Growing Your Own Organic Food

Complete pest control can be achieved by growing your crop indoors.  Pests can be physically stopped, but there is a separate problem of adequate sunlight.  And having the plants pollenate is difficult without a helping hand from the bees.  Some vegetables will not set if the flower is not pollenated.

A less effective method is to plant certain things that have a natural repellant for pests.  Planting onion family crops along the borders of your plot can help.  Members of the onion family include onions in red, yellow, and white varieties, shallots, leeks, chives, and even garlic.  And as a bonus you get to eat the pest controlling bulbs from the onion family.  Some pests will simply fly over the border crop, so add marigolds between your plants.  They are supposed to assist with pest repulsion.

Of course you can increase the amount that you plant.  That way the pests get some and you get the rest.  I recommend using both natural repellants and adding to the crop.

To keep birds out consider scaring them.  Never poison a bird.  Birds will avoid things that are their natural predators.  Use an owl to stop birds from entering your garden.  Fake owls are easy to find, so choose a sturdy owl that will withstand the elements and set it in a visible location inside your garden.  

If the soil is possibly contaminated from chemicals used in the past you can opt to replace it, an arduous task, or you can use containers.  Containers have the advantage of eliminating chemicals that leech through the soil to your plot from surrounding areas where they are or have been in use.

Choose what you are willing to tolerate in building the soil.  You and your family will be the ones eating the harvest.

Seeds can be rated as organic!   One question might well be how can a seed not be organic?  The organic seeds are non-GMO and not from hybrid plants.  Organic seeds are available for herbs, vegetables, and fruits.  

Growing from seeds means you will likely start in cells, although planting directly in the ground is possible.  Growing in cells and protecting the seeds until they sprout saves them from the birds.  But you will want to keep them from drying out.  Adequate watering of seeds is vital.  When the weather poses no danger of additional cold days and the seedlings are large enough transplant them into the garden.  This also eliminates the need for thinning, which often is required when seeds are planted close to each other expecting some to not germinate.  

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