One of the most important steps in a guide to organic gardening is take the time to understand the basics. The first thing you must do is decide on where your garden will be located – most plants need the maximum sunlight to grow well, but a few cool weather ones need a mixture of sun and shade. You will need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day for plants that need a large amount of sun. What this means is that your choice of location for your organic garden will depend on both what you plan to grow and the availability of sunlight in the areas available to you. Many crops need a large amount of water on a regular basis and having a water source nearby to connect a hose or sprinkler is important.
Do not make the mistake that many beginners do – do not try to do too much at first. One of the most basic initial steps of a guide to organic gardening is to start small – plant only one or two crops in the beginning. Once you have gained confidence you can expand your garden and your plant varieties – even a 6 to 8 square foot plot is enough to begin with. Spend some time reading up on the various crops that interest you and find the ones that require the least care and maintenance – these should be your first crops.
Every guide to organic gardening will tell you that preparing your gardening plot should be done well in advance – the ideal time being is in the autumn. If you are going to have your garden in a grassy area you should use a shovel to slice off the top layer of earth and invert it. This will allow the grass to decay in the soil and provide it the nutrients it needs to support your crops. In the case of weed filled areas, the weeds too will provide the compost you need – the seeds will have to be pulled out and placed in a compost heap to decay; if they are allowed to remain, your garden will be plagued with weeds in the future.
An essential component of any guide to organic gardening is understanding the kind of soil you will be working with. Soil can be divided into three types – sandy, clay or loam and each one has different properties and will need to be dealt with is a different way to enable you to grow your organic garden successfully. Keep in mind that some plants are not suitable for some types of soil and planting crop that needs loamy earth in sandy soil will never work, even with the best of preparation and care. Start off with this basic guide to organic gardening and once you gained confidence in your gardening skills, you can being to expand the size and scope of your garden.
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