The term “Organic” is associated with a number of other “earthy” words. When we think of organic, we often think of natural things, as well as health and sustainability.

Most people will have come across organic products in supermarkets, clothing retailers, small delicatessens and more, and of course, farms and domestic gardens.

Organic gardening is becoming increasingly popular with keen gardeners. More and more people are opting to go organic over any other type of gardening.

But what is organic gardening and how complicated is it to design an organic garden?

Designing one is actually not as difficult as you might think.

What does organic gardening mean?

First and foremost, organic gardening is tending to a garden without using any chemical fertilisers and pesticides. However, on a much deeper level, it is more than this. It is a way of making a garden wholly environmentally friendly in order to minimise impact on the environment.

Goodbye artificial lawns and chemical bug repellent. Hello environmentally-friendly water butts and a homemade composter.

How do you start an organic garden for beginners?
 

You’ll first need to think about your garden design. Perhaps you could hire some professional garden designers to plan out a layout of your garden.

Think about the main purpose of your garden and consider areas where crops will flourish.

Think about the scale of the project, the budget you have and how long your organic garden will take to create.

Planning is key to a successful organic garden. You’ll also need to research where to find your materials.

How do I start an organic vegetable garden?

You’ll, first of all, need to find an appropriate position for your organic vegetable garden, considering the amount of sunlight each area of your garden receives, as well as, which areas of the garden are prone to weathering and other factors that may affect crop growth.

Next, you’ll need to shop for organic soil and organic seeds to place in the areas. Most organic gardeners prefer to use recycled water for watering these plants.

You are best to opt for hardy shrubs to begin with until you have honed your organic gardening skills.

What is a good organic fertilizer for vegetable gardens?

One of the biggest challenges facing organic gardeners is, of course, which fertiliser to treat their crops with.
While natural fertilisers are definitely a better option when it comes to the environment, they are not always the most effective option. That’s why many chemical fertilisers win the battle!

But don’t give in! Find the right organic fertiliser for your garden.

Trial a few of the following organic fertilisers to see what gives you the best result:

• Manure (from grass-fed animals.i.e. Cows, horses, rabbits and chickens).
• Compost/ compost teas
• Fish/seaweed fertilisers
• Manufactured organic fertilisers

How do I make the best garden soil?

Not every garden simply has the perfect soil! After all, there are many different areas that have many types of different soil.

Some may be too silty, sandy, have too much clay, be of a different pH or another reason altogether.

Perhaps invite a garden design expert to find out how you could improve your soil and put their expertise to good use!

Good luck on your organic gardening journey - it will be worth it!