Organic Vegetables Too Expensive?: Grow Your Own
With grocery produce prices soaring, every visit to the supermarket seems to bring a little veggie sticker shock, especially if you insist on organic vegetables. Moreover, you’re a bit reluctant, since supermarket organic produce may not always be what it’s cracked up to be.
But, with a little willingness to toil in your garden, you can enjoy the freshest and most healthful organic vegetables at a fraction of the price, not to mention the satisfaction this kind of activity brings.
Grow Your Own Tasty and Healthful Organic Vegetables
Many people know about the benefits of eating organic fruit and vegetables. However, not many people regularly eat organic food. The biggest disincentive is usually the price. Organic veggies are invariably a lot more expensive at the local supermarket.
The refreshing news is that anyone with a modest vegetable plot can cultivate fresh organic vegetables. And they can achieve this at a much lower cost than buying them in a grocery store!
Regardless, some people don’t bother cultivating their own vegetables, since they believe they are limited by space, time, and the knowledge to grow a bountiful vegetable patch. But organic gardening is not as hard as you may expect.
Are you wondering what an organic garden is? Most gardeners describe organic gardening as simply avoiding the use of anything chemical or artificial as fertilizer and insect control. They instead use natural materials and methods to maintain the health of the soil and the food, as well as their own.
Why is organic gardening such a good thing? Organic gardeners will tell you that the quality of the vegetable is nutritionally superior to anything you can get in the supermarket because the soils are kept nutrient-rich with natural materials. Not depleted and artificially fertilized. And the flavor is amazing.
An organic garden can also help you feel safer, since you control what goes into your food. You’ll feel the satisfaction of having produced your own organic vegetables and fruit, get the physical benefits that come from fresh air and exercise, and help to make the environment a lot better.
Mulching is one of the primary tips for a successful organic garden. The addition of old organic matter on a regular basis helps to keep the soil healthy and well functioning. Mulching helps the soil retain moisture, suppresses weeds, reduces temperature fluctuations, and can prevent soil crusting. Many organic gardeners notice that upon improving the health of the soil, plant disease problems readily decline.
Of course, the main reason for growing organically is to avoid the use of chemicals and commercially produced fertilizers and pesticides. This helps to maintain healthy soil across numerous growing seasons. More importantly, you can be sure that the food your family is eating is free of pesticides and herbicides.
While avoiding synthetic chemicals, many organic gardeners approve of and use sprays and other preparations containing naturally occurring materials. Other pest control methods include the use of mechanical devices such as traps. Another favorite is to encourage other animals into the garden which like to eat the pests.
You never know, if the prices of organic produce remain high and concerns about food safety grow you might be able to convert that backyard vegetable patch into an income earner as well. For those less entrepreneurial, there is the opportunity to work on projects, such as neighborhood food growing, in order to benefit the whole community.
At the very least, home grown, organic vegetables definitely taste better.
About the Author:
Sarah Duke is publisher of The Vegetable Patch at http://www.vegetablegardensite.com, where you’ll find lots of information for starting a vegetable garden.
Tags: Gardening, organic gardening, organic gardens, organic vegetable gardeningMay 26 2008 | Gardening | No Comments »