Contrary to popular belief, growing an organic garden doesn’t mean you’re one step away from joining a commune or living off the land. It just means you want healthier food, bereft of the harsh chemicals that are used by mass-producing farms. Here are some tips to ensure that your garden will always grow.

Create a unique visual effect with a hanging basket. A hanging basket full of spring or summer flowers can brighten up a bare wall or a dreary back yard. A traditional hanging basket is made of wire and lined with moss. The moss is helpful in retaining moisture. You can create a spectacular display by not only planting in the basket itself, but by inserting hanging plants in the gaps in the wire mesh. The mesh and surrounding moss with ensure that the plants stay secure.

After a long day of gardening, clean those dirty hands with a breakfast treat. Create a mixture of oatmeal and water. Make it thick! Use the mixture as an abrasive to get the dirt out of your skin and from under your fingernails. Follow it up with your normal soap and water wash to get any lingering dirt off.

Do not give your garden too much fertilizer. Providing fertilizer to your plants allows them to better make food from sunlight. Too much fertilizer, however, can cause your plant to grow too fast, which prevents it from fruiting or flowering. The excess chemicals left in your soil can wash away and pollute the local ground water.

To deter meddlesome dogs from destroying your garden, you should use heavily scented substances around the perimeter. You can even use perfume! By masking the smells he may be attracted to, he should take less interest in the garden plants.

Try to avoid using pesticides in your garden. Pesticides can get into your food easily when you spray them on your edible plants. These pesticides can make you sick, and have been linked to greater health issues. There are many organic alternatives to pesticides that are safe to you and the environment.

Mini roses are very popular and are low maintenance. They come in many bright colors and offer a variety of interesting flower shapes. However, if you want to add a rose to your garden for the fragrance, then a mini-rose may not be a good choice because they produce little to no fragrance. If fragrance is your preference, try a larger, hybrid rose for the most intense fragrance.

You can save time by using soaker hoses. Instead of standing with a hose for a long time or having to refill a container, set your water pressure on low and let your hose sit next to the plant that needs to be watered. Do not forget to turn the water off later.

Research plants before bringing them home. When you are trying to get the best plants for your organic landscape, you should take the time to get educated. Chose plants that are suited to growing conditions you already have, rather than trying to build an environment for a plant you didn’t properly plan for.

Do you want to kill weeds naturally? Put down old newspapers in several layers for controlling weeds. Without light, there can be no weeds. With layers of newspaper on them, the weeds are not going to have light, and therefore will not grow. In time, the newspaper will decompose into the soil. Of course, you may wish to cover the paper with mulch to make it appear more attractive.

A carpenter’s belt is a great investment for any organic gardener. This is because organic gardening involves many small tools that are all frequently used such as trowels, water sprays, pruners, and gloves. Rather than making several trips back and forth between your shed and the garden, a tool belt can help you carry all of your tools at all times.

Often times, in order to get rid of certain caterpillars or worms, you have to use a special netting that will hide them from your leafy green plants such as broccoli. This net will keep the pests out and away from damaging your crops, while maintaining the organic essence of your garden.

The decision to use only natural and organic alternatives to the more common, traditional chemical-based fertilizers can benefit your plants, soil, and even your environment. Over time, using inorganic fertilizers can gradually create a buildup of toxic chemicals in the water and soil, which can ultimately affect not only your own yard, but the entire area.

Healthy soil doesn’t harbor disease and can be of tremendous benefit in helping your plants be as healthy as possible. Pests may still be present, but they will not inflict damage on your plants.

You can use mulch for effective weed control in your organic garden. For the most effective weed killing application, try using a layer of mulch that is very coarse and up to three inches deep. You may need to root weeds out of some hardy grasses to successfully get rid of them too.

You don’t need to buy all new plants to have a successful organic garden. Try using plants that are in the landscape. These can either be native to the area, or they can be imported from areas that had similar climate conditions and soil. They require less water, less care, and they will not die in the winter.

You need to be aware of the levels of the soil in your organic garden. Check your compost balances for both acid and alkaline soils. This kind of compost can bring PH levels into an optimum range for more nutrients. It generally contains micro-nutrients such as iron and manganese that tend to be absent in most synthetic fertilizers.

Yes, there is a stigma that comes with the word “organic,” but that’s because most people fail to realize that the word organic, basically means natural. In fact, growing organic is as natural as you can possibly get. So make sure to use these gardening tips when you’re ready to grow organic food.