Helpful Organic Gardening Tips

Before you get a generous dose of organic gardening tips, you should first understand what it is. Well, it simply means that you are gardening without using synthetic products such as insecticides and pesticides. Although this is the case, the said garden does not entail that you will let it be attacked by pests and insects. It only means that you care for the garden using organic products and fertilizers.

Organic matter is the major product that you are going to use to care for your garden. This refers to anything natural products including manure and decaying plants. This can also refer to compost, kitchen wastes and the like. As you may have observed, these are much cheaper than commercial fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides.

When you are gardening, the most important aspect is the soil and location. Consider the soil when looking for a location. It should be able to hold water and nutrients, which is needed by the plants to grow healthy. However, it should also provide space for the air to circulate. Plants need it too. This is where the organic matter comes to play. Add it to the soil to help provide the essential substances needed by the plants to grow.

Aside from the soil, you need consider other things before you start cultivating the land. First, you need to identify what plant or plants you need to grow. If you are gardening in a shady area, you should pick plants that do not require a lot of sunshine. Use these plants if you are planting in an open area. You also have to conduct your own research. You have to know what the plants need in order to grow. What do they require? How often do you have to water and feed them? Does it need a humid environment?

The best way of taking care of your plants is to get to know them better. To do that, you have to monitor them regularly. Once you observe that there is something wrong, find out what it is. It is essential that you figure out what the problem is before acting on it to ensure that you address the issue and solve it. With this, you will be able to know what product to use and what approach to apply.

It is also best if you are going to plant multiple types of plants in the garden. This will prevent infestation to all the plants. If you are just going to use one type, you will lose everything, once it is attacked. You should also learn to recognize beneficial animals. These are the organisms or animals that feed on insects and pests that attack your plants. They help maintain the balance in your garden. However, you have to be careful too as they can also cause damage to your plants.

There are several organic pesticides available in the market today. Turn to these products when the problem gets out of hand. However, as mentioned earlier, you have to be certain about the problem first. You have to identify it. Once you have, it will be easier for you to know how to deal with it.

Learn more information from Dallas Community Guide and Ohio Community Blog.

Article Directory: EzineArticles


Before you get a generous dose of organic gardening tips,
you should first understand what it is. Well, it simply
means that you are gardening without using synthetic
products such as insecticides and pesticides. Although this
is the case, the said garden does not entail that you will
let it be attacked by pests and insects. It only means that
you care for the garden using organic products and
fertilizers.



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Getting the Right Organic Gardening Guide

Organic gardening is now very popular because of the several benefits that it brings. The problem is not all people have the knowledge for making one. They need an organic gardening guide. This guide should be something that a novice can understand easily. It should have step by step instructions and terms that are easy to understand, which covers everything from compost to organic gardening pest control.

To have an this kind of garden, means that you will not use any chemicals on any plants in your garden. Most chemicals used for pest control today are harmful not only to humans, but to the environment as well. A good organic gardening guide will have complete details on how you can grow your plants the proper way.

Chemical free plants have more essential nutrients than others, which use harmful pesticides to help in protecting the plants during growth. These pesticides can hurt our health in the long run. You really only need to use an organic gardening pest control method for your plants, not the typical chemicals that others use. This is a better method which protects the plants from chemicals. Today, some people get sick because of these chemicals included in the fertilizers, pesticides and more. Without the chemicals, vegetables can cure and prevent many diseases or illnesses when they are eaten regularly. This is one of the reasons why most people prefer chemical free foods.

To be able to grow plants full of nutrients, you will need fertile soil and compost, which is also made from natural materials. A good organic gardening guide can teach you how to make this compost. Once you feed your soil and your plants the right way, your plants will be able to take care of you the right way, also. They will give you better health. Feeding the soil means building the nutrients with peat moss, manure from animals and table food scraps. This is what makes up the typical home made compost. It’s simple to do when you have the right guide.

Cindy Richards is a gardening enthusiast. You can enjoy more of her tips on choosing an organic gardening guide, and get your free gardening mini-course here.

Article Directory: EzineArticles


Organic gardening is now very popular because of the several
benefits that it brings. The problem is not all people have
the knowledge for making one. They need an organic gardening
guide. This guide should be something that a novice in
organic gardening can understand easily.



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Get Organic Gardening Books Which Have Simple Steps

In the last few years, many people are changing the way they are thinking about health. Many are buying organic vegetables in the market because they know that there is more nutritious value when compared to others. But buying organic vegetables may cost more. Why buy when you can start your own organic garden right at your doorstep? Consider buying some organic gardening books if you want to get started in saving your grocery money.

When choosing a book, find one that is easy to read and understand. Reading organic gardening books can widen your knowledge on how to start your own garden, but you will only read them if they are easy for you to understand. Do not spend time on a guide full of big words.

The best guides are simple. They will tell you the tips and tricks on how to prepare your organic garden in easy steps. An example of an easy step might be, “Divide your garden into four parts so you will be able to rotate the crops you plant. In this manner, you are preventing the depletion of nutrients of the soil.” That is simple and easy to understand. Of course, a good garden guide will show you how you should go about this, but the main idea of what to do is not hard to understand.

Another example of a simple gardening step is, “Plant crops that can attract beneficial insects that will help you protect your garden.” That is not hard to understand. It is a simple step that good organic gardening books should have.

With your own garden, you can grow organic vegetables for your family and friends. You can be sure that the foods you eat are healthy and that no chemicals were used. You are also helping the soil for future gardening. How? It is because you will use natural fertilizers such as compost and decayed plants. Using compost will make the soil healthier than before. With a healthy soil, it will bear healthy crops.

Organically grown vegetables are tastier, healthier and have more nutrients. The benefits of having an organic garden is not only for you but also for your family and friends who come over for a meal.

Clint Sidney is a gardening enthusiast and enjoys giving information about selecting organic gardening books. You can learn more about gardening at GreatGardener.eHelpshome.com.

Article Directory: EzineArticles


In the last few years, many people are changing the way they
are thinking about health. Many are buying organic
vegetables in the market because they know that there is
more nutritious value when compared to others. But buying
organic vegetables may cost more.



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Four Steps For Organic Gardening Pest Control

If you are wanting to grow some great tasting food, then your garden needs to be protected from pests and diseases. A good vegetable gardening guide will teach you how to do this. By taking four simple steps, you can turn you bad situation around. But before acting on the problem, however, you must first know the problem. Get a guide that will help you to identify the trouble first, then you can learn how to respond.

First, be sure you are strengthening your vegetables for good growth.

Using a compost will help to minimize the affect of pests, simply because the soil will have nutrients that the vegetables will need. It is like strengthening the immune system of your plants. Make them strong and they will have a better chance of surviving unwanted pest.

Second, check what insects are living in your garden.

They might be beneficial insects that can actually help you protect your vegetables. You need to find this out. There are vegetable gardening guides that provide lists of insects in order for you to identify which are beneficial and which are not. It is very important that you identify the insects so that you will know what to do.

Third, invite more of the good guys.

If you were able to spot a beneficial insect, look for a plant that will attract more of them. This is a great idea that can help your garden. Plant them together with your vegetables. This is called plant companionship. Study shows that 90% of pests present in a garden actually are beneficial to some plants. If you acted immediately without reading first, and used chemical sprays to drive off the insects, you might also kill the beneficial pests.

Fourth, get rid of the bad guys.

If you find that you do need to rid your garden of pests with a spray, consider this: you can make an organic home-made insect spray. In addition, you can also use certain spices to repel insects. Study shows that all bugs avoid and hate strong odors and spices.

These are some possible solutions that may help your garden to have protection from pests. And, these steps will also allow you to practice good organic gardening pest control. Keep in mind, if you have a healthy garden, you will likely find that many beneficial insects will actually assist you in tending your garden. Healthy plants can attract beneficial insects. And of course, since you do not need harmful chemicals, you get to grow healthier vegetables for your family.

Cindy Richards, an organic garden enthusiast, has found that not all bugs are pest to be rid of. You can learn how to use the organic gardening pest control method, and also get free gardening information at these Great Gardener links.

Article Directory: EzineArticles


If you are wanting to grow some great tasting food, then
your garden needs to be protected from pests and diseases. A
good vegetable gardening guide will teach you how to do
this. By taking four simple steps, you can turn your bad
situation around.



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Effective Organic Gardening Pest Control For Fruit – Bearing Trees

Pests are certainly the most unwanted and unwelcomed boarders in your fruit trees. They feed on the foliage and fruits making them look very unattractive and inedible. Severe infestation can even cause grave damage and destroy the trees. Some resort to using chemical-based pesticides to eradicate these pests, but these types of pesticides can cause adverse effects on the trees, especially on the flavor and quality of the fruits. But hope is not lost, because there are a number of organic ways to rid your fruit trees of these pests while making sure that the fruits they bear remain toxic-free and safe to eat.

Here are some of the most common fruit tree pests and the organic ways to deal and control them:

One: Codling Moth. Control adult codling moths by sticky-trapping them with pheromone baits. During winter, young larvae are usually hiding in fallen fruits or under loose barks. Spray trees with horticultural oil in early spring before the leaves appear to kill the larvae. You can also use corrugated cardboard around tree trunks to confuse and trap the larvae. Destroy the cardboard once they have crawled inside and replace it regularly.

Two: Plum Curculio. To control the adults, shake the tree to knock the pests off and collect the insects that have fallen by spreading any old sheet underneath the tree. Make sure to remove and destroy all infested fruits and plant debris that have fallen to the ground because they usually hide larvae or overwintering adults. Cultivate the soil to help check and kill the pupae. Chickens eat these insects so encourage them to feed around the trees.

Three: Spider Mite. During mid until late summer, randomly select ten to fifteen leaves for each tree and checking them for the presence of this mite. Leaves from lower shoots and water sprouts are the ones that are usually attacked. If there is an average of six to ten spider mites per leaf, it means that the tree is infected. Wash the leaves with a strong blast of water or better yet, a solution of soapy water will help control this pest. Use dormant oil in early spring, or use light horticultural oil or insecticidal soap in summer. A number of beneficial insects prey on this pest and attracting them near the trees is another good solution.

Four: Borers. First off, borers can be prevented from infecting a tree. Trees become vulnerable once they’re wounded. Prevent trunks from scarring or cover existing wounds will protect young trees from borers. If prevention is no longer possible, then it’s time for control. Dead bark, wilted stems, sawdust piles are the common signs of infection. If these signs are evident, check for larvae by cutting the affected stems open and manually pulling out the larvae and killing them. Beneficial nematodes may be injected into the stems to help kill off the remaining larvae. For severely infested stems, remove and destroy them immediately. If infestation is grave, remove the tree to prevent other trees from being infected.

Five: Thrips. Spraying neem oil, horticultural oil and organic soap solution during evenings can help control thrips once they infested the tree. It will need several applications before the pest is finally eliminated. Lacewings and other beneficial insects feed on this pest and encouraging them around the trees can make the job easier.

Six: Oriental fruit moths. Cultivate the soil around infested trees to expose larvae and kill them off. Then use traps to attract adult males and prevent them from mating with the females. Introduce beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps, and spray horticultural oil to eliminate this pest.

Garden pests are inevitably part of every garden. But Nova Person, with her 20 years of experience in gardening, has learned how to effectively and safely control pests from destroying her garden, without using harmful pesticides. For more information on Organic Gardening Pest Control, visit her site: http://theorganicgardeningsecrets.com

Article Directory: EzineArticles


Pests are certainly the most unwanted and unwelcomed
boarders in your fruit trees. They feed on the foliage and
fruits making them look very unattractive and inedible. Some
resort to using chemical-based pesticides to eradicate these
pests, but these types of pesticides can cause adverse
effects on the trees, especially on the flavor and quality
of the fruits. But hope is not lost, because there are a
number of organic ways to rid your fruit trees of these
pests while making sure that the fruits they bear remain
toxic-free and safe to eat.



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Crop Rotation Benefits Organic Gardening

Crop rotation is very important for your garden’s soil. It helps to prevent in disease and helps to replenish nutrients back into your gardens soil. Rotation of crops should be done on a three to four year plan. When plants are in the same location year after year they deplete the nutrients in the soil that they need.

Having a little knowledge of plants botanical names will help you with there relationship of other plants. When rotating crops you want to keep from rotating planting plants from the same family. There are many diseases that can attack plants that are from the same family. Know and learn about your plants and what there needs are and you will have a big success in crop rotation.

There are certain plants that shouldn’t be planted where another crop has been. Cucumbers leave toxins in the soil where they have been planted that can cause tomato plants to die. Corn uses a lot of nitrogen so rotating with peas or beans will replenish the nitrogen back into the soil. There are several combination of plants that can be rotated to benefit each other.

The rotation of crops not only benefits the garden by helping to prevent disease and insect problems, it can also benefit the soil. Rotating crops with crops that have different root systems depths will help the soil structure by aerating the soil and adding nutrients at different depths of the soil. The planting of cover crops both legume and non-legume is another way to improve the soil structure of your garden by the adding of nutrients and organic matter to the soil.

Crop rotation is something that has been around for centuries. When looking at nature you will see a constant cycle of crop rotation going on all the time. If it has been working for nature for all these years it can work for you in your garden too. Watching and learning what nature has to offer is a good way to learn how organic gardening works.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

Article Directory: EzineArticles


Crop rotation is very important for your garden’s soil. It
helps to prevent in disease and helps to replenish nutrients
back into your gardens soil. Rotation of crops should be
done on a three to four year plan.



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Conventional VS Organic Farming and Gardening

Conventional vs Organic Farming And Gardening

The questions about conventional vs organic farming and gardening have been raised with the growing awareness of the disease carrying chemicals in conventional weed and pest control. Is organic farming and gardening better, safer and more nutritious? In both cases, there are 3 main goals to growing food and plants:

*To Create The Most Nutritious Soil For Optimum Plant Growth.*To Control Pests.*To Control Weeds.

Conventional vs Organic Farming and Gardening:

The Conventional Way: Conventional gardening and farming uses chemical based fertilizers to increase plant, fruit and vegetable growth. They also use spray insecticides for pest control and disease prevention. Farms and gardens use chemical herbicides for weed control and management.

The Organic Way: If you go into a grocery store to the organic section you will see the label “USDA Organic” There are certain criteria that must be met for farms to sale their products as organics. The word “organic” relates to food that is raised or grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, hormones or pesticides. Organic farming and gardening practices are designed to reduce pollution and promote water preservation. Farmers and gardeners who grow organic produce do not use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease.

Organic Soil: When natrual substances are added to the soil you will be better able to grow healthy plants and vegetables. This is done by adding natural additives like manure, mulch and chopped leaves. You can also add blood meal and fish emulsion to add more nutrients to your soil. There are many products for sale online if you don’t want to make your own.

Repel Pests: A great way to repel pests is to plant strong smelling herbs. Birds and other pest eating insects are attracted to gardens and farms with a variety of plants and herbs. Weed Control: Today you can purchase organic weed control products online as well. Click here for Eco friendly fertilizer for yards, gardens, and farms.

Crop Rotation: Crop rotation for conventional as well as organic gardening is helpful in creating a rich and healthy soil. Crop Rotation is assuring that plants and vegetables are planted in different locations each year. Some plants and foods add nutrients to the soil and others plants and produce use that nutrition to grow. So the nutrients left behind from one plant or vegetable will be used to bring nutrients to another plant or vegetable. You can refer to a map of your farm and garden to keep from planting the same plants, produce or herbs in the same place year after year.

Successful Conventional vs Organic Farming and Gardening is possible by knowing how to make productive soil and where to buy products to help you achieve optimum results. Also planting the appropriate plants for the particular season and climate you live in. Creating a healthy garden with either conventional vs organic farming and gardening will prove to be more rewarding by providing families with good and healthy food. For a DIY gardening guide click here.

For more information on successful farming and gardening and where to buy products to promote a healthy farm and garden check out greensolutionshelp.com.

Article Directory: EzineArticles


The questions about conventional vs organic farming and
gardening have been raised with the growing awareness of the
disease carrying chemicals in conventional weed and pest
control. Is organic farming and gardening better, safer and
more nutritious?



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Compost Tea for Organic Farming or Gardening

The most important part of organic gardening is to nourish the soil. Your plants will take their nourishment from the soil, and will only be as healthy as the soil is. The healthier your plants, the fewer of them will fall victim to garden pests. The soil, therefore, is the most important part of organic farming or gardening. Feed the soil, and the soil will feed the plants. Fee the soil compost tea, and you will have healthy, productive plants.

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening is easily made. You won’t need a teapot or hot, boiling water, but you will need the best compost you can purchase or make.

Compost is organic material produced when bacteria in the soil cause garbage and biodegradable trash to decompose. It is an organic fertilizer. Making compost requires regular turning of the pile, mixing the materials in it, and exposing them to air. It is an ongoing process, and is a good way to recycle kitchen scraps and other vegetable matter.

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening will only be as good as the compost you use to make it.

Reasons for Making Compost Tea

There are a number of organic fertilizers you can use on your organic garden or farm. Why would you want to get involved in brewing, straining, and spraying compost tea? Why not just work fresh compost directly into the soil?

The main reason for making compost tea for organic farming or gardening is that it helps you increase compost’s benefits. Compost tea can be sprayed on your plants’ leaves to reduce leaf disease. Sprayed compost tea can give your plants additional nutrients besides what they absorb through their roots.

Studies have shown that compost tea can increase the nutritional value of the vegetables that come to your table. It can also improve their flavor.

Compost Tea Recipe

Compost tea for organic farming or gardening can be mixed in large or small quantities, as needed. Our compost tea recipe is for a small quantity — about 2.5 gallons.

You will need these “aquarium” items from a pet store:

* 8 to 10 feet of air tubing

* 1 gang valve

* 3 bubblers, i.e. air stones

* 1 pump, large enough to run the 3 bubblers

* 2 5-gallon plastic buckets

* 1 stirring tool or stick

* 1 small bottle of organic unsulfured molasses

* 1 Tablespoon measure

* 1 old pillowcase or half of pantyhose for straining

Water: Well water may be used as is for compost tea, but water from a municipal supply contains chlorine, which will kill the beneficial organisms you need in your compost tea. Run the bubblers in municipal supply water for at least an hour before using it for compost tea.

Directions for Making Your Compost Tea

1. Hang the gang valve on the rim of one empty bucket.

2. Arrange the 3 bubblers on the bucket’s bottom. Cut 3 lengths of air tubing long enough to connect the bubblers to the gang valve. Leave an inch extra on each so they will not be dislodged when adding compost. Connect one end of each tube to a bubbler, the other end to the gang valve.

3. Add compost loosely on top of the bubblers (don’t pack) until the bucket is about one half full.

4. Cut a piece of tubing long enough to go from the gang valve to your pump. Attach both ends.

5. Add water to the bucket of compost until it is between 2 and 4 inches from the top.

6. Turn on the pump, and watch to be sure the bubblers are all activated.

7. When all 3 bubblers are working, add 2 Tablespoons of the molasses, and stir quickly. The molasses will feed the organisms you want to grow. After stirring, reposition the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.

8. Stir your compost tea several times each day. After each stirring, check the bubblers to be sure they are spaced evenly and sitting on the bottom.

9. Your compost tea will be done in 3 days. Turn off the pump, and remove the bubblers, etc. If you cannot use your compost tea immediately, continue aerating, but add 2 more Tablespoons of molasses to keep good organisms active.

Let the finished compost tea stand until the compost is well settled to the bottom. This should require 15 to 25 minutes. Strain the compost tea into your second bucket. Pour into a sprayer and apply.

? 2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about organic gardening at http://www.organicspringtime.com. Anna is posting new articles every week on that site, each one dealing with some facet of organic gardening. If you want information for yourself or someone else on how to make an organic gardening compost pile or pit, you will want to read Anna’s article on the subject.

Article Directory: EzineArticles


The most important part of organic gardening is to nourish
the soil. Your plants will take their nourishment from the
soil, and will only be as healthy as the soil is.



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Companion Planting – Planting Tips For Organic Gardening

Companion Planting is the idea that some plants have a beneficial effect on others growing nearby and other plants have a detrimental influence. This is an ancient one that was seen during the times of the Romans, and perhaps even before then. Although many will disregard companion planting and see it as old wives’ tales, many plants do defend themselves against insects by being poisonous to them or developing a strong scent that frightens them away, and it is possible that a plant growing close by might benefit from being in this bug-free zone. So, although companion planting is also mixed up in folklore, there is also an element of fact and this method can be happily adopted by those who practise organic gardening.

For example, French marigolds (Tagetes patula) secrete an enzyme or a hormone into the soil that deters nematodes from infesting their roots, and it does seem that tomatoes or other nematode susceptible plants growing as neighbours will be protected. It may be significant that most of these beneficent plants are strongly aromatic.

Many times, planting certain plants together is also for practical reasons. Planting lettuce next to corn means that the lettuces can be shaded during hot summers. When you plant cabbages in the late summer, at the same time, and in the same bed, you can also plant garlic. Where cabbages will use of a lot of nutrients, and where the cabbages will be harvested in the autumn, the garlic will continue growing until the following summer resulting in good crops for both. Chives and onions planted near carrots will help also deter the presence of carrot rust flies.

Radishes when planted next to Chervil benefit from the shade the herb casts, and the result is lovely juicy radishes that are not woody at all. Beans are heavy feeders and therefore it is advisable to companion plant it with something less greedy. Therefore mustard is a perfect companion.

The common dandelion that some see as a scourge in the garden should think again. It is now known that dandelions attract pollinating insects. Furthermore, they also release ethylene which is a gas that encourages fruit setting and fruit ripening.

Herbs too have been known to repel certain insects. Nasturtiums are great for repelling white fly, southernwood for repelling the cabbage butterfly, tobacco for flea beetles, catnip, coriander, nasturtiums and tansy for getting rid of the Colorado potato beetle, and catnip and nasturtiums for repelling the green peach aphids.

Good Companion Plants ? Basil with tomatoes, asparagus, beans, grapes, apricots and fuchsias ? Beans with potatoes and sweet corn ? Borage with strawberries ? Chives with carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes ? Citrus with guavas ? Cucumbers with potatoes ? Garlic with roses, apples, apricots and peaches ? Geraniums with grapes ? Grapes with mulberries ? Horseradish with almost any fruit tree ? Hyssop with cabbages and grapes ? Irises with roses ? Leeks with celery ? Lettuce with carrots, onions and strawberries ? Marigolds (French) with tomatoes, roses, potatoes, daffodils and beans ? Melons with sweetcorn ? Mint with cabbages and other brassicas, and peas ? Nasturtiums with cucumbers, zucchini, squash ? Onions with carrots, kohlrabi and turnips ? Parsley with roses, asparagus and tomatoes ? Peas with carrots ? Roses with grapevines ? Sage with cabbages ? Sunflowers with squash and sweetcorn ? Thyme with any Brassica ? Wallflowers with apples

Bad Companion Plants ? Apples with potatoes ? Beans with beets ? Beans with garlic ? Cabbages with strawberries ? Gladioli with strawberries, beans and peas ? Hyacinths with carnations ? Mint with parsley ? Sunflowers with any vegetable but squash ? Wormwood with just about everything

So next time you are planting your vegetables and flowers choose their neighbours carefully. When looking at people some neighbours are helpful, beneficial and nice to have around. Others are spawned in Hell and do untold damage. Make sure that the next time you plant out, you choose good neighbours for your flowers and vegetables!

Kathryn Bax
http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com
Country Living and Farm Lifestyles:A resource for farmers and gardeners who love the country life.

Article Directory: EzineArticles


Did you know that you can grow marigolds near your tomatoes
to protect them from nematodes, and that having dandelions
around are a good thing. Are you planting beans and garlic
together, or beans and beets and you are wondering why your
beans aren’t doing well? Read more on the subject of
companion planting and how you can use plants to bring out
the best in your garden.



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Chickens – A Delightful and Valuable Part of Organic Gardening and Homesteading

Adding chickens to your backyard farm is the fastest way to a healthy, organic garden, and a delightful way to make your homestead more self-sufficient.

Why Chickens are Invaluable To Self-Reliance

In the thirties, during the Great Depression, horror stories abounded about soup lines and folks facing starvation. But those who owned their own land along with a dozen or more hens and roosters never went hungry. That’s because in a bad economy, those who can raise their own food are way ahead of the game. With a dozen or so hens and a rooster you’ll have a steady supply of eggs and meat.

Live in the city? You probably won’t be able to keep a rooster, but most city ordinances will allow you to have up to six hens. Those lovely birds will supply you with two and a half dozen eggs per week.

Your Organic Garden Will Thank You

The manure from your hens or rooster is one of the most fertile substances in nature. While you should never add the manure directly to your soil – the nitrogen is too strong and can burn your plants – it does marvelous things when added to your compost pile.

Better yet, if you keep goats and some of your hay has gone moldy, add it to your chickens’ roosting box or to the brooder. The chickens won’t care, and when they’re done with it, that wonderful moldy, manure-laden hay will jump-start your composting.

Great With Children

Save for the occasional ornery rooster, these birds are gentle and safe around children. Your little ones will love holding the baby chicks.

Easy to Raise

Although they do require some special care those first two to three weeks of their life, chickens are – on the whole – easy to care for. All they require is a little shelter, fresh water and food every day. Gallon water feeders are available. Use those and you’ll only need to provide water for your birds once a day.

On hot days, be sure to check their water at least twice a day. Chickens need plenty of water and won’t drink warm water.

Raise Your Own Eggs, Improve Your Health

A survey done by Mother Earth News revealed that chickens – particularly those who live in chicken tractors moved daily – have up to one third less cholesterol and a fourth less saturated fat than commercially raised eggs. They also have more vitamin A and a lot more omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and beta carotene than their commercial counterparts.

Free range birds eat more of the diet they are supposed to have – lots of leafy greens, bugs and worms. They enjoy their lives; my birds love it when I move their tractor about. Everyday they get a new supply of grass to scratch in! Commercially raised birds, on the other hand, spend their entire lives cramped in the same small, dark, dirty space. They consume a diet of cottonseed, soy and corn with additives thrown in.

This stressful environment can make them sick, so they’re also given antibiotics to keep them from dying too soon. You and your family ingest those antibiotics when you eat their eggs. Plus, you’re eating eggs from stressed-out, potentially sick birds.

With your own free-range birds, you’re providing a kinder environment for your brood and better nutrition for your family.

Fresh, clean meat

Naturally, the same goes for the birds you raise for meat. Less stress and no antibiotics. Plus, the meat will be cleaner. Chickens that are commercially processed and killed are plucked and then thrown into a large vat of hot water until they are ready to be cut up. A lot of fecal matter collects in the vat. The chickens are literally cooking in “fecal soup”. The feces soaks into the flesh of the bird and is in the liquid that comes in the packaging. When you butcher your own birds, you eliminate the “fecal soup.” Hence, cleaner meat.

Eggs Are An Easy Income

Everybody loves fresh eggs, so they are easy to sell. Keep a few extra hens to produce more eggs than you and your family can eat. Sell the surplus, and within a year you’ll recoup your startup and feed costs. Keep selling your extra eggs, and the following year, you’ll have free eggs and earn a little income besides.

Sue Merriam is author of the website, Organic Gardening and Homesteading. http://www.organic-gardening-and-homesteading.com

Article Directory: EzineArticles


Chickens are fun to raise and a valuable part of organic
gardening and homesteading. Learn how they can benefit
either your self-sufficient homestead or your urban
backyard.



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