Growing plants by seed is the cheapest way to get fresh, home grown fruit and vegetables. You can buy organic seeds to ensure that no nasty chemicals have been used and if you use organic gardening methods you will have an abundance of healthy, pesticide free food.

When growing vegetables (or any plants) from seed, you have two options; plant the seeds directly in the garden bed or plant them in a seed tray and then transplant the seedlings once they have established themselves. Planting the seeds directly in the bed can work well but the seedlings are at risk of attack by predators, such as snails, as well as the weather. Using a seed tray avoids these risks but you can lose some of the seedlings when planting out due to transplant shock.

So what is the best solution? Use individual seed boxes which can be planted directly into the ground. This way there is no transplant shock and the seedlings will be strong enough to survive being out in the open.

You can buy seed boxes or containers from garden centres but they are so expensive that it defeats the purpose of growing your own plants from seed. If the purpose is to save money, that is. The best way is to make your own. You can try using egg boxes or the cardboard from toilet rolls or paper towels. These will work. The other option is to make origami seed boxes. It will take a little effort to make them but once you get the hang of it you’ll get them done in no time. Small Meadow Farm also has some info on making newspaper pots.  Thanks to Groovy Green for the links.

The Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA) website has lots of useful information for organic gardeners, both home gardeners and professional gardeners. They provide information on:

• sustainable gardening
• gardening tours
• sustainable garden centres
• green gardening training
• getting your garden centre certified as sustainable

The Bayside Community Nursery in Cheltenham (Victoria) has just been certified as sustainable by SGA. The nursery deals mainly in indigenous Australian plants including native:

• trees
• shrubs
• groundcovers
• grasses

The nursery does not sell fertilisers and pesticides, which are rarely, if ever, required when growing native plants and also help the environment by using cardboard boxes rather than plastic bags when selling plants.

Benefits of Getting Certified

The SGA site suggests a number of benefits of becoming certified sustainable:

• Reducing the amount of environmentally damaging pesticides and fertilisers used by gardeners.

• Encouraging gardeners to avoid the use of pesticides by keeping their plants healthy- plant choice and positioning, companion planting and soil conditioning.

• Encouraging gardeners to fertilise their plants with products that enhance soil structure and encourage healthy soil biota.

• Reducing the number of environmental weeds escaping from gardens into natural areas by:

• Educating gardeners about which plants are weeds in their area.

• Teaching gardeners how to control plants in their gardens to stop them spreading outside their fences.

• Reducing the amount of water gardeners use.

• Encouraging mulching, plant grouping and low water use irrigation systems.

• Reducing the off-site environmental damage that can be caused by gardening.

• Offering alternative products to old-growth timber, whole bush-harvested plants and pots produced in unsustainable ways.

If you are looking for a sustainable garden centre in Melbourne then give the Bayside Community Nursery a try, otherwise you can find a list of sustainable garden centres here.

Silver foliage herbs are some of the most beautiful, tasty, and useful herbs. They make great displays, either planted en mass or used as hedges. They have many culinary uses but also play an important role in an organic garden as companion plants.

Top 5 Silver Foliage Herbs

Sage

• Small growing herb, perfect for pots.
• Commonly used in cooking either in stuffing or in browned butter sauce for pasta.
• Sage tea of often used to soothe a sore throat.

Lavender

• Lavender is one of the most common herbs.
• Its silver foliage looks great when used as a hedge.
• This herb is often used to aid sleep and relaxation.
• Lavender is great for attracting bees to your garden.
• Lavender oil is used as an antiseptic.

Variegated Society Garlic

• A small bulbous herb with long, thin, silvery leaves and pretty pink/purple flowers.
• Smells like garlic but is not garlic.
• Is grown mainly for ornamental purposes.

Silver Thyme

• A small plant with silvery, grey leaves.
• Commonly used in cooking to flavour meat and soups.
• Thyme is good for attracting bees.
• May work as a companion to tomatoes, cabbage, and roses.
• Thyme tea can aid digestion.
• Ancient Egyptians used thyme in embalming.

Catnip

• Catnip has greyish green leaves and white, blue or pink flowers.
• Cats are attracted to catnip with many being strongly affected by its scent.
• Cats will often rub it, chew it, play around it, as well as salivating in its presence.
• This affect on cats is not long lasting and has no negative effects.
• Catnip is sometimes used as a herbal tea to treat colds and fevers.

Most herbs are easy to grow as they are generally pest and disease resistant. They can be grown inside, in pots, or in the garden as companion plants, for culinary or medicinal use or just for their attractive foliage.

For more information on growing and cooking with herbs, check out Weekend Herb Blogging which is being hosted this week by Tomato.

I often get people visiting my site who are looking for information on why to buy organic produce or why to garden organically. Melanie from Bean Sprouts has an excellent post on why she prefers to have an organic garden. I’ve added my comments to her points:

1. It costs money.
   Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers are very expensive, especially if you use them on a regular basis. Organic gardening involves a little more physical work than walking around spraying everything but it’s worth it in the end.
2. Artificial herbicides, pesticides, and fertilisers are made from oil.
   I admit I didn’t know that and it never even crossed my mind.
3. We eat produce from the allotment.
   Why would anyone want to use chemicals on food they intend to eat? Commercial growers use chemicals for commercial reasons (which don’t make sense in the long term) but it is never necessary to use chemicals in your own garden. If you find that you are having trouble with one plant or crop being continually attacked by pests then simply grow something else.
4. But it’s not about what’s easiest, it’s about what’s best.
   Organic gardening may take a bit of extra time initially, but once you establish the garden and get into the routine of using natural pest control methods and using organic fertilisers such as worm compost, it is no more difficult than a regular garden.
5. It’s good exercise.
   There’s no doubt about that. You get to use a wide variety of muscles when gardening, just be careful of your back.
6. Gardening helps with depression.
   Sunlight can help reduce depression in some instances. So even if it’s the middle of winter and you don’t feel like going outside, a little bit of gardening and sunlight will do you good.
7. The soil is alive.
   Soil is made up of micro and macro organisms. Pesticides and other chemicals kill these beneficial organisms resulting in poor quality soil. Celsias has a very thorough post on the value of soil.
8. Organic gardening reduces water pollution.
   I would add that the use of pesticides and fertilisers can lead to serious pollution in our waterways which lead to many problems including algal blooms. These are fairly common place these days in many of our rivers and streams and lead to the deaths of thousands of fish.
9. Toxic chemicals can lead to cancer.
   Many toxic chemicals including many pesticides have strong links to cancer. The dangers of these chemicals are evident when you consider the thousands of cotton farm workers who die every year after long term exposure to pesticides. Pesticides which are available to home gardeners have also recently been linked to breast cancer.
10. Pesticides kill predatory pests.
    Pesticides kill pests but then when new pests arrive they won’t have any predators to attack them so you’ll then need to use more pesticides. It’s a vicious circle…

Organic farming is a form of agriculture which avoids the use of:

• pesticides
• herbicides
• synthetic fertilisers
• genetically modified organisms

Farmers instead rely on a number of methods to produce successful crops including:

• rotating crops
• planting polycultures
• using green manures
• using organic fertilisers

Organic farming is less damaging to the environment as well as farm workers who would otherwise be in regular contact with toxic chemicals, however, is it sustainable?

Sustainable agriculture refers to the ability of a farm to produce a consistent level of crops on an ongoing basis. One of the key elements in sustainable farming is maintaining a fertile soil. When farmers grow crops, nutrients are removed from the soil, thus depleting its fertility. If these nutrients are not replenished then the farm cannot be sustainable over the long term.

Green manures certainly add nutrients to the soil, specifically nitrogen, as well as beneficial organic matter. Animal manures and other organic fertilisers also increase the quality of the soil but there is an environmental cost of transporting these inputs to the farm. To be sustainable, animal manures, composts, and other soil enhancers should be produced by the farm itself. This is often not the case with organic farms, especially with large scale organic farms. So if an organic farm is purchasing inputs to use in their farming then it cannot be classified as sustainable farming.

So while some small organic farms are most probably self-sufficient and sustainable, it is unlikely that the bigger farms are. Large organic farms face the same sustainability issues as conventional farms.

Using organic fertilisers in your garden is much better for your health and the environment. However, organic fertilisers which have been purchased from a garden centre should only be seen as a short term solution for growing healthy fruit and vegetables. The long term solution is to build and maintain fertile soil by using:

• green manures
• well rotted animal manure
• home grown compost
• potash
• mulch
• crop rotation

Creating fertile soil and using organic fertilisers is essential for successful organic gardening.

Green Manures

Green manures are an excellent natural and organic fertiliser. Green manures are planted and grown to prepare the soil before planting the crop, often in winter. The fresh green manure is dug into the soil (before it has flowered) or it can be composted. Green manures:

• prevent soil erosion
• help prevent the loss of nutrients from the soil
• add nitrogen to the soil

Plants which are often used as green manures include:

• beans
• peas
• lupins
• clovers

Animal Manure

Animal manure should be well rotted before using as a fertiliser. It works best when mixed well into the soil before planting. Be careful when handling animal manure as it can contain E. coli.

Compost

Leaves, prunings, grass clippings, some weeds, vegetable scraps, and other organic matter such as newspaper can all be composted to make a nutrient rich organic fertiliser. Worm compost also makes an excellent organic fertiliser and it is very easy to create your own worm farm. A good compost heap should contain a wide variety of materials, remain moist, and be well mixed.

Potash

Potash, or sulphate of potash, improves flower and vegetable growth and helps to prevent plant diseases. It is important to add potash to Australian soils as our soil is naturally deficient in potassium. Animal manures and mulches which are commonly used are also deficient in potassium. Potash can be placed around plants as an organic fertiliser but its effects on soil quality are generally seen a number of months after its application.

Mulch

Mulch adds to the fertility of the soil as it breaks down over time. The top mulches also help retain moisture in the soil which ensures that micro-organisms remain active.

Crop Rotation

Rotating crops is beneficial to soil fertility as different vegetables leave different nutrients in the soil. A typical rotation cycle is as follows:

1. potatoes
2. legumes
3. brassicas
4. root vegetables

However, you don’t have to stick rigidly to this and so long as you don’t grow the same vegetables in the same spot year after year you should be fine.

Other organic fertilisers you might want to use occasionally include seaweed solution, fish emulsion, and blood and bone. Chemical fertilisers are sometimes added to blood and bone so be sure to read the packaging carefully before purchasing.

Most herbs are very easy to grow and are therefore the perfect plants to grow if you are a novice gardener. Herbs are also worth growing as companion plants and every serious cook knows the benefits of using fresh herbs in their meals. Organic Authority has a post on growing herbs indoors:

Contrary to popular belief, herbs need fertile, well-drained soil to grow well, especially in containers. Potting soil should drain easily, but will need extra nourishment for the plants to grow best. Supplement the soil with weekly applications of a diluted liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion. When the soil is dry to the touch, water plants until draining from the bottom of the pot occurs.

Why Grow Herbs Indoors?

• Herbs are generally at their best in summer but if you still want to use fresh herbs in winter then you can easily grow them indoors provided they are placed in a warm, sunny position.
• If you live in an apartment and don’t have a balcony, you can grow a few herbs in your kitchen without too much trouble.
• If you use a lot of herbs you might want to keep your favourites close by. Even though you might have a healthy vege patch, you could grow herbs such as parsley, basil, and chives in pots within easy reach of your food preparation area.
• If you love the scent of herbs you might want to grow mint, basil, or lavender indoors.

How to Grow Organic Herbs Indoors

Buy some organic herbs from your local garden centre, pot them up using organic potting mix, and fertilise them with liquid worm castings or fish emulsion. Make sure you don’t let them dry out as herbs need plenty of water to stay fresh and tasty.

Given the right amount of light, water and fertilizer, and an occasional pinching to promote bushy growth, aromatic and culinary herbs can thrive in your home. Use them in soups, stews, casseroles and salads, or create potpourris and sachets. They’ll give your taste buds and nose a teasing glimpse of the growing season to come.

If you like to cook, culinary herbs such as basil, thyme and sage are good options. If you just want something that will tickle your nose in winter, try aromatic herbs such as mint, scented geraniums and lavender.

The amount of sun you get will dictate what you can grow. If you have a sunny, south-facing windowsill, try growing sage, thyme and nasturtiums. If you have an east- or west-facing window, grow mint, chives, parsley and scented geraniums.

Don’t worry too much if you are not sure what to grow or how to use herbs in cooking. All healthy herbs in pots will look great in your kitchen and once they are growing well you can experiment with them in your cooking.

Groovy Green has an excellent article on the benefits of polyculture over monoculture.

Polyculture can be defined as agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or monoculture. It includes crop rotation, multi-cropping, intercropping, companion planting, beneficial weeds, and alley cropping.

Polyculture, though it often requires more labour, has several advantages over monoculture:

• The diversity of crops avoids the susceptibility of monocultures to disease. For example, a study in China reported in Nature showed that planting several varieties of rice in the same field increased yields by 89%, largely because of a dramatic (94%) decrease in the incidence of disease, which made pesticides redundant.

• The greater variety of crops provides habitat for more species, increasing local biodiversity. This is one example of Reconciliation Ecology, or accommodating biodiversity within human landscapes.

Polyculture is one of the principles of permaculture.

Groovy Green has this to say about polyculture:

Growing a hundred (or even a thousand) contiguous acres of a single crop is asking for trouble. Doubly so if that crop is vegetatively propagated, since the individual plants are genetically identical, and so, identically susceptible to any pest or disease that happens to infiltrate the defenses and infect the crop. (See: Irish Potato Famine.)

Modern large scale farming, to use an extreme example, essentially has to use tons of chemical fungicides and pesticides and antibiotics, because the plants and animals have lost all of their natural resistances. And unfortunately, at this moment, it may well be the only way to feed the many billions of inhabitants of Planet Earth.

The problem is not confined to large scale commercial farming though. Even open-pollinated vegetables can have some vulnerabilities, if the genetic base is too narrow, if it has lost some ancestral resistances, or if it is offered too much external protection from pathogens. Unfortunately, if natural resistance is not tested, it is essentially bred out of the line.

Horizontal resistance is achieved by the following low-tech means:

- Growing a large, diverse, non-hybrid population
- Encouraging cross-pollination
- Not discouraging pests or diseases
- Saving seed from the best performers, even if (especially if) conditions are stressful

This is pretty much accepted as standard practice for sustainable farming as well as organic farming. You can also implement these techniques on a smaller scale in your own garden as well as by following these organic gardening techniques.

Organic pest control can be difficult when growing on a commercial scale but for the average backyard gardener, you shouldn’t have too many problems. If you practice the five pest control methods listed below, your fruit, vegetables, and other plants should be fairly pest and disease free.

1. Choose the Right Variety

A significant factor in the success of an organic garden is choosing the right plants to grow. Not everything grows well everywhere. Planting varieties which are known to be pest and disease resistant is the simplest method for avoiding pests and diseases. Choose plants which are suited to your climate and soil as these will be much stronger and healthier than other plants which will enable them to fight off most attacks by pests.

2. Plant a Wide Variety of Plants

Mono cropping creates the perfect environment for pests and diseases. In this environment, pests will have virtually unlimited food, no predators, and any diseases will spread quickly. Obviously most gardeners won’t grow just one plant variety in their garden but the more varieties the better. Different plants will attract different pests and different predators and if you find yourself with a few diseased plants, it won’t matter too much because you’ll have many other plants which will survive.

3. Make Regular Inspections

Many pests and diseases can be controlled by hand picking pests and removing diseased leaves and branches. If you make daily inspections of your plants you’ll be able to control any problems before they get out of hand. This is one of the most effective organic pest control methods.

4. Grow Healthy Plants

Strong, healthy plants are naturally more pest and disease resistant. Keep your plants healthy by building up your soil with lots of organic matter, using organic fertilisers such as animal manure, worm compost, and potash, and by keeping plants well watered.

5. Companion Planting

As well as planting a wide variety of plants you might consider which plants work well together and plant them near each other. Companion plants can deter pests due to their scent, attracting predators or by acting as sacrificial plants.

A cloche is simply a structure which is placed around plants to cover and protect them. They come in many different shapes and sizes are made of various materials. Cloches were traditionally made of glass but are now often made of plastic. Open weave baskets and wire covered with mesh or netting can also be used.

In an organic garden, it is probably best to use natural and/or recyclable materials for a cloche. Personally, I would avoid buying a plastic cloche, however, if you have some suitable plastic around your home, such as used large plastic soft drink bottles, then these can easily be reused as a cloche.

Advantages of Cloches

Using cloches is an excellent organic way to protect your fruit and vegetables from pests. A cloche places a physical barrier between pests and plants, eliminating the need for pesticides. There are many uses and benefits of cloches:

• to protect plants from insects
• to protect plants from snails
• to protect plants from birds
• to protect from severe weather
• to protect new cuttings
• to warm the soil prior to planting
• to extend the season for herbs and some vegetables
• to protect vegetables from frost

Cloches can protect from the following pests:

• flies
• moths
• beetles
• aphids
• birds
• rabbits

Disadvantages of Cloches

• Cloches can encourage diseases.
• Cloches can speed up the germination and growth of weeds.
• Cloches can prevent pollination.
• Cloches make watering difficult.

Cloches are a temporary protective measure and when used for short periods of time, can be of great assistance to the organic gardener.