Keys to organic gardening success

Sunset, Spring-Summer, 1998 by Jim McCausland

1 Pick a garden-friendly site. That means a location in full sun and sheltered from constant winds, which stunt plants. McCombs and Newton planted their garden on an unused sunny lot.

2 Build or bring in good soil. Ideal soil is deep, loose, and fertile, and contains plenty of organic matter, which in turn holds water, nutrients, and abundant beneficial life. Many organic gardeners observe that as soil health improves, plant disease problems decline.

For instant results in rocky or otherwise unusable native soil, build raised beds. McCombs and Newton filled theirs with topsoil enriched with organic fertilizer (3-2-1).

3 Kill the competition. If you're gardening in soil that's laced with weed seeds (any native soil, for example), do this: After beds are prepared, water every couple of days for two weeks; your goal is to germinate as many weed seedlings as possible. Hoe them off lightly as they appear (if you disturb the soil deeper than 2 inches, you'll just bring more weed seeds to the surface). Then plant.

You can also mulch to keep more weeds from germinating. McCombs and Newton layered each of their raised beds with 3 inches of straw after vegetable seedlings were established, and they had no weed problems at all.

If weeds do appear in your garden, pull or hoe them well before they flower and reproduce. Be especially vigilant for grasses, since they're among the most difficult weeds to control and the fastest to spread.

4 Plant the right varieties at the right times. Choose varieties with disease resistance bred in and with successful track records in your area. County extension offices often have lists of recommended varieties and suggested planting dates. Plant seedlings close enough together so that as they mature, they'll shade out any weeds that emerge beneath them.

5 Interplant flowers and vegetables. Harmful insects usually prefer environments in which only one type of plant is grown. Beneficial insects - which feed on insect pests - thrive on diversity. McCombs and Newton include annual flowers, perennials, roses, and strawberries in their planting scheme to provide cover, food, and water for beneficial insects. When allowed to flower, bronze fennel, carrots, celery, and parsley attract lacewings and syrphid flies. Yarrow and pink clover attract other beneficial insects, and they keep honeybees in the garden to promote pollination. However, some crops - corn for example - have to be planted alone to ensure pollination and to avoid cross-pollination with other corn varieties.

6 Keep things growing. There's U nothing like vigorous growth to help plants overcome insects and diseases and to guarantee abundant harvests. Never let plants dry out completely before watering, and feed plants regularly.

7 Be there. Walk through the garden every morning and evening to check for plant problems before they get out of hand. Pests, diseases, and weeds are easier to control when they're caught early.

RELATED ARTICLE: When pests do come

Nontoxic remedies from the experts

Organic gardeners around the West tell us which nontoxic pest controls have worked for them.

* Aphids. Wait two weeks after you first notice them to see whether lacewings, lady beetles, and syrphid flies arrive to control them. They usually do. Otherwise, hose them off with water. If infestations get heavier, spray with insecticidal soap.

* Asparagus beetles. Spray these beetles off plants with water, or shake them off. (You can squish the insects that fall off.)

* Birds. Cover rows of seedlings or tender plants such as baby lettuce with bird netting over hoops. String reflective tape across vulnerable parts of the garden (while beets are small or tree fruit is ripe, for example). As breezes twist the shiny tape, it flashes in the sunlight, keeping birds away for enough time to save the crop. To keep crows from eating corn seed, plant kernels extra-deep.

* Codling moths. To keep these insects from traveling among fruits, thin small (1-inch-wide) apples to 4 to 6 inches apart, before they grow large and begin to touch. Or use pheromone traps to catch moths and help prevent egg-laying on or near apples.

* Cucumber beetles. Catch and dispose of them. You can use calendula flowers as a trap crop. When you harvest petals for salads, collect the beetles and squish them as you go.

* Damping-off disease. This soilborne fungus is a problem on greenhouse-grown plants. Use a well-drained planting medium, avoid overwatering, and thin seedlings early.

* Deer. If all else fails, build an 8-foot-tall fence to keep them out.

* Root aphids on lettuce. These insects indicate stressed lettuce. Water it regularly and avoid growing lettuce when the weather is too hot.

* Snails. Handpick them at night (use a flashlight to find them). Or trap them: Elevate a wide plank or piece of plywood about an inch off the ground in a snail-infested area. It'll offer a daytime hiding place, from which you can collect and dispose of them. Wrap copper bands around the trunks of trees and around raised beds.