Once you have chosen your seed potatoes, it is good practice to encourage small buds to grow on them, this will give them a headstart on growing, allowing you to harvest earlier. Before planting very large seed potatoes can be cut into smaller pieces that are at least 2 inches in size, making sure that each piece has at least one “eye” or sprout. Allow the cut potatoes to dry for a day or two before planting to reduce the risk of rot. Preparing the Soil Testing the Soil pH Silicon is the most abundant element in the ground. Plants love it and will reward you with healthy growth if they have easy access. Adding silica supplements offers a multitude of benefits: Similar to row cover,ProtekNetis a special translucent netting material to keep bugs out, while allowing water and sunlight in. These are best for very hot climates (where row cover is too hot) and issues with super small bugs like thrips. Wire hoops are recommended for best results. All Natural Pest Sprays Using organic or natural ingredients in a spray can effectively eradicate pests. Hugelkulturor “lasagna gardening” has been used for centuries in Germany to build thriving soil from the ground up. If you are starting a garden on really compacted clay, a weedy vacant lot, or a lawn, lasagna-style gardening will help you get started right away and build lush soil for years to come. Raised beds are typically the best option for small-scale urban and suburban gardeners. They don’t require super complicated construction skills and they work great on top of existing lawns or poor soils because you are building upward. It is also easier to maintain grass or wood chip landscaping around raised beds. Also, if you have a gopher or rodent issue, it is easy to install hardware cloth at the bottom of a raised bed to keep them from digging underneath your vegetables.

At the end or beginning of every season, I add a small layer of compost to all of my garden beds to keep the soil happy and nurtured. It is important to source high-quality compost or learn to make your own. Worm compost (vermicast) or professionally composted manure are great options for replenishing nutrients and helping to build soil structure. Putting Your Garden to Bed Before planting anything, soil should be improved – and if you’re growing organically, this means using natural means to do so. Chemical fertilisers and pellets are forbidden in organic growing. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to give your soil an organic boost. Exclusion is another simple approach to organic pest control. Basically, you just keep the bugs off your plants with a translucent fabric called row cover. Row cover is best used on brassicas (“colecrops” like kale, radish, turnip,bokchoy, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) to keep flea beetles from infesting the leaves. Row cover also prevents cabbage moths from laying their caterpillar eggs. To turn your soil into an organic environment where beneficial microorganisms will thrive, you can add the following:Before choosing a plant for your vegetable patch, ensure that it is suited to your interests and skill level. Like animals, plants also have a myriad of different varieties. So, when choosing your garden crops, ensure they are suited to space, climate, and flavor pallet. For instance, some broccoli species are best suited for summer, while others do better in winter. The same applies to tomatoes, with some varieties planted for trellising purposes, whereas bush tomatoes don’t produce vines so they are considered determinate.

In the early spring, many gardeners like to get a head start to the season with seed starting lights. The main goal is to have seedlings that are ready to plant as soon as the weather is favorable. Some of the easiest seeds to start indoors include tomatoes, basil, marigolds, nasturtium, cosmos, lettuce, kale, broccoli, chard, andbokchoy. Watering your potato plants is essential for their growth and development. However, overwatering can lead to root rot, so it’s important to find the right balance. Water your plants deeply once a week, ensuring that the soil is moist but not waterlogged. In hot weather, you may need to water your potato plants more frequently to prevent the soil from drying out. Fertilizing Disease-resistant potato varieties: Choosing potato varieties that are resistant to common diseases can help reduce the need for chemical fungicides. Examples of disease-resistant potato varieties include Kennebec and Red Norland.Prepare your planting medium. Look for a commercially sold germinating mix. It consists of vermiculite, perlite, peat, and sometimes compost. Ensure that you do not grow your seeds in soil with high saline and nitrogen levels. Just fill each container with a medium up to ½ inches from the top.

Think of your garden like a grid (some people like to use string across the beds to mark out the grid). You must take into account the spacing between each plant, as well as the spacing between each row.Cover with a light layer of soil, ensuring that seeds won’t peak above the soil level when watered in. But also be sure they aren’t too deep or they will have trouble reaching up for the light. We remain dedicated to preserving the earth and its environment by providing farmers and gardeners with cost-effective, state-of-the-art organic growing supplies, and the information and tools needed to apply them. Peaceful Valley also looks to source its vegetables, fruits and other seasonal products from small and local farms as a critical part of our agricultural ecosystem. Unlike conventional farming, no-till is a method where the soil isn’t disturbed by digging, tilling, stirring, etc. The idea is to allow the undisturbed soil to become a living ecosystem that replenishes itself through a combination of beneficial bacteria, helpful fungi, and other living organisms.