I plant a fairly large a huge garden every summer – with my primary focus on herbs like parsley, cilantro, chives, rosemary, etc. I have three organic gardening tips that might be helpful to beginners.
Organic Planting & Our Wonderful Feathered Friends
Whenever I sowed seeds in the spring I would have a terrible time with the birds eating my new seeds. I love birds and feed them all year – just not where I plant my new garden. I buy expensive feed for their little tummies – so I don’t want them eating my seeds that I’m planting. It’s disheartening to plant seeds – and a few minutes later the little cuties are busily pecking away.
Then … inspiration! I have two indoor cats and one day while cleaning their litter box I suddenly thought about spreading the contents around my garden. Magic! Since that time the birds have totally avoided my seeds. Obviously they can smell the cats (at least I guess that’s the explanation) and even though they can’t see any cats ready to pounce, they stay far away. I also empty some litter into my gardening area even in the winter and then work it into the soil in the spring. If you’ve ever been around cat litter I’m sure you know that it’s quite pungent and obviously the smell lingers for quite some time.
Everybody wins!
Tea Bags As Organic Gardening Supplies? Huh?
We’d all agree that recycling is good, right. So if there’s a way to use the recycled goodies as organic gardening supplies then that’s even better. So, that’s what I do with my organic tea bags. All year long I drink gallons of ‘good’ tea – meaning it’s organic with the untreated paper tea bags. I save all of the bags, rather than throw them away, and dump them into my garden soil. The bag dissolves and the tea leaves become part of the soil and enrich it. I definitely have stronger, healthier plants since I started doing this and I feel good about the recycling.
Organic Gardeners Protect The Baby Seedlings
Organic gardeners know that baby seedlings are very vulnerable and just might need a little help to thrive and grow into big, healthy plants. So w hen I plant seedlings, as opposed to seed, I put the plants out fairly early. But rather than just putting them in the ground, I buy “compostable” paper cups (I;ve gotten them in the past at Whole Foods and you can find them online or in nurseries) and cut out the bottoms. I turn them upside down (wide part at the bottom) and put them around the baby plants. This
Protects them while they’re getting started
Gives them their own little ‘eco pod’ or greenhouse while the cup lasts
Forces them to grow straight, rather than curl over or get twisted
I tested this out for two years – planted some with cups and some without and the difference was noticeable.
This is tested organic gardening advice – not theory. If organic gardening appeals to you, and you have any of these difficulties, try them on for size and see if they fit.
Hamish Hayward says
Great tips. I remember my grandfather used to keep any tea left over – out of the pot, this was long before tea bags – and store it in bottles. He used to dilute it and let is “stand” for a while before pouring it over his plants. I haven’t tried it myself as he was always very particular about both the level of dilution to be used and the amount of standing time before application. I can’t remember what these were, and sadly he is no longer here to ask. However, I might try your teabag technique – it is certainly along the same lines.
blissplan says
Hamish, that’s fascinating! I, too, wish your grandfather was here to explain. Both of my grandmothers have gone on and there are so many times I wish they were here to give me advice. Lost chances. Boo …