Grow Winter Vegetables Organically

Add as a preferred source on Google

Winter vegetables like carrots, asparagus, sprouts, spinach, lettuce; onions, etc. either grow under the soil or need less sunlight for growth. These plants are sown during the end of monsoon and are harvested during winters. These plants can be grown in your garden or backyard.

Winter Vegetables can be grown using Organic Farming. Organic Farming is nothing but farming techniques and methodology that does not use anything synthetic or chemical based. Natural and environment friendly farming methods like crop rotation, use of natural fertilizers and avoiding addition of any synthetic growth ailment. Organic farming is getting a lot of demand these days due to the growing awareness of environment and health. People are now opting for organic food to stay healthy.

Winter vegetables can also be grown using Organic Farming. Organic farming is very easy and can be done in both small and large spaces. A few tips to grow winter vegetables organically are described below:-

1.Use proper and selective crops - Winters are different in every part of the globe. It might not be severe in some parts and it might be very severe in other parts. Therefore, when choosing winter vegetables to grow organically, you should check if the vegetable can survive in the temperature of the place where it is to be grown. Every vegetable has different temperature tolerance. For example, onions are very resilient towards temperatures and can bear temperatures as low as -18 degree Celsius.

2.Use the Rotation Policy - One important method of organic farming is rotation of vegetables and crops. If the same vegetable is planted again and again, the soil tends to lose its nutrients. Also, changing vegetables would prevent pest damage. You should at least use different crops every season.

3.Make Barriers - Winter vegetables need to be protected from harsh and dry winter winds. To do so, make use of natural barriers like plant trees in the direction of the wind, use shrubs for the same and plant the vegetables in such a way that the walls of houses would act as a barrier. Also, the barrier should only block the dry winds and not the minimum sunlight available during winter.

4.Use Natural Fertilizers - Organic Farming relates to using of natural fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides. Organic Farming does not promote use of chemical based pesticides and fertilizers that harm the soil and make it lose its nutrients sooner. Thus, winter vegetables grown using Organic Farming methods, should use natural fertilizers like leftover food and fodder, animal and human feces, crop waste of other plants and so on. These fertilizers do not have any harmful impact on the environment and are very beneficial for the plants. Similarly, other natural pesticides and insecticides should be used instead of toxic chemicals.

5.Mulching and Composting - Mulching and compost are two methods of organic farming., Mulching is nothing but making a thin layer of green leaves, vegetable waste and soil before growing the crops. It increases micro organisms useful for plant growth, keeps the crop warm during winters and inhibits the growth of weeds. In the same way, using compost for promoting plant growth is a necessary part of Organic Farming. Compost is a natural fertilizer made from the plant waste, animal dung and other organic matter.

These were just a few tips to grow winter vegetables organically. Organic food has more nutrients and flavors than conventionally grown food. Try these tips this winter in your backyard garden.