Backyard Gardens Vegetables
Backyard Gardens Vegetables
Economic Recession Revives Backyard Gardening
Economic recession, high unemployment and budget conscious families have spurred a revival of interest in backyard gardening. And for good cause, groceries represent a significant expense for families. As an avid gardener this is great news for me, however, my concern is that well intentioned people in their zeal to get started will succumb to advertising hype instead of intelligent information. If you believe what advertising on television or radio is telling you then you might really believe that all you need to do is go to the local bulk mart and get some bagged soil, a couple packs of seeds and some miracle chemical stuff and we are halfway done! If you have ever gardened before then you already know that the only miracle that happens in the garden is nature itself.
There is a scientific term called “Biogenesis” Simply stated “Life begets Life” For gardeners this has significant applications since our goal is to grow healthy plants to maturity so that they will provide a harvest. Healthy crops come from healthy soil, that is what is known as soil fertility. To have fertile soil you must soil that is rich in organic matter, micro-organisms, humus, minerals all in a balanced chemistry with the correct pH for the intended crop.
I know that it may sound new and confusing to some who have no hands on experience growing anything other than their landscape but it really is not a difficult thing to learn. It is a very short learning curve when you stick to the principles of nature. Understanding how the environment works enables you to work in harmony with nature and ensures your success!
You can make your own organic matter relatively easily, in fact you probably already know what compost is and figuring it out to make it is not that complex to master after a brief surf online. Micro-organisms however are something that you are not going to find at the corner drug store. First realize that there are Mycorrhizal fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with the host plant. Their hair like filaments enable the plant to increase the surface area of it’s root systems hundreds of times over. Since roots are a primary source for the intake of nutrients necessary for photosynthesis it is obvious to understand what an impact this has on the performance of your garden. The fungi which have been around since creation, are immediately killed off when soil is graded, tilled or when chemicals are used. The only way to remediate your soil is to inoculate it with new populations. The transformations that take place when this is reintroduced into soil are incredible to say the least. This has become the “secret weapon” of greens keepers at the best performing golf courses in the world. There are also diverse strains of bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and earth worms that all play a vital part in the health of your soil. Other than the earthworms and Mycorrhizae fungi, well made compost will provide all the bacterium, nematodes and protozoa you will need.
Composting worms, otherwise called red worms are not the same species that we would go out for at night with a flashlight and save for fishing. Commonly referred to as nightwalkers these worms burrow down deeply into the soil while the red worm in contrast, lives its life within the first few inches of the soil where it eats organic matter and produces nature’s best fertilizer for your plants. No laboratory can recreated anything close to vermicompost in a test tube. Remember that term, biogenesis. Life comes from Life, not a chemical manufacturer.
Now then, we have got your soil covered let’s shift our focus to what we are going to grow in our new garden. With what you know now it would be counter productive to get your soil naturally alive and then grow a plant that has been genetically modified in a laboratory to grow faster but is void of nutrients.
Whoops! I guess I let the cat out of the bag! Many of you have wondered why it does not seem to better your health, or your waist line, when you eat your vegetables. The dirty little secret is that you won’t have any effect and are likely to be causing more harm than good when you are eating something that doesn’t have the nutrients and does not digest properly. It is because of this fact of nature that I want you to focus on non-hybrid seeds also called heirloom seeds. These are natural seeds that provide the nutrition you need for health and fitness. You can even save seeds from your harvest this fall and replant them for next years garden. Good luck trying that with hybrids, they haven’t been “engineered” to reproduce. That way they can get you to buy again next season.
Okay, right now is the time to make the decision that you are going to start your own garden this year. Your going to eat right and save a bunch of money on groceries in the process. For more information about organic gardening please visit my website.
About the Author
Copyright 2010 Greg Traver -
Greg Traver is a syndicated columnist and webmaster with a passion for organic gardening. His work is entertaining and informative, which explains why his articles have been featured on millions of websites world wide. For more information or to contact him please visit
http://www.organic-gardening-for-life.com
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Pleaze tell me `How to plant gardens’!!!!!!!!?
My mom wants to make a vegetable garden/wild flower garden. We have a mediam sized front yard and our large backyard. Our backyard has barely any light. And our front yard is were our dogs go the bathroom. Can you please help us?!
~Thank You
How do we plant a garden? NO DUMB,MEAN,RUDE,OR SARCASTIC ANWSERS!
From the sounds of your backyard a vegetable garden may not grow very well. If by light you mean sun shine, you may not have adequate sun light in your back yard. Now I don’t know if this is because of large trees that shade your yard or if your back yard faces the north. A vegetable garden should be planted on the South side of your property with nothing blocking the sun light, to get optimal growth. That said. The front yard sounds like your best bet. The dogs using it however could be a problem. Not knowing exactly what your yard looks like makes it difficult for me to tell you where to put this garden in your front yard. I don’t know if you have an area that you could section off from the dogs use or not. And I don’t know if you want to put a traditional garden in your front yard with a fence around it. It could get messy looking. That’s up to you. But…. depending on the veggies you want to grow, if the front yard has the sunlight to make it work you could grow many things in containers. For instance. Lettuce. (romaine and black seed simpson varieties. Can be grown in a large pot or a wine barrel half. You only need to plant a few heads in it because to harvest you just pull off the outer leaves and leave the center to continue to grow. Tomato’s can be grown in a container much the same. You need to use patio type. which are cherry tomatoes my favorite is sweet 100’s they are great. You will have to put a tomato cage or a stake to keep them supported as they grow. Tomatoes can also be grown in a product called a Topsy Turvy This hangs from a railing or posts but must be in the sun. The tomato’s grow upside down. You can find this item and its description and how to use it on the net. And they sell them now in some garden centers. I bought mine from Collectionsetc.com on the internet. Strawberry’s again a wine barrel or hanging basket works great for these. But you won’t get an abundance of berries. Blue Berries, Black Berries. Work well in the barrels with a trellis in the pot with them for support. These don’t have to be Half wine barrels but should be around the same size. I have several half wine barrels but I also bought much cheaper plastic pots that were the same size. The plastic ones don’t last as many years as the wooden wine barrels tho. But they do work just as well.You just have to make sure that you drill holes in the bottom and put a little gravel in before the dirt so you have good drainage. With barrels or pots this size you can grow just about anything for the home garden. Cucumbers work much like the tomato’s and one zucchini plant will give you several fruits to enjoy all summer
These containers can be placed anywhere in your front yard that has at least 8 – 10 hours of sunlight per day and will look nice. Be sure to water often as they dry out faster than traditional gardens do.
Hope this helps you. Enjoy your garden
Organic Foods: Backyard Agriculture