Organic Gardening
How to grow organically in the Southwest
The first part of organic gardening is the most time consuming. But like a lot of things related to gardening, the satisfaction at the end will often match the effort put into it. One begins by sectioning off the land where the garden will be planted.
It’s usually a good idea to begin by putting up some string or rope to surround the area. And of course a few signs warning people not to walk on the area. There’s few things more heartbreaking than seeing a newly sprouting plant taken down by a careless foot. And that handful of extra minutes to safeguard against that are worth it.
Next, the hard part. It’ll be time to get on hands and knees to fully uproot all of the weeds. And in a typical area in that part of the US, they’re probably going to be fairly plentiful. Thankfully they’re also not as tenacious as some of the other areas. So one essentially breaks even on the overall difficulty.
But in general it’s still going to be one of the more difficult parts of the process. Next, one will need to check out the quality of the soil. People usually make some unfortunate assumptions about the quality of the soil in the area. Bu tin general it tends to be more the lack of moisture than lack of nutrients which is the major limiting factor.
The next step in making an organic garden is a lot more fun. One simply needs to decide what kinds of plants to grow. One of the most fun things that will usually tickle an organic farmer’s fancy is medicinal plants. The heavy native influence in the area means that a lot of great options have been explored over the centuries.
Some of the most notable ar pleurisy-root, wild licorice, and gumweed. The especially adventurous might consider ephedra as well. But it should be noted that this plant, while having been used for a stimulating tea for generations, does have some health risks for people with bad hearts. But whatever one wants herbal medicine for there’s a lot of options in the area.
And if one desires beautiful ornamental plants, there’s a lot of options there as well. Autumn Sage looks gorgeous and it has a high chance of attracting hummingbirds as will Hummingbird Mint. Both thrive in the area as well. And of course Lily of the Nile is a must have for arid climates.
There’s also a whole host of edible plants which one can consider. And one of the best parts there is that the lack of harsh chemicals will make them extra delicious and nutritious.
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