Organic gardening is not just a switch from using chemical products to using organic products.  Organic gardening is about understanding and enjoying nature.  Organic gardening is environmentally sensitive and safe to wildlife, pets, children, adults and the Earth.

Organic gardening is to be in harmony with the environment, it is about nature and working with nature instead against it.

Organic vegetable gardening is growing organic fruit & vegetable without using harmful chemicals.  We all know that pesticides and synthetic fertilizer are harming the environment.  Healthy soil is the key to organic vegetable gardening. You must work with nature to establish a balance of rich healthy soil. The preparation of the vegetable beds is most important.  The soil must be well tilled or hand worked to at 8-10 inches deep. Organic compost is the best natural fertilizer for organic vegetable gardens.  You can start a organic compost pile  yourself anytime by mixing leaves, hay, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, etc… into a pile, keep it moist and turn the pile once a month.  Very easy!  The organic compost is ready when the ingredients are no longer recognizable.  The texture will be soft and crumbly.  Incorporate the organic compost into the beds and your organic fruit & vegetables will grow fast and healthy, and soon you will be able to eat  vegetables that are safe.

There are many commercial organic fertilizers available.  I am a coffee drinker, and I mix all my used coffee grounds  into the soil  of my organic vegetable garden.

Controlling the harmful insects (aphids, spider mites, whiteflies and lace bugs) is easily done by releasing beneficial insects.  It is amazing how the cute little ladybugs, green lacewings and praying mantis feast on the harmful insects in my organic garden. Most nurseries sell beneficial insects Gardens Alive's complete Pest and Disease Guide.

Another important factor of organic gardening is biodiverse planting, also called companion planting. This means planting many types of plants, such as trees, shrubs, ground cover, perennial, and annuals.  Plants do help each other.  This allows insects, small animals like frogs, toads, lizards, snakes and birds to repopulate.

If we establish the right conditions, nature will perfect our organic gardens by bringing all the natural elements into balance.  The organic garden will attract lots of hard working honey bees, many butterflies, toads that eat the bugs, and many different birds – a rich, balanced ecology.