Want to know what one of the first steps to healthy eating is? You need to eat organic! That may sound pretty easy enough, but it can be difficult to completely trust all the organic-labeled fruit and vegetables in the supermarket. Don’t panic, though; you don’t need to worry that you’re apparently organic veggies have been contaminated. You just need to start growing your own! Not only is growing your own one way of knowing that the fruit and veg you eat is 100% organic, but it can also save you a whole lot of cash!
It’s easy to get into growing your own even if you have never been much of a gardener. You just need to follow these green-fingered tips.
Start Off Indoors No matter what you are planting – it’s a good idea to start off with easy veggies like courgettes and lettuces – it’s a good idea to plant them in pots and leave them inside somewhere. This is especially important if you are planting them out of season. Ideally, a greenhouse makes for the perfect environment. If you don’t have the space for a full-size one, you could always choose from the more compact lean to greenhouses. This will ensure that the seeds stay alive while they germinate and grow into seedlings. Once they have grown into small plants, you can put them out in your garden.
Protect From Pests The gardener’s main enemy is the pest. There are different ones that will make their way into your garden, including snails, slugs, and aphids. The best way to prevent the slugs and snails from eating your veggies is to place a physical barrier between them and the plants. You can make a cover out of chicken feed. However, aphids are slightly harder to get rid of. You can buy eco-friendly and organic sprays that will deter these little insects, and you can also have a go at making your own homemade spray.
Prepare Your Soil Before you do plant your seeds and seedlings outside, you should prepare the soil so that it creates the perfect environment for plants to grow in. You can buy test kits from your local garden center that will show you whether the soil in your garden is acidic or alkali. This result will influence what type of vegetables you choose to grow. However, if you are really determined to grow a plant that won’t thrive in your type of soil, there are some measures you can take. For instance, To make an acidic soil more alkaline, just add limestone. To make alkaline soil acidic, simply mix in iron sulfate or sphagnum peat.
Start Off Small Don’t get overexcited and try to grow five different veggies at once. Start off growing just one type of fruit or vegetable and then, once you get the hang of things, you can start to expand your garden. If you take on too much too early, you will only run into many different problems that you aren’t sure how to deal with!
