With less than $20 and a minimum of labor, you can start your own small organic vegetable garden right now — well, after you finish reading this page.
It probably won't keep you in Insalata Caprese and green bean casserole, but 1 square foot of garden plot should yield at least a half-pound of veggies. So a little 4-by-4-foot garden could put 8 pounds of fresh squash, tomatoes and Brussels sprouts, or whatever you'll actually eat, on the table. You'll know they're safe, and they'll likely taste lots better than store-bought.
Anyone can do it, promises Rick Martinez, Tampa's elder statesman of organic gardening — so dubbed by city Councilwoman Mary Mulhern. He founded Sweetwater Organic Community Farm in Town 'N Country in 1995 with eight members; today, it helps feed 300 families and educates lots more.
"Just try it," he says. "Dig up the grass, add compost, plants, water, and cross your fingers."
An organic garden is a long-term project, he cautions. The first year is the least productive, but every season gets better as the soil grows richer.
Here are his easiest-in-the-world instructions for getting your organic on.
Pick Your Plot
Choose a spot that gets full sun and dig up the grass. (If you had started before now, you just could have covered the grass with black plastic for a couple of weeks.)
Add Compost
Spread a couple of inches of compost, more if you can afford it, and mix in well. Use both mushroom and cow manure composts ($1.37 to $4.97 a bag at Lowe's and Home Depot) if you don't have aged chicken manure, Martinez' preference.
Don't Count On Rain
Plan for watering, but don't plan on reclaimed water — you know where it comes from, right? Well water is good, a rain barrel, or tap water. Mulch with hay or straw (no bark chips or pine needles) to help conserve moisture.
What To Plant?
Some easy-to-grow choices: lettuces, basil, peppers, eggplant and Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. Lowe's carries organic seeds for $2-$3 a packet; Sweetwater Farms sells Sun Golds for $2 a plant. Fertilize, if necessary, by spraying fish emulsion-and-seaweed tea.
They Will Come
When you see bugs, identify them to determine whether they're good or bad; the Internet is helpful. If they're bad, research the least toxic way to get rid of them.
Send It Back
All the scraps from your harvest should go right back to the garden: Start a compost pile with non-meat kitchen scraps, leaves and grass clippings and add the results to your soil.
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