Organic food has a lot of promises. At the very base level, organic food meets the expectation of people that their food be grown without a fertilizer and chemical cocktail. In organic farming, some of the concepts revolve around food growing practices that rely on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests. Some of the practices that are strictly excluded include limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives, and genetically modified organisms. Demand for organic food has grown massively.
What are some of the tips that one should follow when attempting to start the process of growing organic food.
1. Be convinced about not using weed killers and pesticides to your garden. If you are not convinced, then there is no point in going organic.
2. When starting out, do not plant in areas close to walls or fences. Such areas could be contaminated by paint, heavy chemicals, metals, etc.
3. Search for areas in your garden that received sun or are in partial shade the year round.
4. Clean the entire area, including removing earlier plants (if starting out organic the first time). Use a shovel if necessary to remove the roots from earlier plants.
5. Get into the habit of using organic compost material (learn how to prepare compost - an excellent growth material for the soil)
6. Prepare the garden by spreading leaves / already prepared compost all over your garden. This ensures that your garden gets its fill of organisms that are beneficial to it.
7. Once you have spread the compost / leaves / other such organic material over the soil of the garden, turn the top soil over, mixing the soil with the organic material so as to make sure that the top layer of the soil is very rich.
8. Water the soil frequently so as to make sure that it remains damp (not a flowing river though); this ensures that organisms get a good environment to propagate in
9. Do not take steps that could harden the soil - this includes stepping on the soil yourself, or moving heavy objects on the soil.
10. Learn about crop rotations for getting different sorts on nutrients in the soil.
This is it for this post. In the next post, there will be more details on how to get a good organic garden up and running.

For those people who are able to successfully create a compost pile, there is nothing like it; however for those who are not able to or fail in this attempt, there can be numerous reasons. Following are some tips on failure causes as well as what to do:

Drainage: Good drainage is essential. One solution for this is to have the base of the bin somewhat open so that excess water can flow out. This gap will also allow more microbes and insects to move in and out.

Accelerators: To get a pile started faster, use something called a compost accelerator. This is material that should be high in nitrogen - ideal things are human urine, blood meal, alfalfa meal, compost from a previously completed pile, manure, all these made good accelerators.

Water: Water in a pile is critical. A lot of failures to form compost happens when either the pile is dry or too wet. The definition of the desired level of water in a pile is: “Looks moist like a sponse that has been wrung-out”, but this is not something that is easily measured. You need to have some understanding of the water levels of some of the ingredients of a pile. Some of the materials contain much water than seems evident.
Fresh materials such as grass, fresh leaves, vegetable wastes, manure, hay, kitchen scraps, etc contain far more water than seems evident. Fallen and dry leaves are browns that contain lower amounts of water. If you pile seems too wet, then you need to turn it out, mix it and add some brown materials that have less water. On the other hand, if the pile seems to heat up too much and then stops, then you need to add water.

Nitrogen content: Not enough nitrogen will lead to the pile stopping. You need to add items that have high nitrogen content - fresh green material such as grass, wastes, fresh green leaves, etc have a lot of nitrogen.

Newsprint: People have been warned of newspapers containing toxic or non-biodegradable materials, but that has reduced significantly. Shredded newsprint is useful for the compost.

Shredding: Shredding means that you have smaller particles in the compost, which means more surface area for the microbes to work through, and a faster pile.

Soil: Add some finely dispersed soil in the pile, since the soil comes with a lot of microbes and worms that are very important for the compost pile.

Areration: Aeration in this case means that the pile gets a lot of air (oxygen). The pile needs to be loosened with a fork so that air gets to the different parts of the pile. In addition, you can push bars down to the bottom of the pile so that air gets to inside the pile.

Measure the temperature: Keep a soil temperature to measure the temperature of the pile at frequent intervals. When the temperature of the pile falls to below 40 degress Celsius, then turn the pile. The temperature should be between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius.

Using manure: Manure can form an important part of any compost pile. Use manure from any animal that is not a carnivore. Avoid using manure from commercial farms since the animals are fed a mixture of antibiotics.

Odours: If you compost pile has an unpleasant odor, then it is either too tightly packed, over-watered or has too much nitrogen. You should add some materials high in carbon content such as grass clippings, straw to the pile.

Compost is raw material for plants, an incredible boost to getting great plants. And this is something that can be made at home without too much effort or complication; however, not everybody is able to get it right. So here are some steps to ensure that you can prepare compost.

Where to make compost in:
You can make compost even under a big polythene sheet, but a bin makes the process a bit neater and cleaner. The bin just acts as a container, so having bins with different exteriors does not really matter.
The bin should have a lid, should not have gaps in the sides (to protect from natural elements), and should be easy enough for you to access (which means tall cyliners that you cannot see insides may not work).

What can you compost:
Well, almost anything organic can be put in a compost pile, and it will over a period of time convert it compost. However, there are some exclusions.
You should not put meat scraps and too oil based material, since meat attracts vermin.
Similarly, even if you have access to a lot of wood scraps, don’t put too much
What can you put ?
As I said, almost anything. Put kitchen waste (peeling, roughings, vegetable cores, fruit pulp), lawn clippings, leaves (but larger leaves need to be cut into smaller sections for faster decay), branches (shredded), paper waste, hay, newspaper, and you can guess, many other similar things.

What do you do to get started:
Once you have the bin, start preparing layers of the various compost raw material. Once you have a six inch layer of such material, you need to add a 4 inch later of ready compost (you should save a bit of compost that has been prepared earlier), or soil, or manure.
Keep on making alternate layers of these materials until you have a pile that is around 3-4 feet high.

Maintenance during the composting process:
The pile should be in a region that is not directly exposed to harsh sunlight; a semi-shaded region is ideal. Keeping under sunlight would dry it out too much.
Water conditions for the compost pile is always where most failures occur. The pile should not be wet or dry, but moist. If you add too much water, you will get a sludge and certainly not compost.
You should turn the pile once in a while, a week or later. This allows more air and oxygen into all parts of the pile, ensuring that the bacteria and fungi get everything they need to grow.
Using urine (even though it seems sometimes a bit repulsive) acts as an accelerator to the compost pile and is pretty useful.

How do you know when the pile is ready:
It can take anywhere between 2 months and one year to form compost.
When you open the compost pile and find that the ingredients have turned to a material that looks dark brown and smells somewhat like earth, the compost is literally done. However, it should still be left for a period of 2 weeks to a month before being used.
If you find some large particles still in the compost, you can either use them along with the compost, or you can add them back to the new compost pile you may be creating.

In addition to this, there are many reasons why a compost pile may fail, so the next post will contain some tips for the compost making process.

Ready to harvest your homegrown herbs but aren’t sure how to best reap the rewards in your kitchen? Here’s a handy guide that will help match foods with the herbs that best complement their natural flavors.

Beef

Basil, bay, caraway, coriander, cumin, dill, marigold, marjoram, mint, sage, savories, tarragon and thyme (no rosemary)

Pork

Anise, basil, bergamot, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savories, tarragon and thyme.

Lamb

Mint, basil, bay, caraway, coriander, cumin, dill, lemon balm, hyssop, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savories or thyme.

Poultry

Chicken only: basil or bay is always good; also caraway, coriander, cumin, dill, lemon balm, marigold, marjoram, mint, rosemary and tarragon; for both sage and savories.
Turkey: thyme

Fish & Shellfish

Anise, basil, caraway, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, hyssop, lemon balm (excellent), marigold, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, savories, tarragon; shellfish and fish, rosemary, and thyme.

Breads & Cakes

Coriander, cumin, caraway, dill, marigold and marjoram, anise, fennel, lovage and rosemary.

Goose

Sage

Duck

Dill, mint, hyssop, rosemary, sage, savories, tarragon.

Eggs

Chives, dill, anise, basil, chervil, coriander, cumin, lemon balm, lovage, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, savories, tarragon or thyme.

Liver

Coriander, sage or tarragon.

Salads

Anise, basil, bergamot, borage, caraway, catmint, chervil, chickweed, chives, comfrey, coriander, cumin, dandelion, dill, elder, hyssop, lemon balm, marigold, mint, parsley, salad burnet, roses, sweet cicely, tarragon and thyme.

Soups

Anise, borage, chickweed, caraway, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, hyssop, lemon balm, lovage, marigold, marjoram, mint, salad burnet, stinging nettles, savories, tarragon, thyme.

(I am not linked to this site in any way)
I was reading about how to improve yield of plants such as carrots that grow underground (known as root crops), and aside from regular stuff about maintaining the required supply of different nutrients in the soil through rotation, I came across this site (on a forum, there were a couple of people recommending this site, so thought I will pass it on).
The site is called Gardens Alive and this specific page is about the Root Crops fertilizer (link to site).
From the site:

Root crops- such as onions, beets, carrots, potatoes and turnips- need the support of soil that’s rich in potassium and phosphorus. So we’ve packed Root Crops Alive! with these essential nutrients in just the right balance needed by root crops. And, unlike greensand-based fertilizers, the potassium in Root Crops Alive! is plant-based, so root crops benefit immediately.
Apply 2-3 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. when you prepare the soil, or side-dress when plants emerge to get greater coverage per pound. For best results, feed again in midseason.

I do not recommend or dismiss this item, just read about it and thought I will pass it along.

When you look at different gardens, there is always the feeling you get in some gardens that these are well-designed, that all the plants are growing optimally in terms of location; and in other gardens, there is the feeling that these are planted haphazardly, and a better job could have been done in organizing the garden. But, most people don’t have the expertise to do that, and getting an expert to do your garden can be very expensive. Well, here’s a Do It Yourself Kit that will help you arrange your garden in a much better way: Link.
The site lets you create a whole garden plan that can give you the feeling of a professional plan. Steps include the actual download of some symbols and graph paper from the site, translating the scale of your garden onto the graph paper, depiction of current stationary items onto the graph that cannot be removed, play around with the design to get what you wanted.
Doing such a plan makes you think in detail about what exactly you want, and this kind of thinking is actually half the work done.

If you are interested in the concept of growing plants, flowers and fruits based on the stages of the moon; then here is a calendar for you. Refer this site: The Old Farmer’s Alamac (link)
From the site:
The best time to plant flowers and vegetables that bear crops above ground is during the light of the Moon; that is, from the day the Moon is new to the day it is full. Flowering bulbs and vegetables that bear crops below ground should be planted during the dark of the Moon; that is, from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again.

This cultivar of the clematis was introduced in 1903, and has become one of the most popular clematis ever raised. Clematis may be planted and trained to cover walls, trellis, posts, fences, arbors or to cover rocky sites and can be very useful in these locations to add a touch of color and greenery. This clematis produces masses of 4-6′ beautiful rosy-pink flowers with white stamens July - August. A quick summary of this flower is that it is easily Grown. The plant grows to a height of 2.4 meters. This is a vigorous, bushy plant.

Properties:
Sun Requirements: Full Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness Zones: 4,5,6,7,8
Soil: Grows best in a fertile, well-drained, alkaline soil with a pH of 5.6-6.5. A choice site is key to the success of establishing this perennial; roots should be kept cool and moist.
Clematis do best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils, but they are somewhat adaptable. If you have very acid soil, try to add some calcium when you plant.
Support: It will need support.
Planting: Roots should be planted when the environment is cool and moist, while the vine itself should be in the sun.
Watering: Comtesse de Bouchard requires 1″ of water a week.

Pruning: Pruning late-flowering clematis is easy, and this clematis is no exception. Before the growth happens in early spring, cut back on the stems to a pair of strong buds 15cm to 20cm (6in to 8in) above ground level. An added advantage of this technique is that the clematis growth is removed each spring and so never becomes too much of a burden on its supporting plant, and as a result, the late-flowering clematis becomes useful for training into shrubs, trees and climbing roses.

Here is a great blog with some good links. People use kitchen gardens either as a hobby, to feel some closeness with nature, to get some food that they are sure is free from chemicals, or generally to supplement their grocery purchases with some self-grown vegetables. This blog (link) talks more about self-sufficiency through the purpose of a garden.
As a result, you learn more about how to grow a garden more suited for growing more food (in these times of recession, would you rather have a garden with a large extent of green lawn, or the same space being used for growing vegetables? - a lawn might look more aesthetic, but a garden built on the process of self-sufficiency would be more useful). You read the whole research paper on this subject, built around efforts in Melbourne. Here are some extracts from the article:

Community food security has emerged as a key response to broader environmental and socio-political issues. This research paper explores an important aspect - the ability of community members in the metropolitan Melbourne area to grow their own food and beneficial herbs, plants of self-sufficiency or productive value, while practicing sustainable gardening methods.
The research found a large majority of respondents believed there were increasing community trends toward self sufficient gardening and sustainable gardening. The research findings discovered substantial evidence of diverse educational opportunities. It found confirmation on communal and individual benefits of self-sufficient gardening, and some setbacks to healthy growth in Melbourne’s gardens.

While browsing and looking for some tips about growing kitchen vegetables, I found this excellent article. It takes a look at how to grow 10 common vegetables with relation to the amount of sun / shade needed, and changed a few of the impressions that I had; I also learned something new from this article (link). Some of the things I learned were:
- You really don’t need your vegetable patch to have full sun all the time
- The amount of sun required depends on the type of vegetables; if you are growing a vegetable from which you harvest the fruit or the root, then you need full sun; if you are growing a vegetable from which you take leaves, the stem or buds, then it is fine to grow them in some shade
- You cannot grow vegetables in full shade, you need some sun
- You need to research about which vegetables need how much shade, since you may have over-looked that the small shaded area that you otherwise overlooked could be useful to grow a specific vegetable
Here is an extract from the article:

The following crops will produce with three to six hours of sun, or fairly constant dappled shade, per day.
Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, and cress.
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas
Beets
Brussels Sprouts
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
Beans