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The popularity of organic food and gardening has certainly increased over the last few years. Not only does it give you a sense of well being but people love the beauty of wonderful colored flowers and the taste of vegetables they helped create. Organic gardening tips on how to successfully start and care for an organic garden are becoming easier to find as this type of gardening continues to become more popular. Along with being relaxing, it is a very interesting hobby. Anyone can organically produce wonderful fruits, herbs and vegetables and know that they are healthy to eat and pesticide, herbicide and chemical free. There will always be garden pests but instead of using chemicals to deal with this problem, there are many organic gardening tips to get rid of them, similar to the way gardeners did many years ago before the use of pesticides and herbicides.

A good homemade pest deterrent to use in organic gardening is:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Following a few organic gardening tips, you will produce fruits, vegetables and herbs that are healthy, taste wonderful, are less expensive than buying produce at the grocery store and give you the peace of mind knowing exactly how they were grown and what was used on them. Aphids are annoying little insects that often cause a lot of damage in your garden. If you plant marigolds near your vegetable garden, the aphids will quit bothering your plants. If you already have an aphid problem, spray the infected plants with diluted soapy water and then spray them again with clear water. Organic gardening tips you should try are; instead of buying compost for your garden, which could contain chemicals, make your own while you cut down on garbage at the same time. Using your garden and kitchen waste is an excellent and very easy way to make your own compost. In your compost pile use peelings from carrots, potatoes and other vegetables, dead weeds, coffee grounds, egg shells and even the pruning from roses and other plants. The different textures help break down the compost quickly. Compost improves the soil texture, structure and aeration while enriching the soil, which stimulates root development. When choosing plants for your organic garden, make sure you choose ones that are well adapted for your area.

Here are a couple of great organic gardening tips that not only help keep your garden free of weeds but also keep the soil from drying out too quickly. Grass clippings and pine needles mixed or old newspapers make very good mulch, which keeps your garden weed free and the soil moist. Organic gardening tips help you grow healthy organic fruits and vegetable that you, your family and friends will love.

Most important of all, is to enjoy your organic garden and the fruits of your labor. Not only will you have the satisfaction of growing vegetables and herbs organically but you it will also inspire you in your culinary tasks.

Here’s to a great organic garden and fabulous, healthy meals.

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at Container Gardening and Gardening Outside and Herb Gardening

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Seasonal flowering plants can be brought out when they are at their utmost beauty and then removed to be replaced with other plants. Imagine how attractive you can make your patio with a selection of spring bulbs and azaleas followed by summer annuals such as salvia and marigolds. In the fall you can replace them with poinsettias and mums. This is just a sample of what can be done with container gardening.

Evergreens are another good choice for container gardening. Evergreens are plants that retain their leaves all year round. This differs with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage for part of the year, becoming bare and leafless. Once they have established themselves, most evergreen shrubs need little pruning.

Keep in mind, that pruning will improve the health of the evergreen. So, in some cases you will want to prune to improve the overall look and health of your plants. After pruning, plants will benefit from feeding with a general purpose fertilizer. A number of evergreens tolerate severe pruning, which is best done as they come into active growth in the spring.

The Photinia Red Robin is a popular evergreen shrub with radiant red, glossy foliage and clusters of small, white flowers. It blooms in mid to late spring, and is sometimes followed by luscious red fruit. It is especially colorful and can also be used to wall shrub.

Variegated plants, like evergreens, can create a full look to your container garden. Variegation is the appearance of differently colored regions in the leaves, and sometimes the stems of the plants. This variegation is attractive and ornamental, and gardeners tend to protect and conserve these.

I’m Eric Samms and I’m here to share my passion for Container Gardening with you all. After years of starting, maintaining and developing my own Container Gardens for the last 11 years - it’s time to give away my secrets. Now it’s your turn to learn all about Container Gardening and it’s many amazing benefits in your life! Visit http://www.containergardeningexpert.com today for more great container gardening tips!

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It is never possible to entirely rid your garden of weeds, but even weeds that seem difficult to remove can be overcome and with persistent effort and a lot of patience annual weeds will diminish each season if you keep on killing off the seedlings before they can flower and generate more weed seeds.

Once you have managed to reduce the population of weeds a programme of mulching and prompt weed clearance as soon as they appear will keep your garden almost weed-free.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a quick process however, as weed clearance can take a couple of garden seasons before weeds are effectively removed. It is more evident if you have been neglecting your garden so keep on top of things for great results.

Deep-rooted perennial weeds and the types of weeds that have long roots which penetrate deep into the ground are best removed by using a fork to dig them up. Use the fork to make the roots loose and hold the weed stem as close to the base as possible when you pull it out of the ground, ensuring you pull up the whole of the weed if possible.

If you do not manage to pull out all of the root then new weeds will continue to grow.

Using to hoe to control weeds is another good method of weed management, but it is a job which needs to be carried out regularly. Make sure to hoe the garden beds and borders and remember not to neglect the vegetable garden if you have one.

Weedkillers are another useful option in the battle against weeds and are very helpful if you need to clear an area of weeds quickly and efficiently. Some types of weedkiller have been designed to kill only the top growth of weeds allowing you to plant in the same area after a day or so of applying the weedkiller.

Some types of weedkiller have been designed to kill the whole weed, including the root. Depending on the type of weedkiller and the weed to be removed you may need to either spray the affected area or paint the weedkiller formulation directly onto the weed itself.

Always consult the directions that accompany the weedkiller before use and if in doubt ask for advice at your local garden centre or weedkiller supplier.

Another effective method of controlling weeds is to use mulch, especially in the vegetable and fruit garden. Plastic sheeting placed around the base of plants and vegetables is also a money-saving method of keeping weeds to a minimum, however it can sometimes not be that attractive from an aesthetic point of view in the garden.

When applying a mulch, such as chipped bark, garden compost or cocoa shells, make an effort to clear the ground of all weeds first and then spread the mulch at least 5cm (2in) thick. Ensuring an even layer of mulch to the appropriate thickness should keep most weeds from growing through the mulch layer.

Keep up the battle against weeds in your garden and you will be rewarded with less and less weeds in the garden every season.

For further advice and timely tips on all aspects of gardening, please visit The Seasonal Gardener

For specific gardening jobs and tips, please visit The Seasonal Gardener website.