Posted by Tanya on 12/12/2013 to
Green Gift of Health
When you purchase a gardening organic gift basket, you open the world to your loved one's eyes. Whether they are growing plants in containers or a vast backyard, just a few seeds can build an eclectic garden, from herbs to vegetables. Stay organic by avoiding any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides around your plants. Using natural gardening strategies to cultivate your gift basket's treasures is a rewarding process.
Start By Composting
Your packaged seeds should not be stored for more than one year before planting. As living, but dormant, organisms, seeds have a shelf life. However, you need to prepare you soil carefully before sowing any seeds. Start a compost pile with a mixture of yard debris and kitchen scraps. Perfect additions to the compost pile including tree leaves, grass clippings, lettuce stalks and fruit peels. All of these scraps deteriorate over time into a nutrient-rich compost that feeds the soil with critical elements.
Cultivate Your Soil
Depending on the space, use a hand trowel or gardening hoe to loosen the top 6 to 9 inches of soil. Hand pull any weeds or seeds that you find in the turned soil. Do not use herbicides on your organic soil. Lightly sprinkle your completed compost into the soil and mix it together. The soil should have a moist, but not soggy, appearance to it. A deep brown to black look shows that the soil is ready with ample nutrients for new seeds.
Sow Your Seeds
Place your seeds in the soil. Because your gift basket is typically full of herb seeds, including thyme and basil, it is crucial to sow the seeds correctly. Only cover the seeds lightly with soil. Because of their small size, they cannot be deeply planted or the sprouts cannot reach sunlight for photosynthesis. Give the seeds plenty of water and watch the seedlings stretch to the sky.
Use Nature To Your Advantage
Even the most careful gardener still has soil pests and insects that invade the garden. Purchase a bag of ladybugs to feed on aphids attacking your organic herbs. Plant marigolds nearby to fight of soil nematodes. Organic gardening just takes some creative solutions rather than reaching for the chemical mixtures.
The Harvest
Harvest some leaves off of your herbs when the plant is relatively bushy. You want to take just enough leaves for cooking, but leave the plant with some foliage to photosynthesize and grow new branches and leaves. Do not strip the plants of all the foliage. The plant may dieback from lack of energy production.
Use your garden organic gift basket wisely. Take advantage of the luxurious extras, such as the hand balm, to pamper yourself while the herbs grow. Gardening relaxes you and helps the environment at the same time.