Anyone who has spent any amount of time working in a garden understands how protective a person can get regarding their little patch. This is even truer for those who work hard to create and maintain an organic garden. So, when you start to notice little creepy crawlies getting into your garden and eating up all your hard work, it can be infuriating. You need to get rid of them, but you can’t use the typical, inorganic methods. Thankfully, there are several ways to keep pests from destroying your garden while still keeping it completely organic.

Smash a Few Bugs

If you don’t have a problem killing pests, you might consider just smashing the bugs in your garden. You’ll want to do a bit of research before doing this, because you don’t want to get stung or bitten in the process. If you go this route, you’ll be happy to know that sometimes the smell of dead pests is enough to drive off other bugs.

Add Predators to Your Garden

Is your problem just the sight of having pests in your garden or are they eating your plants? If you don’t take issue with having bugs in your garden, you can actually add more bugs that will eat the ones bothering you. This will take quite a bit of research, but it is an extremely natural way of ensuring the safety of your plants.

• Ladybugs feed on mites and aphids
• green lacewing feed on aphids
• Cryptolaemus Montrouzieri (lady beetle) feeds on mealybugs

As another option, consider letting your cat or dog into the garden area once or twice a day. If you don’t have one, put up a bird or owl house for them to enjoy your garden and keep the pests away.

Rid Squirrels and Moles with These Tricks

If you have squirrels and moles, it’s easy to get rid of these pests naturally without harming them. As much as they may get on your nerves, strike back with things they don’t like.

• Put up an automatic sprinkler system
• Add motion detector lights to scare them off
• Place garlic cloves, hot peppers, or a combination of lemongrass, cinnamon, and thyme essential oil in your garden to deter them
• Plant tomatoes or a small pot of tomatoes in the garden (squirrels do not like the taste at all)

Make an Organic, DIY Bug Spray

If you want a quicker way to get rid of those pests, you might consider making up a batch of DIY bug spray. While there are many recipes out there, one of the best involves boiling garlic, mint, and chili peppers in water. You then mix this with a little bit of dish soap and spray it over your garden. This will chase off the majority of bugs and kill those that stick around. It needs to be reapplied since it washes off once wet. And, of course, you’ll want to wash it off before eating anything you’ve sprayed with it.

For a quick and easy solution, you can visit your local gardening center and ask for organic bug killer. This will kill off all the bugs in your garden, not just the pests, so it isn’t recommended by quite a few organic gardeners. Even organic pesticides can cause an imbalance in your garden, which is counter constructive to organic gardening. However, if you’ve been infested with pests or all other methods haven’t worked, this is probably the best solution for you.

Hopefully, one of the above four methods can rid your garden of pests and keep it as organic and pesticide-free as possible.

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Is this you – you go to the plant nursery and pick up a six-pack of pretty flowers or a gallon veggie plant. Then you head over to the container aisle and pick up the those small 4″ pots and a 1-gallon containers for the veggies thinking you have picked out the perfect sized container. Well, you haven’t. And you are not alone. Figuring out which plants grow best and in which sized container might seem easy, but it isn’t always.

Think Ahead

When deciding what size container to plant in you need to think ahead to what that plant will grow into at full maturity. This is when you need to read the little tag that comes with the plant and Google images for that plant for your area. For instance, a rosemary bush is just that – a bush. In the Southwest it grows three feet wide and is a perennial. Whereas in the Northeast it is an annual plant that only grows about 1.5 feet wide. A good rule of thumb is if the plant is a bush, then it needs to be planted in at least a 2-gallon pot.

Vegetables

The number one vegetable planted every year is the tomato plant. More often than not, it is never grown in the right size container. Just remember, the more roots a tomato plant has the more tomatoes it can grow. It needs to be grown in a 2-5 gallon pot. Vegetables that grow a head like broccoli, cauliflower, or head lettuce need a 2-gallon container. Most herbs like basil, mint, and cilantro can be grown by themselves in a 1-gallon container. If you get a large 5- or 10-gallon container, then you can create a container garden and have a few plants growing together.

Flowers

If you are growing a trailing flower like alyssum, plant it at the front of a container and plant something else behind it like a Butterfly Bush. Any flowering plant that is a vine like Honeysuckle or Snail Vine need to be planted in at least a 5-gallon container. Roses should be planted in no less than 5-10 gallons – even those small miniature roses you see for sale in the grocery store.

Grow in as big of a pot as you can and leave those little 4- and 6-inch containers at the store as they won’t do your plants any good.

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Gardening looks like a lot of fun, but every time you have tried it you just kill everything. Sound familiar? You just need to learn a few basic techniques to help turn your brown thumb a pretty shade of green. Container gardening is a great way to learn how to garden and is essential if you don’t have a large area to garden in as well. Here are few container gardening basics for the newbie.

Recon

Before you spend a dime on supplies, take a minute and do a recon of the area that you are going to place your container garden. How many hours of sunlight does it get? You need to know if your space has 3 hours of sunlight or more like 8. Almost all plants do better with more sunlight, but you can find some shade loving ones if you find that your space is lacking in the sunlight department.

Supplies

Going to the garden center can be a bit overwhelming at first. Start with the potting soil – and yes, it does make a difference as to what brand you buy. The brands I have had the most success with are Black Gold, Fox Farm, and Supersoil. For a good organic fertilizer grab a bag of Earthworm Castings, Blood Meal, and Bone Meal. Every month mix one cup of the castings and two tablespoons of the blood and bone meal to a bucket of potting soil and top off your container plants.

Pick up a few containers to start with – the larger the better. Most plants will do best in at least a 2-gallon pot and don’t even bother buying those smaller 4- or 6-inch containers. Next, drill 3-4 holes that are a quarter-inch in diameter on the bottom of plastic containers for drainage. If using ceramic, put down 2 inches of rocks on the bottom.

The Plants

For newbies, start with picking up a six-pack of your favorite flowers or veggies. Fill the pot up with your organic potting soil. Gently tease the plants out of their plastic containers and plant them at least 4-6 inches away from each other in. Pack the soil up around the plants. Water the pot until the water comes out the bottom. Wait an hour and then water it again. Water every few days as the plants settle in.

Welcome to the gardening club!

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A cup of tea can perk you up in the morning or help you to fall asleep at night. There are over a thousand different plants that are grown to make up all the different tea blends found around the world. You can even grow your very own tea garden in your backyard. Here are a few tips on how to plant a tea garden.

Plant Your Faves

You can make a tea from the leaves and blooms of flowers in your garden. You can also add them to a base of either black or green tea. To help you relax at night, make sure to plant lavender and chamomile. To give you a boost in the morning make sure you have orange mint, pineapple sage, and lemon basil growing.

Here is a list of plants that are great to grow in a tea garden:

• German Chamomile
• Lavender
• Lemon Thyme
• Lemon Verbena
• Lemon Balm
• Lemon Basil
• Pineapple Sage
• Salvia
• Stevia
• Rosemary
• Orange Mint
• Spearmint

Keep Them Organic

There is no sense using synthetic soils or fertilizers on plants that you are planning on ingesting. You can plant directly into the garden soil or a container garden. Use a good potting or garden soil to get the plants growing like Supersoil or Black Gold. To fertilize them every month add in earthworm castings plus bone and blood meal.

Growing Tips

All of the above mentioned plants like to be grown in well-drained soil and have 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Lemon Verbena and Lemon Thyme love to grow out and trail, which makes them perfect to grow on the edge of the garden or container. Always grow any mint plant in a container, otherwise it will take over your garden. Both Lavender and Rosemary are perennials and grow about two feet in every direction. Lemon Basil likes it hot and sunny, just make sure to keep it watered. Chamomile attracts bees and butterflies, helping to pollinate the entire garden.

As the plants grow, you can harvest leaves and flowers and dry them. Dry them either by hanging upside down or just by leaving them on a paper towel for a couple days. Mix them together and steep in hot water – enjoy fresh tea made out of your very own tea garden.

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Straw bale gardening is a new and progressive way of keeping healthy gardens. The technique involves pushing several large and tightly wound bales of hay together and planting the garden inside these bales. People have turned to this method if they don’t have enough soil in their gardens or if their drainage systems are subpar. There are many reasons to choose straw bale gardening and, the best part is that, they’re very easy to put together.

No Need for Soil

As mentioned above, straw bale gardening is great for those who don’t have enough soil in their gardens or yards. The straw serves as the food for the plants, so there’s no need for soil. However, one of the greatest benefits of straw bale gardening is that it doesn’t require bending over, which can become painful after extended periods of times. This is why this type of gardening is perfect for those who suffer from back or knee pain.

Reduces Weeds and Pests

Unlike in soil, weeds don’t do well in straw. While there may be the stray weed every now and then, for the most part, these bales will grow without the typical weed infestations. And, because they’re further off the ground, pests don’t get to them as easily. This minimizes the need for pest control in the straw bale garden. This is a huge deal for those who like to grow organic gardens. Organic gardeners will also be happy to know that they don’t need as much fertilizers as soil gardens. Because the straw decomposes as the garden is growing, it creates a type of mulch that naturally gives nutrients to the plants.

Straw Bale Gardening: Option #1

Starting a straw bale garden is pretty easy, too. First, an area needs to be decided on. It should be somewhere with lots of light and plenty of breeze. The bales should be placed in the shape that the gardener desires so that it can be accessed easily from all areas. The bales will need to be conditioned first. Conditioning means the bales should be watered several times a day for about six days. This will get the straw breaking down, creating the nutrients that the plants will need in the future. After about a week, a little bit of soil can be added to the tops of the straw, and the plants can be placed in this soil.

Straw Bale Gardening: Option #2

For those who don’t want to use any soil at all, there is another method. Just like the first one, the bales need to be conditioned. Instead of planting with soil after a week, around day six, a little ammonium nitrate needs to be added to the watering process. A little less of the ammonium mixture should be used daily for another four days. After a week and a half, a little bit of natural fertilizer can be added to the bales. Then, the plants can be placed directly into the straw.

Straw bale gardening is a great way for gardeners to save money on soil, fertilizer, and even water since most of the water stays in the bale and isn’t wasted. Most importantly, it’s a great way to garden without hurting the back, neck, or knees.

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Gardening is a rewarding but often expensive hobby. For a basic garden, it’s mostly more expensive in the beginning phase. There are the actual plants, garden tools, planting pots, nutrient-rich soil, and fences to consider. As tempting as it may be to get cheap items to start your garden, investing in quality is best. You also don’t want to skimp out on the necessary items, because your garden’s lack of it will show. As a gardener, you may be wondering, how can I get my garden started for less? Here are a few tips.

Use Free Information

If you’re trying to grow a garden on a budget, the internet is your best friend. Instead of spending extra dollars on books, magazines, and workshops, go online and use websites like YouTube for free instructional videos and landscaping layouts. The internet is full of websites, blogs, podcasts and more to help your garden prosper. If you like reading printed materials, go to your local library where you can check out books and magazines for free.

Do It Yourself

Do you usually go to the garden center to buy things like compost or mulch? Well, it’s time to change that. Instead of spending money on these materials, learn to make it yourself. Shred those fallen leaves and use them for mulch. Compost is also a relatively easy thing to make yourself. Use things like coffee grinds, fruit, grass clippings, egg shells, and raw vegetables.

Use What You Already Have

If you’ve been gardening for some time, it is likely that your crops have yielded seeds that you can use to re-grow your plants, eliminating the need to buy them. This saves money and assures you that you are growing a certain caliber of crop.

Reusing old or unused items is a great way to save some money. Unwanted things like crates, boxes, wood, and wicker baskets can easily be used to decorate your garden and give it some character on a budget. If you have old broomsticks or pieces of wood, they can be painted in eye-catching colors or patterns to make borders for your crops and plants.

Gardening expenses can be kept low in a variety of ways. Through free internet research and making your own compost, you’ll save a ton of money right off the bat. There is no need to purchase new items to give your garden a great look. Repurpose items you already have in your house, yard, or garage.

What are your best frugal gardening tips?

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If you’re looking for a project for you and your child to enjoy together, an indoor herb garden is a great idea. The garden can be kept indoors and is easy to maintain. Since the herbs will be used frequently by all cooks in the home, it will give your child a sense of responsibility and pride. Here are some ideas for your child’s first indoor herb garden.

Teach Your Child the Three Herb Categories

Before selecting the herb, your first consideration will be the type of herb you want to plant. There are three herb categories just as with other plants: annuals, biennials, and perennials. The annuals usually thrive in the spring and die towards the fall. Perennials can stay alive all year long and grow back each year. Biennials actually produce flowers, generating seeds in its second year. They then will die.

For young children who may not take too kindly to their garden dying out, perennials or biennials may be best for them. But you can do a mixture of all of these for a continuous garden all year round. Basil and Dill are annuals. Parsley and Clary Sage are biennials. Sage, Thyme, Bay, Chives, Lemon Balm, and Lavender are perennials.

Determine a Theme

Children will find gardening fun if you give your project a theme. Maybe choose a story, food, or one of the five senses as the theme. Here are some theme ideas:

Peter Rabbit

– This story is a classic. If your child knows and loves it, try growing herbs that are mentioned in the story like hyssop, sage, or tansy.

Italian

– Create a garden that will help season their favorite Italian foods like pizza and spaghetti. They can plant herbs such as oregano and parsley. It’s a way for them to help make pizza without being exposed to dangers in the kitchen.

Wonderful Smells

– Certain herbs carry an aroma you just want to sniff all day. The strongest and most terrific smelling herbs are basil, lavender, lemon balm, and mint.

Reap What You Sow

Now that you’ve chosen a theme, let your little one help you prepare the soil and plant their herbs. Preparing the soil might be your kid’s favorite part of this garden. Provide them with small garden tools like a fork or trowel so they can loosen the soil in the pot. Ensure they understand their job of watering their herb garden and making sure it gets proper sunlight.

Once it’s time to harvest, explain the processes of using them fresh and dried. Many people also chop the herbs and freeze them with water in ice cube trays. Dried herbs make great project ideas for kids as well. They may love studying the process of placing them in bundles with rubber bands or ribbon to keep them together.

Gardening can be a fun way to teach children how to produce their own natural ingredients. This will introduce them to responsibility and living a healthy life. Since many people do love fresh herbs, your child can deliver a few tiny bundles as excellent “Just Because” gifts.

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If you’re looking for an indoor garden to start, perhaps you’ve heard that an herb garden was the way to go. If you’re not too familiar with using herbs in your kitchen, below are five herbs you simply can’t live without. These herbs are flavorful, so they help you cut back on adding salty ingredients to your dishes.

Rosemary

If you want an herb that is adaptable, choose Rosemary. Rosemary can be grown in a pot outdoors or indoors. It can be used fresh or dried depending on what you are using it for. Chop it up finely to add a little flavor to a pizza crust along with a little olive oil.

Thyme

For an herb that you can easily grow in the summer as well as the winter, choose Thyme. Thyme can be used in a variety of recipes including pork, green veggies, beans, soups, and creamy cheeses. In the summer, you can use thyme as an ingredient to your marinades. Grill up a steak and pour over a flavorful sauce seasoned with Thyme on top.

Sage

If you like to cook hearty meals for your family, use sage to infuse your recipes. When making a dish like white beans, add some sage leaves to boiling water to infuse its flavor. Sage is also excellent to add to a bottle of olive oil. It gives it a nice flavor, and this oil is perfect for dipping warm bread into.

Sage plants grow to be large, and will need to be cut regularly. If you have extras you don’t want to freeze and store, you can sell or donate them to your local spirit shop or yoga studio. They use them to make smudge sticks to use for meditation purposes.

Parsley

Parsley is used in so many recipes that it is totally essential to grow it in your herb garden. This leafy green is good for your body. It contains a large amount of Vitamin C and makes your food taste incredible. Add it to pasta, pesto, salsa, and even pies.

Cilantro

Cilantro may not look like it has many benefits, but this zesty herb has both antimicrobial and a high level of antioxidant properties. Cilantro is easy to grow all year round and is wonderful to add to dishes like guacamole, salads, rice, avocado, chicken, fish, and tomatoes. It is delicious, healthy, and a quick way to add some flavor to your food.

To start your herb garden, make sure to check out some essentials like rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, and cilantro. These herbs will be great for those who love to flavor their foods inexpensively with fresh ingredients.

What are your favorite herbs?

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Gardening can be fun for kids. However, sometimes they may not hold much interest. Or, as children do, they might forget about their garden. Cactus gardens are perfect for small or just forgetful children. They require little maintenance, and some are beautiful flowering plants. Here’s how you can help your child create their first cactus garden.

Gather All Your Materials

This project can be very small or a tad bit larger depending on what you are looking for. In addition to gloves to protect your hands, you’ll also need the following materials to help structure your garden:

• Planting Bowl: This may be large or small, depending on the space you have for it in your home.
• Pebbles: These will be used inside the bowl to prevent soil from clogging your drainage holes.
• Cacti Soil or Compost: This will be used to actually plant your cacti.
• Sand: This is used to decorate. It will simulate a desert.
• Miniature cacti: The actual cacti you choose is up to you. Choose colorful and interesting looking ones for your kids.

Most Common Types of Cacti

There are over 2000 species of cacti. However, you can’t grow all of them well indoors. For fun, ask your child if they know of cacti that grow anywhere else besides the desert. Surprise them with the fact that cacti grow in the forest as well! Of the many odd shaped and beautiful colors you find, here are the most frequent and easy to care for cacti for indoors.

• Bunny Ears Cactus
• Christmas / Thanksgiving Cactus
• Easter Cactus
• Golden Barrel Cactus
• Orchid
• Peruvian Apple Cactus
• Rat’s Tail Cactus

Plant Your Cacti

Planting cacti must be done carefully, so you may want to help your child do so.

1. Place a few pebbles in the bottom of your container.
2. Place the cacti soil or compost on top. You should have enough in there so that the cactus roots are covered well.
3. Next, one by one, remove the cacti from their pot using the gloves for the prickly ones. Place each into the soil. Make sure to pack the soil so that there are no air holes left around the roots.
4. Once this is finished, take a brush with soft bristles and brush off any soil that got on your cacti.
5. Now you can grab your sand and add it to your garden.
6. They can decorate around the plants any rocks they’ve found outside in the yard or from a walk on the beach. Marbles are also a cool idea.

Caring for the Cactus Garden

Cacti grows with very little water, making them ideal for a child or beginner to take care of them. Tell your child they should water their cactus garden once the soil is dry to the touch. Although they need little water, they do prefer a lot of sun. Placing them on a sunny windowsill is ideal.

A cactus garden is a great pastime to share with your child and will introduce them to the world of gardening. Make sure to be careful when planting, and it should be a rewarding experience for you and your child.

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