Articles Index

Vegetables to Direct Sow in your Garden in June

Here is a regional guide to which vegetables you can direct sow in your garden during the month of June.

How to Grow Organic Beans

Here's all you need to know to grow organic beans, from how to start from seed to how to support and fertilize them.

Monthly Organic Gardening Tasks: July 2008

This list of tasks, organized by region, will help you keep your garden healthy and happy.

Raised Bed Gardens

There are many reasons to make a raised bed garden, from poor soil to a desire to extend your growing season. This article will explain the advantages of raised beds, and tell you how to make a raised bed garden.

How to Direct Sow Garden Seeds

Direct sowing is the simplest method for growing plants from seed, but it can also be a bit of an uncertain method. There are a few things you can do to ensure success with direct sowing. This article provides five tips for successfully direct sowing garden seeds.

Understanding and Improving Clay Soil

Clay soil can be extremely frustrating to work with, and few plants will thrive in it. By following a few steps, and putting in some manual labor, you can improve clay soil. This article shows you how.

How to Make a Trash Can Composter

If you don't have the space for a compost pile, you can still put those kitchen scraps and yard waste to use in a trash can compost bin. It is the ideal solution for anyone who needs to compost in small spaces.

Five Ways to Keep Rats Out of Your Compost

No matter where you live, it's possible that eventually you'll have to deal with rats that have been attracted to your compost pile. Whether they're attracted by the possibility of food, warmth, or shelter, here's how to keep rats out of your compost.

Why You Should Compost in Trenches

Trench composting is easy, invisible, and possible in any size garden. This article will explain the method, as well as suggest a few ways to compost in trenches in your own garden.

What Equipment Do I Need to Start Plants from Seed?

Here is a list of everything you will need to successfully start plants from seed indoors.

What is Organic Gardening?

What is organic gardening, and how is it different from regular gardening? This article answers the question by providing three major tenets of organic gardening.

Save Your Worms from Drowning

Here's what to do when your worm bin is too wet. Too much moisture in a worm bin is caused by several factors, from the types of food you put in to how much bedding you have provided your worms. Moisture problems are an easy fix. Here's how to deal with a wet worm bin.

Don't Just Throw Them Away!

There are plenty of alternatives to raking and bagging your leaves every fall. From making compost and leaf mold to using your leaves as mulch, this article lays out five easy ways to use autumn leaves in your garden.

When is My First and Last Frost Date?

This table shows, at a glance, what the first and last frost dates are for each USDA hardiness zone.

Complete Guide to Growing Organic Lettuce

Growing organic lettuce is rewarding, and can be done in a traditional garden or in containers. This article tells you everything you need to do to grow organic lettuce.

Protecting Your Berries from the Birds

Birds can drive any berry-lover to tears. Since berries can't be picked until they are perfectly ripe, we have to wait for just the right moment to harvest them. More often than not, we head out to the berry patch (or strawberry pot) and find that the berries we were so looking forward to have been devoured by birds. This article will give you ten humane, inexpensive ways to protect your berries from the birds

How to Grow Organic Tomatoes in a Container

Growing organic tomatoes is easy, even if you don't have space for a vegetable garden. This article will explain how to grow organic tomatoes in a container on your porch, patio, or balcony.

Four Easy Do-It-Yourself Soil Tests

These four easy and inexpensive tests will tell you just about everything you need to know about your soil. You'll learn how to test for soil composition, drainage, biological activity, and soil acidity. Once you know which problems your soil has, you'll be well on your way to growing a beautiful, healthy organic garden.

Making and Using Leaf Mold

Leaf mold is a free, easy to make soil amendment. Here are tips and instructions for how to make it, as well as suggestions for how to use it in your garden.

Heirloom Basics

What are heirloom plants, and why do they have so many fans? Defining heirlooms, and the many reasons to grow them.

Two Homemade Sprays for Fighting Aphids

These two homemade organic sprays have a proven track record of effectiveness when it comes to getting rid of aphids.

Mulch for Weed Control and Soil Health

Mulch not only makes the garden look neat and tidy, but it suppresses weeds, maintains soil moisture, and adds nutrients to the soil as well. Different types of mulches have their pros and cons, and some will work better in one situation than another. Here's everything you need to know about organic mulches.

How To Grow Organic Strawberries

Strawberries are a delectable summertime treat, but if you purchase this "Dirty Dozen" fruit, you're likely ingesting pesticides as well. It's easy to grow your own, and this article will show you how.

Ten Vegetables You Can Grow Without Full Sun

Many of us are blessed (or cursed, depending on how you see it) with shady lots. The general assumption is that if you have anything other than full sun, you can't grow vegetables. Not true! These ten veggies will produce very well with three to six hours of sunlight per day.

Five Steps to Growing an Organic Lawn

Organic lawn care starts with the basics: mowing and watering properly, feeding the soil, and observing the state of your lawn. This article provides the basics of caring for an organic lawn.