It has taken us years to develop our organic gardening method.
Our family has found that we are constantly learning new processes that work for us…and we are still making mistakes! For instance, a few years ago my husband put raw leaves in the garden to break down over the fall and winter. Sounds okay, right? Well, the following spring we planted our seedlings and nothing grew. By dumping the carbon based leaves directly on the soil, they absorbed all of the nitrogen in the garden to break down, so our plants were nitrogen-deficient.
Your soil could be lacking nutrients.
Don’t be complacent and guess which fertilizers you might use: you’ll have a no show crop. There is an inexpensive and informative way to discover how you can maintain balance.
Opt for a testing service.
We have found the best deal for the money is a service run by the University of Maine in Orono. A test will cost about $20. If possible, send your soil sample in the fall and you will find yourself prepared to add nutrients in the spring. You will need to specify if you are growing a regular or organic garden. A student will test the sample, and in a few weeks you’ll receive this handy report:
Review the deficiencies and correct them.
The report clearly presents what major and micro nutrients you need to add (or perhaps minimize) in your garden soil. The instructions tell you exactly what products you will need to supplement your soil to maintain an optimum balance. We have been sending a sample in every year and has helped us create the best possible results.
More information:
I highly encourage you to check out these resources to avoid common garden mistakes:
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/gardening-mistakes-34501
https://www.ourheritageofhealth.com/beginner-gardening-mistakes-avoid/
https://www.naturallivingideas.com/15-common-gardening-mistakes-everyone-makes/
Have you run into any garden obstacles?
I’d love to hear what you think about our garden fail story. Do you have experiences to share? Please post below!
