Organic gardening is popular and with that are questions regarding best practices. Growing a successful garden without traditional methods takes some prep work and planning so we’ve asked experts at English Gardens for their best tips on how to be successful when growing an organic garden.   

Healthy Soil

Keep your soil healthy and balanced can reduce the need for insecticides and disease control methods. 

• Get your soil tested to be sure you’re adding the proper nutrients to maintain healthy plants. 
• If you’re getting your soil tested in the fall, add essential nutrients before the winter, and your soil will be ready for planting in the spring. 
• Make sure your plants are getting enough light and water. The healthier the plant the stronger it is at fighting off diseases and insect activity.

Create Your Own Compost Pile

Compost provides essential nutrients to your garden. Creating your own is simple and can be done using things already around your home. A successful pile will have the right ratios of carbon (brown material) and nitrogen (green material). 

• You’ll need an area at least 3 square feet 
• Layer your compost pile with a mix of brown materials like leaves and garden trimmings and green materials like kitchen scraps and manure. Use a thin layer of soil in between. 
• Top the pile with 6 inches of soil and turn it when new material is added to keep everything moist. 
• Your compost should be ready to use in roughly 2 months. 
• If your compost starts to smell, add more brown materials or even some straw or sawdust. 

Fertilize

Plants need food too. Using an organic fertilizer on your plants keeps them healthy and better able to prevent disease from taking hold. 

• Use a quick-release organic fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks. 
• Don’t over fertilize. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Over fertilizing can lead an increase in disease and insect activity. 

Protecting Your Plants

When planning your garden, a few measures can be taken to help reduce pests and disease from moving in. 

• Use planting companions to help fend off unwanted visitors. Planting certain plants and crops together can help reduce the amount of insects that visit your garden. Check out our Planting Companion Guide for more information. 
• Use beneficial insects like ladybugs to keep destructive insects out. 
• Entice garden-friendly predators like frogs, toads, birds and even bats by leaving a small water source near your garden. 
• Inspect all plants for disease before you plant, and often after they are in the ground. Remove the diseased plant quickly to prevent it from spreading. 
• Rotate crops from year to year. This helps eliminate the fungus and bacteria that can grow in the soil from a particular plant. 

Clean Up

Maintaining your garden bed is an important part of creating an organic garden. 

• Rake leaves and other debris that falls under the plants regularly. 
• Weed often. Use mulch or lawn clippings to reduce weed growth. 
• Remove any sick plants as soon as possible. Pull out the entire plant before the end of the season to stop disease from spreading. 
• Cut annuals off rather then pull them out. This leaves the soil intact and helps prevent weeds. 

For more information on organic gardening methods, visit any English Gardens location and talk to an expert.