Gardening Methods

Can anyone tell me in simple terms how to start an organic garden?

I would like to start my own organic garden because produce is so expensive and I think it would be a fun hobby because I am home a lot taking care of my brother. My grandma is giving me a compost bin this weekend so I’ll start on that. I have never done a compost or grown a garden so any information you could give me would be great.

I am sure that you are not an idiot. Gardening organically takes time and effort but is worth it. I don’t know if they still publish or not, but if they do; look for “Organic Gardening” magazine. It is produced by Rodale Press. Most of my gardening abilities were learned from that wonderful little magazine. In a nutshell, here are some ideas:

Decide on the size and shape of garden you want and mark the corners with stakes.
Either dig or rototill the ground to loosen it.
Cover the ground with several inches of grass clippings, leaves, straw, etc and work it deep into the soil.
Plant your garden using the spacing noted on the seed packages. As your soil gets richer through years of composting, you can cheat the plants closer together.
As the plants come up, thin them to the correct spacing and keep them free of weeds.
Mulch them in with leaves, grass clippings, newspaper, straw, etc to keep the weeds out and moisture in.
Try to keep insects under control by picking them off by hand, using organic sprays, spraying soapy water on the plants, or by putting a handful of the culprits into a blender and mixing the paste with water and spraying it on your plants.
Good Luck!

Fairview Gardens Organic Farm nestled in an urban area of Goleta California