Thank you all who have been participating in the eco-challenges. Congratulations to Scarlet Black (@MMScarlett) of Manical Matron for winning the companion guide to the film Food, Inc. Based on your challenge interactions I am sure you are going to love the book! As an offshoot of last week’s Food Sources topic this week we will look at Organic Gardening since it was completely absent. Food from your garden is the most local, most organic food source you can utilize since you have complete quality control. Or as much control as you can over the elements at your disposal.
In an ideal world we would all have huge yards with great drainage, a mix of sun and shade, abundant clean water, and high-quality soil. In reality not all of us even have yards. Whatever your situation is you can still garden.
I would start big and ask yourself what do you want to garden. If you have no idea what grows in your area or when your planting seasons are then contact your local Master Gardener program most likely via a university extension program for detailed information. Community education is one of their tenets and you may have more resources at your disposal for a novice than you realized.
Second I would look at your situation, what do you have space for and what do you have time for? The great thing about being a mom is that gardening can be a wonderful activity you can do with your children and partner. This works if you have the time for it. I don’t want to set you up for failure if you don’t have time to tend to your plants at least once or twice a week though.
As far as space there are so many options.
- If you have a yard and can have plots then get a soil test done before you begin. I hate to be cynical but given environmental contamination you may have no idea what was at your residence before you moved in, testing can also give you a baseline into soil health (previous gardening in an area will alter soil chemistry).
- If you have a yard and don’t want to dig up dirt or have poor drainage (like a clay soil) then consider making raised beds where you will bring in soil.
- If you don’t want to deal with these large plots but want a few plants outdoors then consider container gardening which can be great for plants with vines like tomatoes.
- If still you want to make it easier then consider something simpler than can be grown indoors herbs.
- You always have the option of not gardening at home if you live in an area with community garden plots. They are tons of fun and you get to meet others who live around you.
Basically if you want to plant it, there is a space. Have you ever heard of “vertical gardening”? Be inspired to play with your space.
Image via treehugger.com
Next up in your garden planting is figuring out how to water these plants. As you know from the water conservation challenge not everyone has an abundance of clean water all the time. Figure out your gardening situation to increase the efficiency of how you use water. Pick plants appropriate for your region and water supply. For example I would love to grow semi-tropical plants in the dry Colorado foothills but know that would be irresponsible because of the water they would consume. I pick appropriate plants here that I get from a long-time farm that has cultivated local varietals of plants to handle our dry summers.
For watering a standard hose is simple and great for small plots if you or your family are willing to watch over your plants. Another option is trickle or drip irrigation that uses less water and you aren’t left holding a hose in your hand. Plan your plants and water strategy accordingly.
Now that you know what you want to grow, have your space, and watering/care tactic planned it is time to get seeds. Get the organic, local, heirloom quality seeds if can. Talk to a local farmer at your farmers market, Master Gardener, or nursery for more information on where to acquire them in your area. They may be pricier but they are more likely to have some immunity against climate, disease, and pest stress. I caution you if you are looking at commercial seeds… it is even possible to innoculate them with pesticides and/or antibiotics in the seed stage.
Since you have your space, know what you want to grow, and have the timing down, and know your water scheme you can get started. The big questions once everything is planted are at the core of organic gardening… pest control and fertilization… these are the topics that really freak novices out!
Pest Control
There are so many options and small tricks with natural pest control. I hope I don’t have to go into why pesticides are bad… let me just say that something as common as Round-Up has an extremely similar chemical structure to Agent Orange (yes that stuff used in the jungles of Vietnam). Stay away from the chemicals as much as you can, they absorb in our bodies, in our water systems, in our soils, etc.
I urge you to look at your master gardener programs to see what works best for your area and particular plants. This topic is also one of the reasons you may want to consider local heirloom quality plants and seeds that have in a sense been grown to adapt to your location and conditions because they have more resiliency to disease and pests than more conventional plants. Here are some basic organic pest control tricks you may want to consider if you still have issues. If you have any specific pest issues please leave them in the comment box. Also use social media as a resource if you get stuck. Did you know that people like Helen Yoest from Better Homes and Gardens are on twitter?
Fertilizer
There are so many good things you can be doing for what you are growing with what you have at your home. We’ll talk about compost in the Waste Management eco-challenge, but know that your garden will think compost is super yummy. In our garden at home my husband and I are fond of dumping our tea leaves and coffee grinds into water and placing it around our garden for added nitrogen. In soil prep many people also rely on good ol’ fish because as it goes stinky real quick it releases some amazing nutrients in its breakdown. Here is a source for organic fertilization if you are into a step-by-step process.
I take fertilization pretty seriously because after you water it is washed away from your garden and into water sources. This can be extremely serious since fertilizers contain chemicals (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) in abundance that are in low quantities naturally in water. When pooled fertilizer run-off accumulates it creates algae blooms that deplete oxygen to water sources. There is a reason you see so much algae and potentially fish kills near golf courses.
Have a happy growing season this year. I know that Leah (@bookieboo), Paige (@PaigeBayer), Heather (@notdiyheather), Lori (@gutimom), Rachel (@Rachel_L), and Holly (@bloggymama) are already off to a fine start with their gardens. Ask them questions, gardeners are a fine bunch that love to share their accomplishments. This will not be a big garden year for me with the baby due soon, I won’t have much time for plots but will be container and indoor herb gardening as well as mooching off friends gardens who I shared last year’s seeds with. Enjoy the yummy freggies you grow!!
Also engage in discussion this week. I will be sending someone a Mio for Target Indoor Herb Garden with parsley, basil, and cilantro.
-kia @bodhi_bear
Additional Sources:
Planet Green How to Go Green: Gardening Guide
Re-Nest Backyard Farmers: 25 Websites You Should Be Reading
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