With the increased awareness of the drawbacks of using both pesticides and chemical fertilizers in modern agriculture, many are reconsidering what they buy and how it is grown. However, while many of us want to make the right food choices when we’re grocery shopping, there is often one obstacle that needs to be overcome: price. Organic foods tend to cost much more than their counterparts, so choosing a healthier diet definitely comes at a premium price tag. If you still want to eat right but want to minimize the impact to your wallet you might want to consider organically growing your own fruits and vegetables.

Organic Gardening
Where do you start if you want to create your own organic garden? The first step to creating an organic vegetable garden is to figure out what you’d like to grow and where you want to grow it. You can create a small patch in the earth of your backyard, explore container gardening or even grow indoors with hydroponics. It doesn’t matter where you place your garden or what you grow in it as long as there are no toxic chemicals or fertilizers used for it to be considered a natural garden. If possible, start with organic seeds, use only organic fertilizers such as your own compost. You should be able to find organic gardening supplies at just about any gardening supply store in your town or online.

Keeping Pests out of your Garden
One of the first things people think about when it comes to gardening organically is what to do about pests? A great way to handle pests is to discover organic wards to keep the pests away rather than spraying your vegetable garden with toxic chemicals. For instance, companion planting can work to keep away some animals while helping to also boost production; planting marigolds help to discourage aphids because they attract their predators. You can also use garlic as a natural insecticide by blending up one bulb into 2 cups of water. For maximum potency, let it sit for a day before straining it and adding the blend to a gallon of water to make into a spray you can use in your garden. For larger pests like cats or squirrels you can also use motion triggered water sprinklers to scare them away.

Become an Organic Gardener
Not only is organic vegetable gardening a great way to grow healthy food, it also makes for a terrific hobby. Before you know it you’ll be searching for magazines and forums for more organic gardening tips that you can use.