Many gardeners are turning to organic gardening techniques as a way of growing lots of tasty edible crops without the use of man-made chemicals and fertilisers. The food is healthier, tastier and you'll have the peace of mind of knowing exactly what has gone into producing it. It's not difficult to change your style of gardening and while it might initially feel daunting, you'll reap the benefits long-term.

Improving your soil

Leaf mould, composted bark and garden compost can be dug into the soil or spread across the surface, where weather and worms will work them in. Their bulk will improve the drainage of heavy soils and allow dry soil to hold onto moisture and nutrients.

Making compost

Prunings, peelings, tea bags, old flower heads and even bits of newspaper can be turned into nutrient rich compost. Fill a compost bin with a good mixture of green and brown materials, not just lots of green stuff such as grass clippings, which will produce a smelly sludge. Go for the largest compost bin you can fit in your garden. If it's tiny, try a neat and compact worm bin.

Weed control

Prevent weeds by spreading a carpet of bark mulch, leaf mould or composted straw across soil. If weeds appear, pull them up or hoe before they set seed. Compost weed seedlings, but discard tough weeds with long roots in the dustbin as they could reproduce in the compost heap.

Seeds and plant choice

Strong plants are less likely to succumb to diseases or pests, so always grow a plant that suits your site and soil. Choose naturally disease resistant varieties whenever you can, such as blight-resistant tomato 'Ferline' or carrot 'Resistafly' which is resistant to carrot fly.

Make wildlife work for you

Don't reach for a chemical spray when your plants come under attack. Instead make your garden a haven for animals, birds and insects and they'll do the work for you. Hedgehogs and toads will devour slugs and snails, while lacewings and ladybirds have a voracious appetite for greenfly. Install bug boxes and habitats for creatures to hibernate.

Controlling insects

If you have pest problems you can use biological controls bought from mail-order suppliers. There are many available, including tiny parasitic wasps that can be used to control whitefly in greenhouses and a microscopic worm that kills vine weevil grubs.

Change your mindset

Organic gardeners want their plants to grow well, but learn to accept a degree of imperfection

Controlling diseases

Change the position of your vegetable crops each year to prevent the built up of diseases in the soil and don't let plants dry out - they'll become stressed and vulnerable to disease.

Good companions

Grow strongly scented plants alongside crops so they either confuse pests or attract them away from the vegetables. For instance, plant French marigolds near tomatoes to deter whitefly.

Go on patrol

Prevent major problems by regularly checking plants. A few greenfly can be squished before they become an infestation and diseased parts of plants can be pruned out before they have a chance to spread.

Related Links:
• Garden Centers In Your Area
• Landscapers In Your Area

Related Downloads:
• Tips On Organic Gardening Printable Edition