Tips to Homesteading

Posts Tagged ‘organic gardening’

With so much in the news about the qualify and safety of our food supply, organic gardening has been steadily growing in popularity over the years. Now, you can find entire aisles of organic food in your local supermarket, and also visit a growing number of specialty stores dedicated to organically grown foods.

Part of this new popularity is obviously due to the concerns and better understanding of the dangers associated with synthetic and chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Growing organically generally means gardening without these potentially dangerous chemicals.  There is a growing trend of small-scale backyard gardeners who are turning to organic methods as they realize how easy and effective organic growing can be.

Part of the reason chemical pesticides and fertilizers are so widely used is because they appear to work well in producing fast-growing crops.  In deciding to use organic methods in your backyard garden, you first will need to accept the fact that you very likely will have to deal with greater pest damage and perhaps lower yields initially, than if you were using chemicals. Most organic gardeners are happy to make this trade-off in return for the opportunity to harvest chemical-free foods for themselves and their families.

There are several different approaches and techniques used in organic gardening. You may find that you are using some of them already. If you have selected cultivars that are resistant to pests or drought, you are involved in one form of organic gardening. If you put out a scarecrow or bars of hand soap to keep animals away, this too is organic gardening. Compost is an organic fertilizer. Organic techniques are around in many gardens already. By utilizing them more and moving away from chemicals, you can improve the environment and lead a healthier lifestyle.

There are different levels of organic gardening and different reasons why people choose organic methods. Some do it because they do not want to harm any animals, even aphids or cutworms. So they try to develop a system where they can cohabitate peacefully, keeping insects and other animals out when possible and removing them or learning to live with them when other options don’t work.

Some people are not opposed to pest control and extermination but they don’t want to add any more chemicals to the environment or to the food that they eat. Others go organic as a means of getting back to a more historic, natural, and even challenging way of gardening. You will need to decide which methods match your personal philosophies and reasons for going organic.

Pest control and fertilization are two of the key areas to focus on with organic gardening. In addition to using native, resistant plants, mulching, and practicing crop rotation, the use of other natural methods of pest control and of compost and manure as fertilizer can go a long way toward creating a more organic garden. Read the rest of this entry »

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If you’ve not been homesteading long or are just beginning, it may be tempting to go to your local farmer’s market and buy some of those nice, pest-resistant, hybrid plants that are supposedly easier to grow. After all, they are ‘made’ to be more user friendly right? Well, that depends.

They are often genetically modified plants (GMO) that have had artificial genes grafted into their make up to make them resist draught or blight or bugs. That’s why some tomatoes don’t really taste like a tomato.  Not only that, but by being hybrids, they are sterile or infertile for next year’s seeds. The plant you grow this year will not produce seeds for next year’s garden. You get to go spend money again on another hybrid seed.

Heirloom seeds will give you seeds to use each year from the crops they grow. Eat them this year, dry and save some for next year. Repeat. Now that’s money in the bank!

Take a look at this place that offers heirloom seeds with fast, free shipping:

Grow a Patriot Garden

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Organic farming is a different sort of farming practice which is different from the conventional farming. With organic farming, better and healthy food ingredients can be cultivated. The whole process of organic farming is natural. Basically, the organic farmers deal with the farmlands in a much careful manner. The organic farmers spend lots of time in improving their land. Soil combination and positioning are two key ingredients of organic gardening. There are certain benefits of organic gardening. With strong commitment to the lands, the organic farmers improve the agricultural processes. Soil foundation of the food chain is the key feature of organic soil. The organic products moreover meet strict standards and as a result almost all the products are of good quality. Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled under persistent toxic chemical inputs. Through thorough study of these techniques, organic ingredients of better quality are achieved. Well balanced soil helps in the growth of better plants. Conventional farmers only add nitrogen. Potassium and phosphorus but the organic farmers use things like rock dust; the organic farmers use many beneficial soil organisms instead of removing them. More information is available from AgCommoditiesInc.com

Organic ingredients have become popular across the nations because of its purity and healthy nature. Organic ingredients do not reduce the possibilities of any residue of herbicide, fungicide or any pesticide within the functional ingredient. Genetically, engineered products can be detrimental for the plant’s health. It has been found from studies that the organic farming keeps the topsoil undisturbed and this helps in better production and crop rotation. Again by producing organic ingredient, soil poisoning can be stopped. But the fact is clear that organic farms require more labor. The food ingredients are now highly in demand, the healthy natures of these food ingredients are causes of its popularity. Food ingredients are used for preparing chocolates, snacks and various food products. Conventional farmers use chemicals which kill microscopic bacteria. Many of these bacteria enhance the plant’s ability to absorb nutrients. The fillings and the frying oils, coco butter etc are some of the delicious items prepared from organic ingredients. Organic ingredients are also used for making frozen food items. The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching are done during soil building and along with this it prevents soil, water and air pollution. For maintaining the natural harmony, it is indeed required to maintain the ecological balance. Organic ingredients are widely used for both foods and agricultural products; nowadays, even cotton is also grown following the process. The food ingredients are now highly in demand. Functional ingredients are also highly being used for yielding better and tastier products. For further information, one can refer to the website AgCommoditiesInc.com

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