How to Grow Vegetables Organically: A Step-By-Step Guide for Beginners

It is well known that vegetables are a great source of carbohydrates and nutritionally complete protein and glucosinolates, antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. Amaranth, bathua, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables are cheaper sources of folic acid. In addition, most vegetables, being short-duration crops, can be adapted very easily to multiple intercropping systems and can produce very high yields and returns in a relatively short period.

Vegetable crops have been emphasized commercially in recent years in addition to generating on-farm and off-farm jobs. Adding organics to its cultivation will add more value, resulting in a better income and a sustainable supply chain.

How to Grow Vegetables Organically

Steps Involved in Growing Vegetables Organically

Unlike conventional veggies, organic veggies cannot be treated with chemicals or herbicides, so pests need to be considered. Choosing a suitable spot in your yard to dig a plot, build a raised bed, or plant containers is the first step in creating an organic vegetable garden. The next step is to prepare your soil and plant your vegetables. Use organic pest control to keep your plants healthy as they grow.

Choose a Location

Consider checking your yard at different times to see where the sun is at various times. Ensure your growing plot is exposed to sunlight for at least six hours daily. Also, make sure no standing water is present at the location.

Test Your Soil’s pH and Make Necessary Changes

You should test the soil in your selected plot for growing vegetables, and if necessary, add supplements to bring the soil up to 5.5-7.0. The optimal pH for growing vegetables is 5.5-7.0. You can add dolomite or quicklime to raise the pH of your soil if the pH is below 5.5. Add more organic matter to lower its pH if it is above 7.0.

Site Preparation

Weeds should be pulled and discarded before you begin. Remove any existing vegetation, such as grass, using a shovel, and place it in your compost pile. The plot is ready to be planted once it is just dirt. Instead of using your existing soil, dig out the plot and replace it with organic soil if you want to plant directly into the ground. At least 1 foot (0.30 m) of soil should be removed with a shovel. Your planting bed will then be filled with organic soil.

Choose Plants/Seeds that Grow Well in Your Climate Zone

The climate in your area may prevent some plants from growing well. Check the USDA hardiness zones for your area and then read the labels or plant information for the vegetables you want to grow. You should pick vegetables that are suitable for your climate.

Buy Organic Seeds From a Farmer or Gardening Store

Make sure the seeds are organic by checking the label. In other words, these seeds were produced from organic plants that weren’t sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers that didn’t come from organic sources. Check with whoever is selling them whether they are organic if you aren’t sure.

Plant Yur Seeds or Seedlings

The seeds should be sprinkled over the soil in your plot or gardening containers, followed by a thin layer of organic topsoil. Dig about 2 to 3 inches of soil for seedlings, then place them using a small shovel. Don’t pack down the roots when you cover them with soil

Mulching Your Plants

Add 1 to 2 cm of organic mulch to the soil to prevent weeds from growing. Keeping plants warm, preventing weed growth, and preserving moisture are all advantages of mulch. After planting your seeds or seedlings, add a thin layer of mulch to the entire plot. Mulch will not prevent your seeds from sprouting.

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Water Requirement for Various Vegetable Plants

There is a high percentage of water in vegetables. Cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, and celery contain more than 95 percent water. They are highly susceptible to water stress and drought conditions due to their high water content in the cells. Therefore, irrigation is essential for high yields and quality vegetable production. Over-irrigation, however, can reduce the quality of vegetables and the shelf life of the crops after harvest.

A general rule of thumb for most vegetable crops would be 10 to 15 mm per week during the first third to half of the growing season and 25 mm per week after that. The corresponding figures would be 20 to 25 mm and 40 to 50 mm during summer. When leaves droop or wilt, applying more water earlier or more frequently may be necessary.

Organic Fertilization in Organic Vegetable Growing

All farming systems depend on nutrient management. Synthetic chemicals have no place in organic farming systems; therefore, chemical fertilizers are not used. By recycling on-farm inputs, organic farming relies on biologically derived nutrients for nutrient management. A strategy for replacing biomass taken from an organic farm for human food, fiber, or cattle feed is to replace it with bio-waste.

Clay soils require less fertilizer than sandy soils for growing vegetables. Applying one application every four to six weeks after planting is usually sufficient. The amount of fertilizer needed for crops growing in organic soils depends on the foliage color and the level of plant vigor – again, use these factors as guides. Applying one or two additional applications every three to four weeks in gardens with soil enriched with organic matter is usually sufficient.

Organic Weed Management During Vegetable Plants Growing

Weedicides have caused serious changes in soil ecology because of their negative effects on soil health. Weedicides should not be used in organic farming. Due to emerging herbicide resistance in weeds, weed management is becoming ineffective. The crop dynamics and timely sowing can be used to control weeds, including Phalaris minor. Crop establishment is greatly enhanced by mechanical weeding.

Various cultivation methods can be devised to help crops capture resources more easily and grow more vigorously than weeds. Weed control can be highly effective through biological methods. To reduce weed growth, mulching materials or polythene sheets can be used, and moisture conservation can be used effectively in vegetable cultivation.

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Organic Pest Control in Vegetable Plants

Spinosad, a soil-based bacterium, kills garden pests such as tent caterpillars, bagworms, borers, beetles, spider mites, and loopy caterpillars.
In addition to being an organic pesticide, Rotenone also moderately poisons leaf-feeding caterpillars, beetles, and aphids and thrips on vegetables and fruits.
Almost all flying insects drop immediately when exposed to Pyrethrin, but they may not always be killed.
BT is an acronym for Bacillus thuringiensis, which causes pests to become sick when ingested. Bt will kill caterpillars from the inside out if sprayed on leafy vegetables they eat.
The most effective use of neem oil is on young insects and insects that grow quickly, such as squash bugs, Colorado potato beetles, and Mexican bean beetles. Aphids and caterpillars that eat leaves are also susceptible to it.
In dry conditions, Japanese beetles, cutworms, flies, ticks, crickets, slugs, and other insects can be killed with diatomaceous earth.
Not all insects are destructive pests. By attacking and feeding on other insects, some insects are beneficial. Beneficial insects include ladybugs, lacewings, ground beetles, lady beetles, praying mantises, and parasitic wasps.

Conclusion

Organic farming, especially vegetables, is gaining momentum worldwide due to a growing awareness of health and environmental concerns. Organic vegetable production in India is apt due to its broad product base, high volume of production throughout the year, strategic geographic location, high international demand, abundant sunlight, and relatively low labor costs.

How to Grow Vegetables Organically: A Step-By-Step Guide for Beginners