The best kind of food for plants comes from nature itself. Naturally fertilizing the soil for growing is environmentally sound and in a way, replenishes the earth hence balancing the eco-system. There are many organic fertilizers to choose from. Store prepared ones like fish fertilizer are strong both in use and also in smell. Home prepared ones that come out of a compost pit are less offensive and a lot cheaper. This, however, needs to be worked at and biodegradable refuse and organic matter that comes from left-over food, tea leaves and vegetable and fruit skins, should be layered and covered to decompose.

Manure and peat are other natural foods for plants and these should be used twice a year - in spring and in fall. Since spring is the growing season, your blooms and vegetables will get a boost right in the beginning. This does not mean that this is all; a follow up of fertilizer feed is required after a month or so.

Naturally rich soil is wonderful for weeds too! A backbreaking exercise like pulling out weeds can be avoided if natural vinegar is poured over them. Then again, an ingenuous method is to use newspaper to smother them. Water over the paper and let it settle down. Snuffing out the weeds robs the sunlight from them and they will die out. This can then be tossed up and used as additional fertilizer.

Worms, bugs and aphids as also other insects that come to feed off your garden produce require to be dealt with. A weak solution of two tablespoons of liquid soap in a gallon of water can be sprayed over leaves and stems. Ladybird beetles help guard against tiny aphids or these can be countered by fine but sharp sprays of water. Another natural deterrent is a bacterium called BT that kills off unwanted attackers and pests.

The green of a lawn is a delight that sadly requires maintenance to keep it that way. Fertilize it early fall and water it a bit more right in the beginning. Evaporation in summer can be kept down if the grass is allowed to grow a bit more. After mowing your lawn, the cut grass can be left right there so that it can re-enter and enrich the soil. Watering of lawns should be done early morning or late evening. If you have too much of weeds and crabgrass, pulling these out can become self defeating, so corn gluten can be used naturally to deter growth. Of course, a ground cover will do away with all these worries of watering, weeding and mowing.

If you like Gardening....These pages might also interest you:

Allium Directory, Amaryllis Directory, Begonia Directory, Crocus Directory, Daffodils Directory, Dahlia Directory, Hyacinth Directory, Iris Directory, Lily Directory, Tulip Directory

Also see:

A Love Affair With Gardening, Charming Camillias, Firescaping, Gardening for the Family, Garden Rodents, Garden Catalogs, General Gardening Tips. Gardens in the Shade, Hot Summer Cool Garden, How to Plant Leeks, Involve Your Children, Outfits for Gardening, Photograph Your Garden, Plant Care Basics, Using Leaves as Compost, What to Avoid Buying Guide, Cheap Garden Ideas, Creating Garden Berms, Garden Fragrances, Garden Lessons, Gardening for The Challenged, Gardening is Great, Gardening Math, Gardening Tools, How to Use Peat, More About Gardening, Love affair with Lilacs, Organic Gardening, Slow Down and Enjoy, Smart Plant Shopping, Tips for Beginners