Grow organic!

2/25/09 Posted in Cover Story Sherri Powers  |  2 Comments

Love fresh, organic produce but struggle to pay the hefty price tag? Why not grow your own organic garden this year? You’ll save money, eat healthier and help the environment too. No room for a large garden plot? No problem. Container gardens can yield plenty of produce too.

A feast for the eyes

Perusing seed catalogs is almost as enticing as looking into a bakery display case. Everything looks so delectable and yummy that you want one of everything. The endless varieties of veggies are so tempting that you can quickly find yourself ordering too many seeds for your small plot. First, decide how much land you can carve out for a garden or how much space you can manage for a container garden on your deck or patio. Next, think about what you would like to eat and how much space each plant will take. Some plants need a lot more room to grown than others. Finally, the plants you chose must be able to grow and thrive in Michigan’s growing conditions.

Visit www.seedsofchange.com or www.groworganic.com for free catalogs and more info.

Pay dirt

It may be prudent to get a soil analysis before you start planting a larger scale garden. Call 1.888.678.3464 to locate your local Michigan State University Extension office. For container gardening start with the same kind of organic potting mix you would for houseplants.

Mix in 1/3 compost to help aerate the soil and hold moisture at the same time.

“Fertilize with an organic balanced fertilizer,” says Annie Spiegelman, contributing editor at organicstylemag.com. “Synthetic fertilizers damage the soil by destroying critical microorganisms and also pollute our local waterways and wildlife.” Balanced means all three numbers on the front are similar. For instance, 10-10-10 of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The three most valuable nutrients for plant growth.

The potted life

“Anything will grow in a containereven a redwood tree, for awhile, “ says Katherine Whiteside, author of The

Way We Garden Now. “Lettuces, spinach, radicchio, kale, tomatoes, garlic, patio sized fruit trees, herbs, blueberries, carrots and any flower, including shrubs like roses, spirea and rose of Sharon will adapt to the potted life.” While there are an abundance of pots to choose from, the key is to match the pot size to the plant. For example, herbs will do fine in a standard six-inch pot but you’ll want deeper pots for beets and carrots and large pots for potatoes. Clay pots dry out faster than plastic, but all pots need good drainage. “Containers need to drain quickly or the plant roots rot,” says Whiteside. “Add sand or gravel at the bottom for drainage and make sure the containers are raised up a bit with rocks or bricks so that the water can drain.” Frequent watering may be necessary when the weather is especially hot and sunny. “You’ll have to fertilize more often in containers because you don’t have the earthworms working underground aerating your soil for free,” says Spiegelman.

Natural predators

Sometimes unwelcome guests invade our garden. Thankfully, these are natural remedies for keeping pests away. Plant flowers such as cosmos, sunflowers, marigolds, mints, candytuff, yarrow, clover and wallflower to help invite beneficial bugs to your yard,” says Spiegelman. Herbs make great defenders too. The strongly scented oils discourage pests. Plant them alongside vegetables or in in their own container. Spiegelman suggests combinations of basil, thyme and tarragon or parsley, chives and oregano and even scented geranium and lavender. You get more bang for your buck by keeping your plants healthy and getting some tasty herbs besides!

Nip ‘em in the bud

Mix up natural formulas in your kitchen to rid your plants of nasty insects like aphids, spider mites and earwigs. For aphids, Speigleman recommends spraying them with a strong burst of water from the hose. Repeat in a week and they should be history.

Another option – lady beetles from your local nursery. Release them at night and they’ll be munching on aphids all night. Keep in mind that lady beetles like to travel and may end up in your neighbor’s yard too.

Spider mites are usually too tiny to see, but if your plant has little dots or clusters of yellow on their leaves, then you probably have them. “Make your own concoction at home by mixing a half-cup of vegetable oil with one teaspoon liquid detergent. Then take one tablespoon of that mixture and dilute it in a cup of water to spray on your plants,”says Spiegelman.

Earwigs like to munch nightly on flower petals, lettuce and other soft leaf plants. Since they like tight spaces, place rolled up newspaper in the garden or potted plant and dispose of the earwigs that crawled inside.

If you’re not afraid of getting dirt under your nails, organic gardening can be a rewarding way to enjoy delicious and organic produce growing right outside your own back door.

by Sherri Powers