How Green is Your Garden?

An organic vegetable garden is often not planted in perfectly straight garden rows, but rather allowed to grow together, often interspersed with cover crops. This technique is referred to as "polyculture." Using polycultural techniques naturally fertilizes the soil thereby attracting good insects to the garden. The technique makes for a healthy garden without the use of tons of chemicals and pesticides.

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Start A Garden Right Now
Organic Gardening Tips

Pruning plants during the winter allows for the storage of additional root energy so that the branches can grow vibrantly during the spring. It's also tons easier to prune in the winter when there are no leaves to block your view and get in the way.

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Ways to Prune a Hedge
How to Prune Plants
Prune for Spring: No Green Thumb Necessary

Cover crops are crucial to help control unwanted insects and other pests in a garden. They do this by adding organic matter to the garden, which, in turn, feeds the beneficial insects that take care of garden pests. Cover crops can also control disease and attract beneficial insects by providing flowers that are a source of nectar as well as foliage for shelter.

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Acquainting Yourself with Your Local Farmers
How to Go Green: Home & Garden

Winter is a great time to catch up on any mulching, pruning, and leaf removal projects that you might need to handle before getting ready for the planting season. It also helps to protect your plants from harsh winter freezes.

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How to Make Mulch from Fall Leaves
Organic Mulch, an Easy, Free Garden Booster

These are all important tasks. Don't prune a tree if it doesn't need the help, just prune trees with dead branches in the way, and certainly don't flat top a tree, which will force it to sprout weaker limbs.

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Pruning Tips
The Sprout Page

When compost is ready, all that should be left is a substance similar to rich, organic soil. None of the ingredients—all of those carrots, potatoes, bread crusts, and other food scraps or plant matter you tossed in—should be recognizable.

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Composting Basics: Make Compost Fast
Build a Compost Box in Your Apartment

Droppings from dogs or cats should be avoided because they may contain parasites or disease organisms harmful to humans. Apple peelings and lint from the fridge are both fair game for composting.

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Discover the Classiest Way to Compost
Composting

Apply mulch to the floor of the garden, especially if you live in an area that experiences incredibly harsh winters. Think of it as a security blanket for your garden. Also, protect any small bushes with mulch around the base of the plant. Bring your potted plants inside and cover shrubs that you think are sensitive to freezes.

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Organic Mulch, an Easy, Free Garden Booster
No Green Thumb Necessary?Get Set For Spring in Your Garden

Xeriscaping is a method of water conservation in landscaped areas. It's used in arid regions, but its principles can be used in any region to help conserve water. All of these are key principles of xeriscaping except the use of organic fertilizer.

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Xeri-whatting?
Xeriscape, the Art of Water Conserving Landscaping

Native plants are plants indigenous to your area. Already adapted to local conditions, native plants are easy to grow, and generally require less fertilizer and water. They also don't attract pests like exotic species.

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Certify Your Backyard as a Wildlife Sanctuary
PlantNative: Native Plants In Your Garden