I came across these organic gardening tips at the Planet Natural website. They cover a wide range of topics ranging from companion planting to earthworms. Along the way you discover the best time to water your plants, how to make compost tea and when to use Diatomaceous earth. Keen organic gardeners will have heard of most of these tips, but they are a useful reminder of any that you might have forgotten.

1. If you can not use finished compost for a while, cover the pile with a tarp to avoid leaching the nutrients out of the compost.
2. Companion planting is an excellent way to improve your garden. Some plants replenish nutrients lost by another one, and some combinations effectively keep pests away.
3. Dry your herbs at the end of the summer by tying sprigs together to form small bunches. Tie them together with a rubber band and hang, tips down, in a dry place out of the sun. Keep the bunches small to ensure even circulation. Store dry in labeled canning jars, either whole or crumbled. Freezing is also a good way to preserve herbs.
4. Water in the morning to help avoid powdery mildew and other fungal diseases that are often spread by high humidity.
5. The longer the growing season, the more compost is needed in the soil. A longer growing season requires more nutrients and organic matter in the soil.
6. Coffee grounds make excellent mulch around acid-loving plants.
7. Attract ladybugs to your garden with nectar-producing plants such as parsley, dill, and fennel.
8. In general, thinner leaved plants need more water to stay alive, thicker leaved plants need less.
9. Make compost tea by mixing equal parts compost and water and let it sit. Pour this liquid directly onto the soil around healthy, growing plants. Dilute this to 4 parts water to 1 part compost for use on smaller seedlings. Any compost that has not gone into solution can be used to make more tea or used in your garden.
10. New beds require plenty of compost, soil amendments and double digging for that extra kick.
Read the rest at Planet Natural
Image source Julie Gibbons