Keep Your Garden Healthy Organically

Sure, it’s easy to run down to your local home and garden center and buy pesticides, fertilizer and commercial remedies to keep your garden healthy. If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to be more environmentally friendly, however, you may want to consider these simple, organic tips from USA Weekend magazine for maintaining your garden.
Pick Up the Leaves. Picking up any leaves or debris on the ground will prevent fungus from spreading throughout your garden.
Bring in the Bugs. The traditional way to get rid of garden pests is to use a pesticide. However, you can organically and naturally get rid of these pests by buying insects such as green lacewings or lady beetles. These garden-friendly insects are great predators for spider mites, aphids and other annoying pests. They can usually be purchased online or in organic gardening stores.
Add Organic Material. Adding organic material such as mushroom soil, leaf mold or compost to your soil throughout the season will keep everything in your garden healthy and happy.
Water Smart. If you are smart about watering, you can save water and water more effectively. It is best to water early in the morning – before sunrise is ideal. Water for longer periods of time but less frequently (one or two times a week should do it), and water will have a chance to reach deep into the roots of your plants.
Create a “Garden Pantry.” Buy items like pyola oil, hot pepper wax, a compost tea maker and neem oil. Also, buy an organic gardening book to learn how to use these items effectively to deal with insects and rodents that destroy your plants.
Surf the Net. The Internet is a great resource for homemade organic remedies good for a variety of garden problems. USA Weekend recommends using 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of dishwashing detergent and 1 gallon of water to treat black spots on roses. Spray this mixture on roses in the morning every seven to 10 days until the problem is solved.