Published: July 05, 2008 08:58 pm         

Organic gardening tips

• Keep composting simple. You can simply rake your ingredients into a mound and the ingredients will eventually compost. There are no compost bins on the forest floor!

• A garden should appeal to all five senses. Devote space to a vegetable garden, install a birdbath, mix in strongly scented flowers or foliage, and plant tactile specimens like fountain grass.

• Don’t run for a can of pesticide when you could pick off and mash a few harmful insects. A blast of water can strip aphids from your plants. Use pruning shears to remove tent caterpillars.

• If the new plants were not in a full-sun location when you bought them, place the containers in an area that receives only partial sunlight for a day or two, then gradually expose them to increased amounts of direct sun for several days before planting.

• A five percent increase in organic material quadruples the soil’s ability to store water. This is a significant amount in hot, dry landscapes.

• Your tomato plants don’t want to be fed - it encourages their weedy nature at the expense of the fruit. Dig a hole, set the plant to the lowest healthy leaves, and water.

• Borrow existing landscape elements. If there are large trees bordering your property, plant to match, blurring the borders between properties. And take advantage of great views by not blocking them with new plants.

• Certain kinds of leaves contain substances that can be harmful to plants, and should not be used for mulching with composting them first. These include: acacia, California bay, camphor, cypress, eucalyptus, madrone, oak, pine, pittosporum, red cedar, and walnut.

• If planting seeds in clay soil, cover seeds with vermiculite instead of soil because clay absorbs heat and can become too hot for the seeds to germinate. Clay also tends to crust over, making it difficult for the seedlings to emerge.

• Placing your compost pile in a protected area, or in a compost bin, will keep it from washing away during a rainstorm.

• Structures such as fences, pergolas, arbors, walls, and paths provide relatively permanent “bones” for our gardens, bridging seasonal changes and contributing visual stability throughout the year.

• When sowing small seeds such as poppy seeds, mix them with sand before broadcasting them thinly over the bed, then lightly cover with mulch or rake them in.

• To make every drop count, don’t water in the middle of the day. Instead water in the early morning or wait until dusk.

Source: www.compostguide.com