Organic Vegetable Gardening

We are all dreaming  about spring and summer now.  Growing a bountiful organic vegetable garden that nourishes a healthy lifestyle, or a gorgeous flower garden that nourishes the soul, are goals almost anyone can reach with some basic education of what is required.  We just got in some lovely Swiss Chard at Nature's Cradle and we are ready to begin cold weather vegetable gardening.  Here are a few tips.

1. Sun & Shade? Plants that produce fruits require plenty of sun. At least six hours daily for tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, beans, corn, eggplant, summer squash and cabbage. In general, the bigger the fruit, the more sunlight it must have. There are many vegetables and herbs that do well in shaded areas, needing only about 4 hours of sun per day. Try carrots, beets, chard, cauliflower, chives, lettuce, arugula, basil, mint or spinach in these shady areas. For leafy green vegetables, less sunlight is fine.
2. Drainage: Sandy soils drain too quickly and clay soils too slowly. Adding organic materials help to correct and balance both types of soil.
3. Watering: Most plants are 90 percent water, 60 percent of which is delivered from the soil to the plant through root hairs. To keep the plants healthy and thriving you must have a good soil with plenty of organic matter to act like a sponge and allow the almost microscopic roots to travel through porous, well-drained soil.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard