Good Morning! This post is going to be a hodge podge of tips, tricks, and ideas for your garden that are all safe for the earth. I am in a gardening mood today! Many people are challenged with where to start. Others are challenged with their soil content. And others fight bugs. We will take on all three of these.

Before we start, it is soapbox time again. It’s been a while, so definitely time. I harp on natural gardening a lot throughout my blogs and there is a reason. The earth like our bodies has the ability to heal itself. However, when we pollute it with chemicals, it not only damages the earth but our food supply and our water supply. Everything you use affects what you eat and the water you drink. So think about that – read your labels – don’t they all say that they are dangerous and not to consume? Yet you are putting it on the soil that you want to grow your food? Or on the plants themselves? There is a better way. Onto the blog…

Square Foot Gardening. More and more people are starting to grow their own food for consumption rather than spend crazy amounts of money on organic food. One of the best ways to do this in any size space is with a square food garden. An SFG for short, consists of 4 x 4 raised beds, or just spaces segmented so they can be easily worked. If planted properly, these small spaces provide high yields of crops. 

So, what are the benefits of an SFG? Less space means you pick and choose exactly what you want and use less resources, it eliminates the need for weeding, it requires 80% less space, you can yield up to 5 times as much as a regular garden. There is a whole website on the subject! Wooot!! 

  Recommended reading: https://squarefootgardening.com/

  More recommended reading: https://www.homeandgardeningideas.com/10-steps-to-planting-your-square-foot-garden/

  Book: https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Square-Foot-Gardening/dp/0760362858

  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Companion-Planting/dp/B0914PW2R5/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=square+foot+gardening&qid=1682684472&s=books&sprefix=square+%2Cstripbooks%2C160&sr=1-5

If you aren’t interested in the Square Foot Gardening method, you can refer back to my blog post on garden planning.

  Recommended reading: https://www.naturaljoyhealing.com/garden-planning

I read a lot about soil types when I am choosing plants, how do I know what type my soil is? And if I have several areas I want to plant, are they all the same? Excellent questions! Traditionally, you would go to your extension office, get a soil testing kit, and have them test every space you want to plant – remember to label them so you know which space has which type of soil. These were free in the past, but I have found recently that they are now charging for the service. In more recent times there are soil testing kits out online. I haven’t used them, so I can’t attest to their accuracy. And if you want some 100% holistic ways to teach your kids about soil, there are some easy soil tests you can do with things around your home. The link is below.

  Soil Testing Labs By State: https://gardeningproductsreview.com/state-by-state-list-soil-testing-labs-cooperative-extension-offices/

  Soil Testing Meter: https://www.amazon.com/Moisture-Fertility-Hygrometer-Outdoor-Battery/dp/B0BY9KK9F4/ref=sr_1_34?keywords=soil+testing+kit+for+gardening&qid=1682685450&sprefix=soil+testin%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-34

  Recommended reading: https://www.ruralsprout.com/home-soil-tests/?fbclid=IwAR3b3MPyTMqqYi6At57LHTEFcK8aIsCVXp1sBrP9ilWU_q1Lm3uZrhsF1KM

Now that you’ve had your soil analyzed, how to improve it? Some plants prefer alkaline soil, some prefer acidic soil. The easy way is to plant those types of plants where your soil suits. BUT, if you want to improve your soil, there are several ways to do so. First, composting. If you aren’t composting, we will have to cover that in another post. Some people find it easy to do, and others struggle. Second, fertilizer (organic please), talk to your nursery about your soil type and they will recommend what type of organic matter best suits your needs.

Now to the interesting types. There are many things you have at home that will help your soil. I have quite a few links so won’t add a lot of details here, you can read for yourself. Just remember, don’t do these things willy nilly. Ensure you know what your space needs before attempting to change your soil content.

More Alkaline

Wood Ash.  Many plants specifically love wood ash including roses, basil, thyme, hostas, lavender, tomatoes, asparagus, hydrangeas, garden phlox, sage, and arugula.

Limestone.  Lime is used in many places. When I lived in Texas before, I had a stagnant pond out back that bred mosquitos like nobody’s business. If I wanted to dump hundreds of pounds of lime in the pond, I could have changed the pH level and removed my mosquito problem. I chose a less costly option, but that is for another telling. Lime is well known for changing pH levels and is quite beneficial in the garden. It benefits peas, beans, onions, garlic, asparagus, parsnips, spinach, and apple trees. Certain plants do not do well with lime include blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.

Baking soda.  Not only will baking soda change the pH level of your soil, but it can be used as a fungicide as well. Note. You can use baking soda inside as an abrasive – the same goes for outside. Certain plants do NOT like its abrasive nature so avoid using it on plants like ferns, strawberries, and potatoes.

  Recommended reading: https://kellogggarden.com/blog/soil/how-to-organically-raise-ph-in-soil/

More Acidic

Sulfur.  The amount of sulfer used is based on the type of soil. Blueberries love acidic ground, as do legumes, certain root crops, and cruciferous vegetables. Many plants (other than the ones listed above) don’t like sulfer including most fruits.

Sphagnum Peat Moss. Peat moss needs to be incorporated into your soil before planting. Typically, it is added as winter is ending giving it time to breakdown and mix with your soil. 

Acidic Fertilizer. Things added to your soil to make it more acidic can burn your plants. Ensure that you are adding these things early enough in the season for them to break down and compliment your soil. Check with someone at your nursery to ensure you fertilize your garden at the right time.

Coffee Grounds.  One thing most people have around their homes that can change the pH level to a more acidic one is coffee grounds.  While there isn’t a lot of hard facts about how much and what it actually does to the soil, many gardeners swear by it.

  Recommended reading: https://www.ruralsprout.com/make-soil-acidic/

Ok. So we have garden planning done, the soil tested, and decided how to raise or lower the pH level of our soil. The next challenge typically is the one that stops many people from gardening. Pests. How to handle them without pesticides is definitely a challenge, BUT there are many things that will aid you in this endeavor.

What do I do about bugs in my garden? There are many different things. Again, remember that the earth heals itself. Bugs are needed to feed the birds, just not in the numbers that garden’s typically produce. The last thing you want is for the bugs to eat all the food you are growing for your table. Let’s take a look at several options for you.

Companion Planting. When certain plants are planted together, they repel bugs. One of the best overall plants for your garden are marigolds. Onions and garlic fall right behind, but they are only part of the companion planting idea. There are some wonderful charts out there of what plants to plant together and which plants don’t like other plants. Check out my companion planting blog post below.

  Recommended reading: https://www.naturaljoyhealing.com/garden-herbs-companion-planting

Trap Crops. I had never heard of this method before. The idea is two-fold. Either to double plant your crop – sacrificing the earlier crop for the later one or plant a similar crop to your main crop and sacrifice that similar one. Not sure how I feel about this idea. I’ll have to do more research.

  Recommended reading: https://www.ruralsprout.com/trap-crops/   

Some specific types of pests to the garden are addressed below. 

Cabbage Worms. Cruciferous vegetables. These were the biggest challenge to my mother’s garden last year as they planted cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kale. We had white moths EVERYWHERE. If you don’t mind purple, note that cabbage worms like the purple variety the least. We turned to cornmeal to get rid of ours, but there are a variety of different preventative measures.

  Recommended reading: https://homesteadandchill.com/get-rid-of-cabbage-worms/

  More recommended reading: https://www.organiclesson.com/get-rid-of-cabbage-worms/

Root Vegetable Pests. These affect your rutabagas, turnips, potatoes, and the like.   You can’t typically see the damage done until you pull up your vegetables and by then it is far too late. Aphids on the other hand, tend to be a regular and annoying pest in the garden and can be effectively managed with ladybugs.

  Recommended reading: https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/disease-and-pests/turnip-and-rutabaga-pests/

Tomato worms. The easiest and tastiest method for protecting your tomatoes, is through companion planting with basil. There are several other methods to manage the tomato worms that can also affect your peppers and potatoes.

  Recommended reading: https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/garden-pests/tomato-hornworm-control/

Ok. LOADS of information today. Please reach out if you have questions or comments. I’d love to hear how your garden progresses this year! Happy planting!

Blessings – E