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Gardening 101 · 04/17/2021


ORGANIC GARDENING AT HOME

Spring is here and our thoughts turn to days spent frolicking in the great
outdoors. I’ve been doing so many posts on indoor gardening and decided it was
time for a change. Organic gardening at home is something I’ve always done and I
want to share my thoughts on what it means to me.

The term “organic gardening” is a bit broad and vague, isn’t it?


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I was thinking of titling this post Principles Of Gardening With Nature because
that’s the bottom line of what it is to me.

Don’t fight nature, respect and work with it. I want to keep Mother Nature happy
as well as all the birds, bees, butterflies, bobcats, bunnies, and the rest of
the creatures that visit my garden!

A garden full of blooms in August in Portsmouth, NH.

This is organic gardening to me in a nutshell: keep your garden healthy and
strong naturally, avoiding synthetics, so the plants will, in turn, be healthy
and strong.



This way, they can better fight off pest infestations, diseases, viruses, and
infections.

I grew up on a farm in New England, was a professional gardener in California
for over 20 years, and have had my own gardens in both California and Arizona
for many years.

I don’t claim to be an expert but I have many years of experience and this is
what works for me. If you’re a beginning gardener, I hope this helps you out!

I’m not specifically talking about vegetable gardening here, although most of
these principles would apply to that. I’ve been ornamental, herb, and container
gardening for many years – that’s what this encompasses.





TIPS FOR ORGANIC GARDENING AT HOME


1) THE SOIL IS KEY

I’ve just moved into a new home and am plotting out the renovations I plan on
doing to my existing garden. The most important thing I think about is the soil
and getting or keeping it healthy. 



The soil is the foundation from which the plants grow. Good soil = healthy
plants. With previous gardens I’ve done and had in New England and California,
I’ve always enriched the soil with local compost from a landscape supply
company.

Here in the desert, I don’t use compost on all my plants because cacti really
don’t need it. Gardening in the hot, sunny Sonoran Desert is a whole different
bag!

The garden in Tucson that I left just a few months ago. My new garden will be
full of wacky cacti and other weird desert-suited plants.
The side patio at my former home.


2) CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLANTS

Use plants that are best suited for your USDA zone and local climate so you’re
not forcing them to survive with fertilizers, excess water, etc.



For instance, here in the desert, I wouldn’t even think of growing hydrangeas.
It’s too hot and dry, and I’d have to be constantly amending the soil, and
watering them almost every day.

Research what plants do best in your area and shop at a reputable, local garden
center if you can. Most nurseries sell decent stock but be sure to pick out
healthy plants to bring home to your garden.


3) LOCATION

Make sure those plants are suited for the right location in your garden. Some
plants need sun, some plants need shade.

In order for a plant to stay healthy and strong, it needs to be planted where
it’ll do best.


4) PLANT CORRECTLY

Dig the hole wide enough and amend with compost if needed. Don’t crowd the
plants; be sure to leave room for them to grow and develop. 



Plants need air circulation to help prevent pest outbreaks, diseases, viruses,
and all those nasty things we don’t want to deal with in our gardens.

 * How to Successfully Plant Shrubs
 * How to Successfully Plant Perennials

Containers plants love to be fed organically too!


5) APPLY ORGANIC COMPOST

Local organic compost is the best way to nourish. It builds the soil up, helps
to retain nutrients, and holds in moisture too. I think it’s one of the most
important things to do when organic gardening at home.



I apply a layer of compost and worm compost on all my container plants, even my
houseplants, every spring.

When I had my gardening business in the SF Bay Area, I would compost my clients’
gardens every 2-3 years.

Related:

How to Feed Houseplants Naturally With Compost & Worm Compost

Guide to Soil Amendments


Roses, like this unusual “Distant Drums”, & annuals appreciate an extra boost
with organic fertilizers to keep them blooming all season long.


6)  USE SAFE FERTILIZERS WHEN NEEDED

Plants like roses and annuals do best with extra feeding because they bloom so
much. I nourished roses organically and flowers using this method with great
success. 



Camellias, rhododendrons, and citrus were the only other plants I fertilized. My
favorite brand of organic fertilizer is Down To Earth followed by Dr. Earth.

Related:

 * The Best Way to Feed Roses Organically
 * Organic Flower Gardening
 * How to Feed Camellias With Great Success


7)  WATER WISELY

Of course, you need to water a plant well when it’s planted and while it’s
establishing. In general, plants need less water as they age. 

The watering schedule depends on your climate and the type of plants. Here in
the desert, a drip system is the most efficient. In the heat, I water in the
early mornings to help conserve.

Many people water too frequently or not deep enough so be sure to be mindful of
these.


Here’s my garden in Santa Barbara where I smothered out the weeds. We spent many
hours at that blue table!


8) PULL UP WEEDS MANUALLY AND DISCARD THE DEBRIS

Weeds seed and spread like crazy so it’s best to get them before they take over.
This avoids using toxic herbicides to get rid of weeds and grasses.



This is my favorite weed-removing tool of choice. There are stand-up weed
removers also if kneeling isn’t your thing.

My front yard in Santa Barbara was full of Bermuda Grass and weeds. I sprinkled
the space with corn gluten and smothered it with thick layers of newspaper.

I was then able to plant my succulent beds and create the gravel patio area
right very that. Hardly a weed emerged!


9) CONTROL PESTS NATURALLY

I blast aphids off with the garden hose. They often appear on certain plants in
the spring and could easily be controlled if I took action early on.



Mealybugs would occasionally be a problem on my fleshy succulents in Santa
Barbara, and again, I would hose them off.

A couple of my Bougainvilleas here in Tucson would be attacked by leaf cutter
bees every year but I just let them be. Their life span is short and they didn’t
do much damage.

I’ve heard of quite a few concoctions people have used for pest control. I’ve
used water and vinegar and water and alcohol but you can read about others in
these articles: natural & homemade insecticides as well as natural home
pesticides.

Avoid synthetic pesticides and opt for something much less toxic like Neem Oil.

Related:



Aphids & Mealybugs & How To Control Them

What’s Eating My Bougainvillea Leaves

My loppers & my Felcos (my go-to pruners for 25+ years) which I’ve used for
pruning for many years. Many a garden has benefited from them.


10) PRUNE YOUR PLANTS

Last on this list of tips for organic gardening at home is to prune for overall
plant health. How you prune depends on the plant and the season. Always make
sure your pruners are clean and sharp before starting on any big pruning jobs.



Proper pruning helps keep the plant in good health. Yes, I sound like a broken
record but a healthy plant is a strong plant and therefore a warrior!

Improperly pruned plants can get so dense that they encourage insects and the
center of the plant to smother out. You can information online on pruning
specific plants. Salvias are a very popular landscape plant and how you prune
them depends on the type of salvias you have.

Related:

 * How To Prune 3 Types Of Salvia
 * Our Pruning category
 * How To Clean & Sharpen Your Pruning Tools

Organic gardening at home makes sense and isn’t hard to do. The points listed
above will keep your plants healthy and strong and prevent using chemical
synthetics. A good way to go!

Happy gardening,



This post may contain affiliate links. You can read our policies here. Your cost
for the products will be no higher but Joy Us garden receives a small
commission. Thank you for helping us spread the word & make the world a more
beautiful place!

 * About the Author
 * Latest Posts

Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up
in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, &
Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture &
garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer,
blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time &
wants to share what she’s learned with you.

www.joyusgarden.com


 * Pink Quill Plant: Tillandsia Cyanea Growing Guide
 * Aechmea Fasciata: Urn Plant, Vase Plant Care Tips
 * Repotting Lucky Bamboo Plants: A Step By Step Guide





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Next Post: Growing Succulents Indoors: An Intro To The Series »



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