores
Does the term "organic gardening" sound like it means a lot of extra work to you? Not to worry!
We'll have you growing really green in 10 simple steps.
1. Getting Started
Improve your soil, let plants and mulch crowd out the weeds, practice good garden sanitation and grow a diversity of plants.
Pick hardy varieties that can stand up to disease, pests and dry weather. Choose many types of plants because too many of the same kind makes your garden vulnerable to pests and disease.
Just because you see aphids doesn't mean you have to grab a bottle of bug spray. If the damage is only minor, there's no need to act.
Sometimes natural predators or a weather change will fix the problem for you.
Broad-spectrum or nonselective pesticides kill almost any critter they touch, including the good bugs that prey on the bad bugs. Don't use
fungicide, either, unless you know for sure what's wrong with an ailing plant.
Birds, ladybugs, spiders, dragonflies, damselflies, wasps, parasitic nematodes, praying mantis and worms eat harmful insects.
Snakes, cats and dogs will help rid your garden of rodents and nocturnal pests like raccoons.
Synthetic fertilizers kill the soil microorganisms that help fight pests and disease. And no product on the shelf is as good and cheap as
fertilizer you can make yourself with yard waste and kitchen scraps.
Try Companion Planting to Deter Pests. Some plants have a tendency to ward off specific pests, especially when planted next to susceptible plants. Fennel attracts predator wasps that in turn eat whiteflies. Rosemary and marigolds ward off the invasion of certain insects.
