Growing Your Own Organic Foods

It seems that it's becoming easier every day to find organic foods - in specialty stores, in farmers markets and even in your own neighborhood supermarket.

More plentiful than ever

While organic foods have become much more plentiful over the past few years, they are still expensive versus non--organic foods.

So, why not get the best of both worlds by growing your own organic foods?

That way you will get the organic foods you want at a fraction of the cost of what you would pay in a store.

Here are six helpful tips for growing your own organic foods.

1. Choose plants that grow best in your zone. Some plants will grow successfully in almost any climate zone, while others may require long growing seasons or a more temperate climate. Seed catalogs and the backs of seed packages will give you a list of the zones that are most favorable for that particular plant.

2. Create your own fertilizer. You can make your own fertilizer by creating a compost pile. Banana peels are a good addition to that pile because of their high potassium content. Also, you can grow plants that require a very alkaline soil medium simply by adding ammonia and water liquid fertilizer to the soil.

3.Try containers. While seeds grow in the soil, there is no rule that the soil has to be in the ground. It's easy to grow fruits and vegetables in containers and this is a good way to sample a good medium for growing plants in containers is fertilizer- free potting soil.

4. Did you know that you can create your own natural insect repellents? For example, mint leaves will repel ants. When you crush the leaves, this releases an offensive mint oil. There are also pesticides derived from flowers that can be used to kill some insects. Or, you can kill them with a spray containing soap. Other natural insect repellents include eucalyptus and camphor as can kill insects without harming the plants.

5. Keep your plants weed free. No matter how carefully you prepare your soil, weeds and grass will grow around your plants. They compete with the plants and steal water and nutrients from the soil. As unpleasant as this may seem, you will have to get down on your knees and we'd your garden regularly.

6. Do you know what kind of soil you have? There are three types: Clay, loam and sand. The best of these is loam because it holds water and is easily tilled. If your garden is mostly clay, you will need to add potting soil, topsoil or some kind of compost to make it more hospitable.

Both fun and rewarding

Organic gardening can be both fun and rewarding. You can grow both your own foods and your own herbs.

For that matter, did you know there are seven herbs that can help you feel better and live healthier. Click here to learn about these herbs that can supercharge your diet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Hanna

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