For the respect of Nature, for our health, here are some tips to manage your garden space in the natural way.
Respecting the seasons is essential even if we can "force" the plants by winter protection, early sowing, greenhouse cultivation... On the other hand, cultural practices such as fertilization, pruning, multiplication... must be done at the right time.
It is also easier to grow plants adapted to the soil and climate of the garden.
Undesirable weeds have one (or more) functions that should not be neglected:decompaction of the soil with their sometimes pivoting roots, soil drainage, food for soil insects and worms, shade by their foliage... the trick is to leave them in an acceptable colonization. Be careful not to leave them to seed, do not put them in the compost if they are in fruit or seed, and let the roots of the perennials dry well, otherwise they will become uncontrollable. Weeds compete with crops for light, water and food. Their development should be watched.
In order to avoid the depletion of the soil in certain nutrients and the increase of diseases specific to a plant, one avoids setting up a culture in the same place as the previous year, as well as plants of the same plant family. .
It is preferable not to turn over the earth with digging or plowing, but to loosen it, with a grelinette, or spade fork or by repeated scratching. The layers are then no longer mixed in order to preserve the life of the soil.
Although not compulsory, the granulometric analysis (content of the soil in sand, clay, silt…) and chemical (content of mineral elements, pH…) of the soil informs us about the possible crops as well as the fertilization to be done. It is an investment that can be very profitable later, saving us a lot of mistakes in the choice of plants and fertilization.
It will be based on natural products:manure, compost, organic fertilizers, dried blood, crushed horn, guano, feathers, seaweed...
Humus is the backbone of fertilization
Humus results from the decomposition of organic matter, thanks to the combined action of air, water, temperature and micro-organisms. It is the result of composting.
Some slurries have energizing effects, they are used in addition to basic fertilization. This is the case with nettle and comfrey.
The rule to be observed is the following:provide the plant with the quantity of water suitable for its development, when it needs it. All means are good if they do not lead to waste or lack.
In addition, watering should not compact the soil and cause runoff. Too much water leads to leaching and therefore impoverishment of the soil which are sources of pollution (pesticides, nitrates, etc.)
More than an economic factor, water savings respond to an ecological and environmental reality. Let's learn how to harvest rainwater and store it.
Mulching protects the soil from drought, temperature variations, violent rain, compaction, erosion, runoff.
The earth does not like to be bare, whatever the season. The inhabitants of the soil need this cover, which also serves as food.
We mulch with everything within our reach:leaves, dry grass, branches, cardboard, shredding...
There are also commercial mulches:veil, linen straw, cocoa bean...
The roots of the plants loosen the soil, serve as a drain in the event of rain and as a pump by promoting the rise of water by capillarity. The roots also serve as food for other inhabitants of the soil, insects, worms, fungi...
If the living conditions are met, the soil fauna becomes important. And the risk of seeing one population develop more quickly than another is reduced. Significant biodiversity promotes balance between populations and limits the risk of pathogens.
They are the “helpers” of the garden. Animals, often insects, but also birds, reptiles, batrachians, arachnids… which feed on parasites. The best known example is the ladybug which feeds on aphids. How to help them:
Do not spray them with insecticides or weedkillers and leave them shelter and shelter.
Have a corner of the meadow that you do not mow, in order to attract insects (through flowers, shelters, etc.).
Do not treat as soon as the parasites arrive because the pantry of the auxiliaries is suddenly removed, which will therefore reproduce and lay eggs elsewhere. It takes patience and a touch of tolerance…
They are basically sprays of various manures.
We also use the treatment which sometimes is organic with very good results. But one must always wonder about the reason for this parasitic attack:bad plant, bad place, bad season, bad cultural practice...
Finding the why is already finding part of the solution.
What would a gardener be without patience! It is still necessary to have tolerance... Not everything can be perfect in a garden, some plants do not grow there, others are sensitive to parasitic attacks or climate variations.
Knowing how to accept that plants do not always give their best is a first step towards natural gardening.
ingrown clover, widely used as a green manure in natural gardening
