I know many serious gardeners are concerned about the usage of sustainability of natural resources in gardening. In reality, when people work against nature to grow their crops, indoor and outdoor plants, they ignore the ecosystem and resources of that particular region. If you look at the graph of the last 50 years, you will see how far we came.
The continuous work opposing nature is causing a disturbance in the natural ecosystem and resources. This may not bother you for now but it will become a huge trouble in the upcoming time.
Sustainable organic gardening for beginners
So what you can do to overcome this problem? Don't worry. At least I'm here to help you to get more info and learn how to start a sustainable organic garden in your backyard. This may help you to at least grow food for yourself in a sustainable manner.
But before starting the steps to start it, let's understand what is a sustainable organic method of gardening first.
What is sustainable organic gardening?
Let's understand sustainability first. It signifies to use of natural resources in the same manner as nature does. You don't need to go against nature for gardening. Use native resources to work according to the available resources.
It becomes organic sustainable gardening when we use organic fertilizers, pesticides, and work according to the available organic resources.
So combined, organic sustainable gardening is a method to work in your native place with available organic resources to keep the ecosystem balanced without working against nature.
I know it is looking very heavy to read but it is easier to implement than reading. Let's see how sustainable organic gardening works at the beginner level.
Preparation before starting as a beginner
The following points are necessary to prepare yourself(if you are a beginner or intermediate in gardening) for sustainable organic gardening-
- Study the local climate
It is not a big deal to understand the climate of their native land. Everyone learns this in school but it is important to know the precise timings of the climate and season change. Also, weather conditions matter in many cases.
- List the native plants
Native plants suit the local soil with the least use of fertilizers and growth boosters in soil. If you choose the wrong plants, then they may disturb the balance of the soil.
- List seasonal companion native plants
To increase soil fertility and maintain it for a longer period, you should better learn about the native companion plants. These plants include native vegetables, fruits, and other plants. Companion plants always help other plants to peak their growth without overshadowing others.
For example, if plant 'A' needs more magnesium and less potassium from soil, and the 'B' plant is the least magnesium consumer and more potassium absorbing then they will not disturb each other.
- Prepare an organic waste compost
You can start preparing organic waste compost in your backyard easily. You don't even need extra resources for that. Your kitchen organic waste is enough for that and it matches the native ecosystem.
You can start collecting it in a compost bin easily and using dry leaves, biomass, soil, earthworms, and some water is enough with organic waste to prepare a good quality organic compost.
- Study the good native insects
Know your native insects to understand their participation in the ecosystem. Studying good native insects is very helpful in the natural gardening process. You can encourage them in your garden by choosing the right native companion plants.
- Study agroforestry principle
Agroforestry is the most natural method of agriculture. It uses limited space to produce the maximum results with the help of natural resources. It includes companion plants, tree farming, vines, and natural mulching to give the best results.
How to start?
So finally, we're at the checkpoint of starting organic sustainable gardening. Here you can start with simple steps-
- Prepare a soil mixture
Prepare the soil mixture according to the native plants you choose for gardening. It includes seasonal companion vegetables most of them. So for that, use a certain ratio of garden soil and organic compost with some moisture. Mix them well with the help of a spade and mixing tool.
- Divide the area
Level the soil mixture in the backyard after mixing it. Now, divide the area according to your need. Give more space to a seasonal vegetable so that you can get more output in a short period.
You can grow multiple vegetables at once even 4 to 5 in the same land with their maximum growth if they're companion plants.
Leave some space for walking in the backyard garden to keep it more accessible.
- Install irrigation
Install drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation in the garden. You also need drainage in the backyard to keep plants safe if the humidity is so high. So for that, you can mix sand in the earlier mixture and provide a natural slope to the entire garden. Manual drainage is costly and needs maintenance from time to time.
- Sow the seeds
Sow the seeds in the divided areas distinctly.
- Follow the gardening basics
Now, you can follow the basics of gardening like irrigation, fertilization, pest control, and harvesting. It is the same from here. The practical work is not that difficult in sustainable organic gardening. Just some awareness of the native ecosystem.
Scopes of sustainable gardening
More than scope and comfort, it is more important to work in a natural sustainable manner. For those who don't know the seriousness of the distinction between natural resources and climate change, it is just like a method of gardening but it is not.
Let's see some scopes of sustainable organic gardening-
- It is a future considering method to work according to the ecosystem and nature that everyone can do at least in their backyard vegetable gardens.
- It cost very less and work is based on available resources.
- It gives you high-quality organic food and output with the peak growth of plants.
- For seasonal vegetables, it is best if you choose companion plants.
- It doesn't need much maintenance or sharp regular eyes to look out the plants.
- It reduces the chances of any plant disease in most cases.