Spring is the start of a new growing season. Time to get your garden ready for planting and finish what you couldn't get done before winter set in.

Soil is the key to having a successful organic garden. The first and most important part in preparing your garden for a new growing season is to know what you are working with. Testing your soil is very important and even more important if your crops the year before didn't do as well as you would of liked them too.

Once your soil has been tested and you know what you need for soil amendments you can start working the soil in your garden to get ready for planting. Turning your soil over by tilling, plowing or by hand with a spade aerates the soil by exposing new soil to the air, which will activate microbes that are in the soil and other organic matter to help make fertile soil. You want to make sure that your soil is dry enough before you start working with it. If you take a hand full of soil and squeeze it and it stays in the form of a solid ball the soil is to wet. Working wet soil will destroy the texture of the soil. The soil will just be full of clods when it dries and the restoration of the soil can take a lot of work and time that you don't need to lose out of the growing season. If the area that you plant your garden is usually wet in the spring and dry in the fall you should consider a fall preparation of your garden. This way in the spring there will only be a minimal amount of hand work needed to prepare and start planting.

Now that the soil in your garden has been turned over it's time to add a layer of compost to feed the soil. A good healthy soil structure is one that will retain moisture, drain well and a lot of nutrient rich humus to feed your plants. Feeding the soil is different that feeding your plants. When you feed the soil the nutrients are there for the plants to feed from as they need too. When fertilizing you are applying nutrients to the soil and the plants will only take what they need when they need it and the rest gets diluted or evaporated away. Having a good nutrient rich soil is the best way to supply the plants in your garden the nutrition they need.

Now that you have your garden prepared and a good healthy nutrient rich soil it is time to start planting. Don't be afraid to add compost to the hole you dig for your new plants. The plants will love you for it.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment.

By: John Yazo
http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

As colder temperatures and shorter days prevail, gardeners must think about getting their gardens set for winter. Below is a checklist of chores to consider for the maintenance of your perennial garden, vegetable garden, and lawn to keep all in healthy condition.

1. Cut back your perennials. How and when you do this is determined by the individual needs of your plants, your desire to provide food and cover for wildlife, and your appreciation for winter interest in your yard. If you prefer your property having a neat appearance then, cutting back your perennials to the ground is the way to go, but if you would like to leave nesting areas for insects, seeds and berries for wildlife to survive on through the winter, and if you enjoy some stems and structural interest left standing through out the winter, then trim and cut back to different heights as you see fit and aesthetically pleasing. Plants that have had a disease or did not do well should be removed and any vigorous re-seeders that can take over perennial beds should also be removed or split and transplanted. Avoid cutting back to the ground hardy mums, asters and ferns. The old foliage of these helps to protect their crowns through winter. Leave a good chunk of their stems to mark their location so when you plant something else in the spring you will know where they are and won't accidentally disturb them. The timing of cutting plants back for winter is important, too. In general, later is better.

2. To provide compost for next year's garden, save fall lawn cuttings and leaves and place them in a compost container.

3. In the vegetable garden, harvest all the vegetables still left before frost hits. Remove any dead or spoiled ones and if disease is apparent, destroy them to reduce any chances of infestation.

4. Bulbs for additional spring and summer color should be planted in the fall. If there are tender bulbs in your garden, carefully lift them out and store these bulbs in an airy, dry, and protected area for the winter.

5. Add mulch to your perennials to keep them warm and protected over the winter. Mulch will also helps store moisture in the soil. You can also add manure and compost in the fall, which is the best time to do this giving plenty of time for breakdown to happen.

6. Houseplants that were growing outside should make their way back inside. To avoid shock, do this gradually placing them in partly shaded areas outside first. And always bring them in before the first frost, of course.

7. Prepare rose bushes for winter. Prune dead or damaged branches and cut off any old flowers. Using topsoil or mulch, mound the bush and cut canes back to six to twelve inches. To completely protect the bush, you can then cover it using a bushel basket, if the size is appropriate.

8. Lawns could use preparing now for next spring. To allow the soil to drain better and give the roots much needed oxygen, aerate and thatch if the soil is compacted. Seeding and fertilizing can be done now as well.

9. Clean up all of your gardening tools. Pruning tools, mower blades, and shears can be sharpened and oiled now. This way they will avoid rusting over the winter and will be all ready for you come spring.

10. If you have a garden pool, to avoid freezing, you must drain it.

By: Dayelle I Swensson
Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.

Lawn Watering Tips

How complicated can it be to water the lawn? It's basic, right? You put out the sprinkler or turn on the soaker hoses or even stand in the yard and hold the hose and spray the water around yourself, making sure to soak the buses and trees. You do it when you have time, or after work or dinner. What more can you do, right? Wrong.

Sorry to make a science out of something so simple, but knowing when and when not to water your lawn actually is a science actually.

There are five factors to consider when watering your lawn: how much water, the time of day, the weather, the method of watering and the use of chemical agents or fertilizers in the water are all important factors.

Most turf lawns only need about three-quarters to one inch of water a week to keep that emerald green glow we all know and love. During hotter days or drought periods however, you actually want to cut back, not increase your watering. This allows the lawn's growth to naturally slow during extreme conditions. It's better for the water supply and actually healthier for the lawn.
Allowing lawns to go under mild droughts makes the root system stronger and healthier. Frequent watering actually harms root systems, making them shallower and more susceptible to pests. Frequent watering also adds to your community's storm water runoff, which pollutes water systems and carries lawn chemicals into our rivers.

Of course the more you water your lawn the faster it grows and the more frequently you need to mow it.

Decide before the summer season begins if you're going to let your lawn go dormant in the worst heat or if you're going to water through a drought. If your town imposes watering restrictions you may want to decide early on not to try to have a green lawn summer round.

On the other hand, if you have unlimited water resources such as a deep well or nearby river you draw from, you may want to continue to keep your lawn green in spite of a drought. But don't let the lawn turn brown then decide over the weekend to water it and green it back up. Sure it may look okay, but continually breaking a lawn's dormant periods will actually deplete its food reserves and weaken the lawn.

Over watering not only impacts your water bill, but it can increase problems with diseases and insects too. Use a rainguage to determine how much water you've applied. Once you know how long it takes to water your lawn then you can adjust your sprinklers and watering time that way.
If you're not sure then you should water simply walk across your lawn. Turn around and look for what is called "foot printing" where your footprints remain in the grass. This is caused by leaf blades not bouncing back up after they've been stepped on - an indicator the lawn needs watering.
When you do water make sure the water soaks down to the roots. You can't do this in a few minutes so spraying the lawn with a hose for a few minutes out of guilt will do more harm than good. Not only does this promote shallow root systems it also encourages more weeds.

When you do water, water as early in the day as possible, usually when the grass and plants are already wet with dew. Watering later in the day when the sun is higher and temps are up can lead to evaporation of the water. Mid-day watering also leaves water droplets on the plants, which become small magnifying glasses that allow the sun's ray to burn or scorch the plants. That leads to a brown, scruffy looking lawn in spite of adequate watering. You can water later in the afternoon or early evening, but late night watering can lead to problems with disease since the water sits on the lawn longer.

There are exceptions to this rule however. If daytime temps are extremely hot and nighttime temps don't drop below 68-70 degrees you can safely water at night.

Weather is a factor as well. Keep an eye on the weather report and try not to water your lawn when it is expected to rain. Keep a rain gauge on your lawn so you can monitor how much rain the lawn received and adjust your watering that week accordingly.

If you're doing the watering make sure your sprinkler system spreads a uniform path across the lawn. Many people will set out a sprinkler and never move it. That's great for the patches that get the water, but uneven watering can lead to an uneven greenness. Put out coffee cans or some sort of straight sided container to help you measure you sprinkler's application rates.

Watch for runoff in areas where your lawn slopes. Steeper hills and slopes may require additional watering to accommodate runoff and allow for better soil penetration. Knowing the kind of soil you have - whether it's peat, loam, sand, silt or clay - is important. Penetration is based on the percolation rate of your soil type. Some lawns may require shorter periods of watering followed by another period of watering to allow the first application to sink in.

Finally, when it's time to use fertilizer or other chemical treatments on your lawn, try not to do so when it is expected to rain. The rains will only wash the nutrients out of the root system and down the drain. Follow the directions on the package and make sure that you water as directed to make sure you don't burn your lawn or your grasses root system.

By: Trudy Coulter
How to create the perfect lawn which will be the envy of friends and neighbours. Visit http://www.lawnperfection.com

Growing chilies is relatively simple and can be achieved by anyone, no matter how small a space you have even if you only have a small balcony or even only a windowsill. Below are a few tip to help you increase your crop.

1. Extend the growing season

Chillies need time, especially if you are growing in a relative cool climate. In order to get a head start on what can be a short growing season all you need to do is plant your chillie seeds and germinate them indoors. By doing so you're able to plant the seeds before the risk of frost passes as Spring arrives. By the time you can put plants outside, you should already have seedlings a few centimeters tall, giving them a good head start on the summer.

2. Use artificial lighting

Chillies love light. Again while you wait for summer to fully kick in you may find that your chillie seedlings get rather leggy (tall and spindly). This is very common amongst chillies planted too early as they grow tall and thin while trying to stretch for light. To combat the problem you could try using artificial lighting to boost their growth until you can put the plants outside.

3. Pinch out young seedlings

It is well known amongst gardeners that pinching the tops off small plants (about 15cm tall) encourages them to grow more bushy and focus less on growing tall and slim. This may seem a harsh act to commit however in the long run a bushier plant will generally produce more flowers, and that will lead to the plant producing more fruit.

4. Feed the chillies

There are many weird and wonderful feeds on the market. Though none of them are essential you may find they help. In general growing chillies can be thought of as very similar to growing tomatoes. When your plants start to fruit, feeding the with a tomato food (high in nitrogen) will help the plant increase its yield.

5. Pick the chillies

It may seem obvious but you should pick the chillie fruit as soon as they are ripe, or even just before to allow them to ripen off the plant. Picking the fruit will encourage the plant to produce more.

By: James C Kerr
For further information click here for growing chillies, grow lights or any other chilli pepper information, please visit the author's website.