Join The Organic Gardening Tips and Tricks Facebook Group
It goes without saying that we have a passion for organic gardening and farming and we know that many of you do too – that’s why we’ve just launched our first Facebook group! In the ‘Organic Gardening Tips & Tricks’ group we can all come together to share our passion and maybe learn a thing or two from each other along the way.
Organic gardening is so often about trial and error. In this group you can have in-depth discussions about organics, get answers to questions you’ve been wondering and share your triumphs in the garden!
From home composting to upcycling tips, we hope you’ll join us in sharing lots of different innovative – and sustainable – gardening ideas! For a sample of what to expect, read through five of our organic gardening tips!
Five Organic Gardening Tips
- Set your soil up for success. Start your garden by finding out the composition of your soil with a few simple tests. For a more in-depth test on minerals and nutrients, you can find soil testing kits online.
- Set up a good composting system. A general garden compost will do, and will give your plants continual nutrients if dug into the center of your garden. Adding a Bokashi Bin to the mix will mean you don’t have to send non-compostable scraps to landfill. This includes meats, fats, bread, excessive citrus and onion. To be a true composting champion, start a worm farm! Although a little pickier than your average compost bin, worms create a constant flow of amazing fertiliser, and they are able to break down food scraps much faster. A combination of all 3 methods will ensure you never need to send food scraps to landfill again.
- Set up an irrigation system to save time on watering. Keep in mind that some plants prefer to be watered from above and some not so much. Pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, peas, roses, grapes, pawpaws, strawberries and apples are susceptible to powdery mildew, a white mould that can kill off leaves. Keeping the foliage dry will stop mildew form overtaking, therefore these plants are better off watered from the base.
- Use your old eggshells as seed starters. Simply fill the empty eggshell with soil and plant your seed. Once the plant has sprouted, put the whole thing, egg and all, into the soil.
- Download ‘Picture This’, an app that helps with plant identification. Composting often leads to lots of surprise seedlings! Rather than pulling them out immediately, try to identify them in case they’re edible.