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How To Grow Organic Herbs
Though you might want an herb garden, you may also have some worries about some of the chemicals and other products that gardening stores try to sell for gardens. Whether it's out of a worry for your own health, for that of the environment, or other reasons, you might choose to grow organic herbs, instead. Growing organic herbs is actually fairly easy to do, especially since some herbs are naturally used as plants in organic gardening already. Let's take a look at some techniques for growing organic herbs.
Plants As Insect Repellent
One of the great things about herbs is that many of them have already evolved natural protection against insects that like to feed on them. For instance, the chive plant has chemicals that discourage feeding; it's these same compounds that give chives and other members of the onion family the bit that makes them taste great. This makes chives great for planting for organic herbs, since they won't require insecticides to be sprayed.
Even better, the juice from chives, when sprayed on other plants, can discourage insects from landing and feeding. Other plants have this property as well, such as members of the pepper family; a spray made from the juices of peppers will also work well.
Plants To Attract Insects
Interestingly enough, the use of other herbs in organic gardening to attract certain insects is also an effective technique. By helping to attract insects like ladybugs who feed on insects that are harmful to plants, you can effectively recruit your own little army to guard your organic herbs. For instance, borage is particularly good for attracting insects, and also makes a great companion plant in vegetable gardens, improving the taste of tomatoes grown nearby.
Compost
Since those who grow organic herbs don't want to use chemical fertilizers to help their plants to grow, you need to find other ways to fertilize the soil. Luckily, the solution lies in your garbage! Composting consists of allowing biodegradable materials to break down naturally, which creates a nutrient-rich soil that can be used in your garden. By starting a compost pile, you will have a rich source of natural fertilizer on hand and less to haul out on trash day each week. As can be seen, the best way to grow organic herbs is to use what you have at hand to naturally encourage plants to grow healthy and to discourage natural predators of these plants to seek other places to feed.
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