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| My cat, Mini, loves stomping around in my garden! |
I think the trick is to not expect perfection and to plan ahead. That being said, here are my top 5 organic gardening tips.
- Mulch - mulching keeps weeds at bay and helps to keep moisture in the ground.
- Don't leave bare spaces - weeds always seem to find that bare patch of garden. Plant something or mulch.
- Location, location, location - choose a spot with suitable light, whether full sun, partial sun or shade.
- Companion plant - different combinations of plants help each other. Companion planting can attract beneficial insects and deter harmful pests. In fact, you can mix flowers with your vegetables!
- Good soil - soil with lots of organic matter is best.
I absolutely agree about the importance of mulching! My garden is really bigger than one person can handle, unless that person is able to work in the garden full time. I am lucky if I get one and a half hours a day in the garden. Mulching keeps the weeds at bay. It helps keep the soil moist during droughts (August). I couldn't keep the garden going without mulch.
ReplyDeletep.s. My tip is to pat the mulch down with your foot after you spread it. I find it illuminates the tiny holes that weeds use as an opening.
Great tip, Jennifer! What depth of layer of mulch do you use?
ReplyDeleteJust saw your post - I have two tips. Marigolds and newspaper. Marigolds smell kind of funny - to insects, also. Plant them around the perimeter of your garden to keep a lot of bugs away. You can pick the seeds from the spent flowers to plant the next year.
ReplyDeleteAlso, put down newspaper - 2-3 sheets thick - before adding a 1/2 inch of soil or mulch. It's economical, it'll break down and make your soil better, and it will keep weeds away.