Organic gardening revolves around the concept of using all natural products to grow your garden. Organic gardeners depend on Mother Nature to rid their gardens of unwanted byproducts, forgoing their chemical counterparts that have devastating effects on the Earth.

Decomposing plants and animals are excellent fertilizers for enriching the soil. Enriched soil allows plants to grow and thrive using the available nutrients from the dead organisms, all while increasing the soil’s microbial life.

Organic gardeners know that it is important to know a fertilizer’s nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratings. These micronutrients promote leaf growth, fruiting, flowering and rooting. The N-P-K fertilizer compound can be applied by either the method known as top dressing, which is a process in which the gardener adds the fertilizer to the top couple of inches of soil by the root zone and mixing it to avoid run-off, or by brewing a tea of fertilizer mixed with water. Either method will encourage increases in microbial life.

Worm castings are also a great, natural fertilizer. Worms eat the compost and soil in the garden and excrete castings that are five times as rich as what they had eaten. They also aerate and oxygenate your garden by digging tunnels as they eat. This act provides much needed oxygen to the roots of the plants.

Compost is often used as an organic garden fertilizer and can be created easily with home items such as grass clippings, table scraps, and dead plants.

Of course, these are just a couple of natural fertilizers that can be used in your organic garden. A gardener could also use such fertilizers as manure, bat guano, fish emulsion, seaweed, and many products that are available commercially now. If every gardener would use one or many of these methods to fertilize their fruit or vegetable garden, they will surely reap the benefits of their organically grown produce.

When you are in need of mulch it is not necessary to get in your car and drive to a garden center. Mulch is readily available at your own home and free for the taking. Read on to learn how to make your own mulch which can not only save you time and money, but also be more earth-friendly.

Grass clippings are great for annual gardens including herb and perennial gardens. They are free and abundant in summer when lawns must be cut frequently. Simply attach the bag to your lawn mower and collect the clippings as you cut the grass. When you are finished, simply spread the clippings over the garden bed. It is important, however, to never use grass that you think may have been treated with herbicides.

Leaves are mulching superstars. Leaves from most any deciduous tree will do the job nicely. Be sure to shred them first by running over them with a lawn mower to help keep them from blowing around. Spread them 2 inches deep and be sure to replenish the supply as the leaves decompose. Leaves will attract earthworms, which in turn will help convert the decaying leaves into wonderful fertilizer for your soil.

Pine straw or pine needles make excellent mulch. It looks nice and smells great. Straw can be piled up to 8 inches thick. If you live in a wet climate, avoid straw mulch as it can draw slugs.

Wood chips work well, but should not be used too close to homes, as chips can draw termites. Chips work nicely to cover paths easily. If you have to get a tree stump ground ask that the chips be left behind. Some tree trimming companies or arborists will allow you to haul off wood chips for free.

Newspaper can work surprisingly well when layered as a weed barrier. Thicknesses of 4 layers should be laid wet in the garden. You may then cover with a more decorative form of mulch such as wood chips. Do not use paper sections that feature colored inks or slick advertising papers in vegetable or herb gardens.