People who have tasted organically grown vegetables swear by its taste and find it extremely difficult to revert back to old eating habits. They often comment that one can taste the sweetness of the sun in the organically produced vegetables. So if it is the first batch of peppers during summers, the juice filled tomatoes, the first lettuce of the spring season or the pumpkins and squashes reaped in the season of autumn, the vegetables never tasted as better as they do when organically produced.

There are several other facts besides pleasing taste buds that justify the gradual movement of today’s society towards organically grown vegetables. Reliable scientific data testifies to the ill effects of fertilizers and chemical pesticides used in the orthodox cultivation methods. There is a clearly defined connection between diseases like cancer, neurological damages, hormonal imbalances and the chemicals that are used in non-organic cultivation. Organic vegetable farming is the need of the hour if we want to protect our children from the disastrous consequences of chemically produced vegetables. We all are aware that kids due to their lower tolerance levels are much more vulnerable to chemical residues as compared to adults.

Following are some important points that you must keep in mind during a transition to organic farming. These points will help you in maintaining the correct natural balance among the plants, animals, soil and the insects:

1. You must stop using all kinds of herbicides, synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. These chemicals do a lot of harm to human bodies in the long run.

2. You must develop the habit of not throwing the kitchen scraps into the garbage box. Instead, start turning that scrap into organically rich nutrient for your garden by making compost heaps.

3. Don’t go about killing the caterpillars and bugs in your garden. A lot of them actually help you in protecting your vegetable garden. There are books you can refer to obtain more knowledge about such good pests and bugs.

To get along successfully with the organic farming, you will have to learn to stop compacting your garden soil. Compacting normally done to get rid of the air gaps in soil bed. You must rather develop the habit of making pathways between the rows of planted crops, thus enabling you to reach and tend to each plant with ease. It is recommended to till the soil only once each in the season of spring and the fall.

Organic farming and water sprinklers don’t go together. The water sprinklers deliver water too fast for the soil to absorb effectively. Hence, it is a good idea to rather use a hose and use it slowly to wet the soil bed comprehensively. You can also try rotating the locations of crop cultivation year on year. This helps in effectively preventing pests and crop diseases.

In the organic method of vegetable cultivation, you will need to keep the garden bed regularly covered in organic mulch like grass clippings, straws or the chopped leaves. Such regularity will curb the weed growth and help the ground absorb water more effectively. This is one of the best methods to achieve optimum results for the organic vegetable garden.

The history of organic vegetable gardening dates back many centuries ago as the ancient civilizations relied on this livelihood and fishing to put food on the table.

Back then, nobody used fertilizers and pesticides but as the world’s increased in population, the demand for food also went up. To fill the gap, scientists decided to introduce fertilizers and chemicals to cut the harvesting time and make the vegetables bigger.

Organic vegetable gardening only made a come back in the 1980’s making an old practice new again when the US Department of Agriculture encouraged farmers to do it by giving them incentives. This made more farmers join the bandwagon which is also being done in Europe.

But organic vegetable gardening is not just eliminating the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers will have to use other means to make crop grows such as compost, crop residue, crop rotation, integrated pest management and mechanical cultivation in order to preserve soil productivity and combat pests.

The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements is the regulator these days that tells farmers across the globe how this should be done. Their recommendations help crops grow in 75 million acres of land across the globe.

Their strategy is focused on sustainable development so that the land used today can only be used by the next generation as we have left for them a healthy ecosystem.

Organic vegetable gardening has proven to be effective because since its inception in 1980. To prove this point, one study has pointed out that the amount of corn and soybeans produced using this method was almost the same compared to those who used fertilizers and pesticides. The best part is that this was achieved without using that much energy and without the risk of having harmful chemicals enter our bodies.

It has been estimated by one university that if developing countries also practice organic vegetable gardening, they too can also double or triple their crops without wasting money on buying pesticides and fertilizes.

One thing you have to keep in mind here is that a percentage of vegetables being consumed in the US are imported from other countries.

Because organic vegetable gardening is so easy, anyone can do it. This will enable you to plant your own vegetables at home instead of buying these from the supermarket.

The key to a successful harvest using organic farming is planning. You will need the land to plant these on that has adequate sunlight and an efficient drainage system so that they are able to get water.

If you are able to figure that out, the only thing you have to worry about is what to plant because some vegetables do not well under certain conditions that could be attributed to the climate and the type of soil in the ground.

Those who know what they can and cannot plant will save themselves time and money so they can focus on what works.

The history of organic vegetable gardening has now come full circle as we are doing what the ancients have practiced long before we were born. You can do your part by buying those that are organically grown from the supermarket or planting your own.

The end result is that we eat healthy without ever thinking if these contain any chemicals that may be harmful to our bodies.

Anybody can do organic vegetable gardening at home because the principle behind this is not that different from what they do in the farm. The only difference is that you work in a smaller area and you get to choose what you like plant.

 

The first thing you have to do is find an ideal location. A lot of people do organic vegetable gardening in their backyard. To make it work, whatever you are planting should get at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday and access to water.

 

Just like the ancient civilizations that relied on an efficient irrigation system, you too should do the same by making sure there is adequate drainage because if you don’t, you will have to do organic vegetable gardening using a raise bed.

 

When your ideal location has been found, it is time to cultivate the land. For that, you will need your gardening tools and a pair of gloves to pluck out the weeds on the ground. This might take a few days to make sure the area is ready for planting.

 

You will only know if the ground you are going to plant your vegetable is a good spot by testing it with some compost and mixing this with the soil. Should it be able to integrate and stabilize itself with the soil, this means that you can start planting your crops and see it grow in the succeeding weeks.

 

If you don’t like to buy compost from the gardening store, you can make your own using coffee grounds, dead leaves, grass clippings, food waste or even manure. They also serve as excellent fertilizers.

 

As for your vegetables, take note that some of these may not be suitable in the land you are planting these on. This is because of several factors that are beyond your control such as the weather, pests and other plant borne diseases. You can avoid making this mistake by doing some research on what vegetables are ideal to plant in your area and asking fellow organic gardeners.

 

One way to protect the organic vegetables you are planting is by planting a variety of them at a time since some of these protect each other from pests. Such practice is better known as crop rotation especially when you want to adapt with the weather in your area. Another defense system that works is getting the help of Mother Nature as birds, certain insects and even toads have proven to be useful.

 

If you live in an area where wild animals may eat your vegetables, you should put up fences so they are not able to get through. Other tools you can use are animal hair, baby powder and deodorant soaps.

 

Part of preparing the land is removing the weeds. But remember that new weeds grow after some time so you have to inspect the area from time to time.

 

Planting your own organic vegetable garden at home will surely save you money as these are quite expensive in the supermarket. If you have some excess stocks when it is time to harvest them, maybe you can give some to your neighbors or make some money by selling it at the local market which isn’t that bad given that you don’t shell out that much cash for this investment.