Organic gardening tips

Lots of us are interested in organic gardening, whether that be partial or a complete non-chemical solution, but where do you start and how. The temptation is to stack that compost bin with as much vegetable waste as the ktchen can produce but this is only one part of your armoury. Here are 10 tips for making the most of your organic garden.     

• Don't throw away or compost banana skins, roses love them! Just put them straight onto the soil around the base of the rose and let them decompose naturally.
• If you are planning on growing garlic, plant some now because garlic likes to rest over the winter before coming into life at Spring. Garlic takes two years to mature so rather than using seeds, plant the cloves straight into the ground. They need quite a lot of space between them so leave at least 40cms between the rows.
• Garlic and roses are the perfect companions because the garlic deters those nasty pests that can ruin roses. Plant garlic or chives, another member of the onion family, around your roses.
• Marigolds deter asparagus beetles and tomato hornworms and add a splash of colour to the vegetables patch with their fantastic yellow, orange and rust hues. They also act as a general insect repellent so grow them  around the patio area to deter summer midgies.
• Chamomile is known as the physician plant because it perks up anything planted in or around it.  It is an ideal companion for almost any plant and will help get your veggies off to a good start.
• Nasturtiums, although a beautiful flower could easily be considered a herb. You can eat the leaves which have a peppery flavour a bit like watercress, and the flowers which look stylish in a salad.
• Wild flowers attract beneficial bugs so if you have the space, section off a corner of your garden. You can grow wild flowers in a pot but they re-seed themselves every year, so be aware of wind-borne seeds.
• If you are growing organic vegetables and fruit, they will need plenty of sun. Keep your vegetable patch to the SE of your garden so they will benefit from maximum sunshine.
• Before you plant your vegetables or plants make sure you have left room for a designated path because every time soil is walked on micro organisms are damaged.
• You want your plants to be on an area of flat ground.  If it's uneven then pools of water will collect which can rot plant roots. If it's on a steep slope the water will drain off before the roots can absorb any water.

By Rachael Hannan