We have a large backyard in our southern Illinois home, and I’m very interested in planting an ORGANIC vegetable garden. To say I don’t have a green thumb is a huge understatement. I’ll probably start off small, but I’d like to eventually have the following:
Red Potatoes
Onions
Lettuce
Cabbage
Tomatoes
Green Peppers
Celery
Strawberries
Grape Vines
Apple Trees
Broccoli
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Peas
Pumpkins
Corn
These are the fruits and vegetables that my family consumes constantly and our grocery bill is OUTRAGEOUS. Plus I’m trying to become more responsible concerning chemicals pesticides so I’d like to do this as naturally as possible. We don’t have many organic products to choose from in the stores around here, so I figure if I want to do this I’ll have to grow my own.
I don’t know the first thing about gardening - let alone organic gardening - so I’m feeling overwhelemed and don’t really know where to begin. Do you have some good advice or online resources that will help me get started? Also, any advice or resources on canning vegetables for the winter would also be appreciated. THANKS!!!!!!
Comments
Find a local master gardener. There are organizations in most communities. There are thousands of books out there. One of my favorites was Dick Raymonds The Joy of Gardening. The big thing that I liked about his theories was that while he was organic, when the need arose chemical means were sometimes necessary and used. But books do not address your particular climate or soils so that information must be obtained locally.
For myself personally, trial an error was the best teacher. Different fruits and veg require different soils and must be rotated every few years to replace lost nutrients in the soil.
Fruit trees are easy to grow they really only require the odd pruning, berries are simple enough too especially strawberry plants.
Any good nursery or gardening supplier will have people who can advise you on what type of soil suits which plant so take advantage of the expertise when buying seed or shoots.
Wow, Rodale press has a lot of good books about gardening. You might want to start by getting your soil tested there are a lot of organic ingredients that you can am mend or feed your soil with. Just putting down a layer of straw and manure right now so it’ll be broken down some and till into the soil when it warms up. I’m guessing you have snow on the ground right now. Check with your neighbors, farm bureau about the varieties of crops that grow well in your area. Early spring you can put in peas, radishes lettuce strawberry plants. A simple cold frame made from straw bales and plastic or plastic piping and plastic sheeting can protect delicate plants like lettuce. The strawcan be later used for composting. mulching or keep the paths from becoming weedy. When soil temperatures are above 70 you can plant corn seeds, put in tenderer plants like tomatoes , summer squashes peppers. We plant our pumpkins and winter squash on the 4Th of July but you probably have an earlier frost date. early spring is a good time to get bare root trees like apples in.You might consider trees that ripen at different times so you don’t have all the bounty to deal with at once. You can dry fruit, make apple sauce and freeze it as an alternative to just canning. Cherries would probably do well in your area. Lastly hook up with a good plant nursery, local is best. They are an amazing source of information. Though sometimes the big box stores have great people the plants don’t tend to be locally gorwn and the folks aren’t always as knowledgeable.
I would look under Yahoo Groups and one that deals with organic gardening. A few of the things you list will not grow well in southern Illinois, because you don’t have long enough of a growing season. Check with neighbors, who have gardens and ask questions at local farmers markets.
These are all good answers, but here’s a website that can help, too. There are links for every vegetable and fruit you’ve listed and more.
Good luck!
