If you’ve made yourself a promise to be a greener gardener, these handy tips will set you on the right path
Every year new gardening trends are revealed, but one that’s here to stay and growing in its popularity is organic gardening. The shift to gardening in harmony with nature continues to gain momentum, which is not surprising when a number of TV gardeners, from the late Geoff Hamilton to Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don, have already spent decades encouraging us to grow flowers and vegetables in a way that’s kinder to the planet. Organic gardening is about recycling, reducing our dependency on man-made products and attracting beneficial wildlife to plots. So if your plan for 2024 is to embrace a greener way of gardening, then read on…
SET A REALISTIC TARGET
The first rule of organic gardening is: you need to do without chemical pesticides, fertilisers and weedkillers. If that sounds overwhelming, begin by cultivating a quarter of your garden organically for the first season, until you gain more confidence. It will at least be taking a step in the right direction to developing your skills, without jeopardising the garden you’ve worked so hard to develop.
WEED NATUR ALLY
Few of us like getting down on our knees and hand weeding, but as organic gardeners, we don’t have the option of zapping intruders with chemicals. There are ‘natural’ chemical-free weedkillers available (try Neudorff’s Weedfree Plus), but if you prefer not to spray at all, eliminate weeds by making their lives a misery. If weeds are a problem in gravel paths, rake up the gravel, lay weed-suppressing membrane, then replace the chippings. Mulching borders in spring and summer makes it harder for weeds to penetrate. Where weeds do get a foothold, pull them up (with as much of their root as possible) before they flower. Once they’ve spread seeds everywhere the problem becomes a lot worse.
KNOW YOUR SOIL
The ‘right plant, right place’ mantra championed by the late, great plantswoman Beth Chatto is especially relevant to organic gardening because when a plant is growing in ideal conditions, it’s less likely to struggle and succumb to pests and diseases. As an organic gardener, it’s critical to know your soil, and not just whether it’s sand, loam or clay. Buy a soil pH test kit to determine whether your soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline; it’ll dictate what you can grow. Pay attention to a plant’s light requirements, too.
CHECK FOR PESTS
Vigilance is the key in organic gardening: you must spot pests quickly before they multiply in num
