Techniques and Tools for Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is all the rage, but you may be reluctant to let go of your yard chemicals. Learn more about techniques and tools for organic gardening in this DIY Network video:

Organic gardening is not difficult but requires more patience. The key is to let nature work for you. Organic methods don’t offer quick fixes, but you get a healthier garden by going chemical-free, and these methods are simpler, safer and less expensive.

Keep your garden weed-free naturally by using the right hoe:

• Use a stirrup or hula hoe for weeds along edges of a lawn or planter bed. Cleaning your hoe after each use and sharpening it regularly will keep it in the best shape.
• Use a circle hoe to remove one weed at a time in between plants.
• Move a winged weeder along the soil to weed large areas quickly. Shallow weeding is preferred because it doesn’t disturb the soil while plants are growing.
• A Dutch Diamond hoe can be used to clear a large area or remove one weed at a time.

Let Mother Nature control your pests for you:

1. Enlist beneficial bugs. Praying mantises eat pests like aphids, mites and mosquitoes, although they also eat beneficials. Ladybugs eat spider mites, scale insects, whiteflies and aphids.
2. Plants with strong scents like dill and fennel have been known to repel pests. Choose flowers that bloom all year round to attract beneficial pollinators.