WHY GO ORGANIC ? : A guide to growing & eating organic
Our lifestyle and eating habits play a significant role in the rising incidence of diseases. In order to prevent illnesses and difficulties in old age, one should start eating organically as soon as possible.
Here, we provide information on how to start eating and growing organically, as well as the advantages to your lifestyle and how it can enhance your quality of life.
There are plenty of reasons why you must switch to an organic food diet, here are some solid reasons to mention a few,
Cause you want to avoid chemicals :
Chemicals make a huge part of whatever we eat, no matter how much we try to avoid eating out, chemicals could still surface in any amount in anything that we choose to consume, primarily in the vegetables that we purchase from the supermarkets.
If you wish to eat a chemical free diet, switch to eating organic and if you still doubt that the food you are getting from the farm could still be toxic, it’s better that you start growing food in your own backyard.
Benefit from more nutrients:
More protein? More minerals? Less carbs? One stop decision is to switch to organic. Foods grown organically unquestionably include more vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and micronutrients than foods grown commercially, as a result of the soil being managed and nourished according to sustainable practices and ethical norms.
It’s often a misconception that organic means eating veggies and salads and avoiding spices. But no, Foods grown organically typically have a higher flavour because robust, healthy plants thrive in nourished, balanced soil. This is particularly true of heirloom types, which are grown more for flavour than for aesthetics.
Preserve our ecosystems:
Organic farming itself suggests growing food sustainably. Chemical abstinence protects the ecology, while soil preservation and crop rotation maintain the health of farms. When we choose to live organically we do not interfere with or compromise the ability of wildlife, insects, frogs, birds, and soil creatures to play their respective functions in the ecology.
Making a healthier choice by changing our eating habits directly improves our lifestyle and thus eventually secures our future.
How to grow organic food at home ?
Not sure where to begin? Although it is feasible to hire someone to set up and maintain a lovely organic garden for you, the majority of us can get our hands dirty with surprisingly little effort.
Keep in mind that you can start out small, even with only one or two plants. If nothing seems perfect right away, don’t worry. We are here to help!
Although using organic gardening implies you won’t use artificial fertilisers or pesticides, it doesn’t mean your plants will be left to fend for themselves. To promote plant health and fight off pests, a variety of tools are available that you can use. Here’s how you can begin this lifestyle change.
Preparing the Soil:
You must ensure the soil is adequately prepared if you want your new organic garden to produce the finest results. Make sure your vegetables receive plenty of fresh nutrients because both you and plants must eat.
Plants that are strong and fruitful are built on healthy soil. Chemical soil treatments not only have the potential to contaminate your food but also destroy the soil’s beneficial bacteria, worms, and other creatures.
You’ll want to make sure your soil has plenty of humus- get your manure preferably from locally grown, organically-raised livestock. Compost, grass and leaf clippings, and manure should all be combined. Unless you aren’t planting or harvesting for two months after applying the manure, it should be composted.
Compost is beneficial to many types of gardens, and you can manufacture your own on spot. By converting trash into “black gold,” compost feeds plants, aids in water conservation, reduces weed growth, and prevents food and yard waste from entering landfills.
When organic waste rich in nitrogen and carbon is combined with soil, water, and air in the proper proportion, the best compost is created. Don’t stress too much if you don’t have enough time to generate excellent compost; the chemistry might seem difficult but the pile will nevertheless produce tremendous results even if it is just lightly managed.
Pick plants that can adapt to each location’s light, moisture, drainage, and soil quality. These factors are usually graded in gardening.
When purchasing seedlings, seek out plants that were grown without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Your neighbourhood farmers’ market is a fantastic location to start looking, as they can offer local plants and types that are suitable for your area.
It is preferable to purchase stocky seedlings with few, if any, blooms at this time and healthy-looking root systems.
Sunflowers, annual poppies, coriander, annual lupine, morning glories, sweet peas, squash, and cucumbers are just a few of the plants that are best cultivated from seed.
Planting Crops:
Plants that you will be harvesting, like cutting flowers or veggies, should be gathered together in beds that you don’t walk on. The use of groups allows you to concentrate on compost and nutrients while using less water and weeding. The presence of sufficient space between rows aids in air circulation, which impedes fungal outbreaks.
It’s important to keep in mind that seedlings won’t always remain little, so you should try to avoid overshadowing. Crops should be trimmed depending on advice from your trusted nearby nursery.
Watering:
Mornings are typically the best time to water plants. Why? The amount of water lost to evaporation is decreased because mornings are often chilly and have less breezes. Plants that receive night time watering remain damp throughout the night, increasing their susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections.
For established plants, the majority of experts advise heavy, infrequent watering, often a total of around one inch of water each week (including rain). Deeper rooting is encouraged by one or two sprays per week, which helps to grow stronger plants.
Regardless of where you live, weeds will still be an issue. It may sound like a lot of labour to pull them by hand, and it can be, but it can also be beneficial exercise that gets you outside and into the fresh air.
Applying mulch, which also helps to safeguard the soil, will lessen the amount of weeds you have to deal with. Burlap and organic mulch both have their uses.
Although cheap, straw is short-lived. While lovely, wood chips can be somewhat expensive. Although many people choose to utilise grass clippings, it should be noted that due to their high nitrogen content, clippings should only be used on plants that require a lot of the nutrient, such as squash and lettuce.
Protecting Plants Without Pesticides:
Making sure plants are receiving adequate amounts of light, nutrients, and moisture should be your first priority if pests are attacking your garden because this could be an indication of additional issues. Also keep in mind that a variety garden reduces the amount of one type of plant that pests can consume.
Fostering natural predators in your garden, such frogs, toads, lizards, birds, and even bats, is a smart idea. Particularly ladybugs, helpful insects can be your best pals.
Even though there is a good chance they won’t survive, many nurseries nevertheless sell them in cans. A little source of water should be left out to draw helpful predators.
Grown for their ability to draw predatory insects, small-flowered plants like sweet alyssum and dill are also a wonderful choice. Row coverings and nets can both be used.
Don’t forget to reap the rewards of your hard work! Generally speaking, your plants will produce more for you as you harvest more.
You’ll probably discover that it’s better to examine your garden daily throughout the busiest harvesting period. Having herbs? Pick them just before you need them if you plan to utilize them fresh.
However, it is best to wait until right before they flower if you plan to dry and store them because they will be at their most flavourful. Midday, just after the dew has dried, is the ideal time to gather all herbs except basil. Basil will last longer after some time in the sun, so pick it in the late afternoon.
Pick leafy greens intermittently from the entire crop, a little from each plant, before harvesting. Before sending off broccoli buds for flowering, wait until the central head is as big as it will get.
You’ll probably get more yield from the rest of the plant if you cut it off directly above the leaf node. Generally speaking, it’s better to cut produce off with a sharp knife or pair of scissors as opposed to ripping it with your fingers, which can more seriously harm the plant tissue.
Make sure to remove the complete organism if you see sick plants during the growing season or at the end of the year. Because infected leaves can harbour issues for a very long time, don’t forget to rake up underneath. Put all contaminated materials on the fire or deep in the forest, at least a foot underground.
The majority of mature or healthy plants can actually be left in place during the winter. For birds and other wildlife, you’ll be able to give food and habitat, and plant cover can assist keep your soil from eroding. Annuals should be cut off rather than pulled out. By doing so, you’ll preserve the soil’s integrity and aid in preventing the establishment of weeds.
Increasing concerns about food safety in general have led to a resurgence in popularity of organic food. The goal of most chefs is to cultivate their own food in a kitchen garden and use it in recipes.
The best thing about organic food is how fresh it is, coming directly from the soil to your kitchen with no delays or hurdles. Produce that is organic is always of the highest quality because it contains no fertilisers or additives.
