Organic Gardening Products I Love

I'm not going to sugar coat it...organic gardening is tough!  I look at the neighbor's garden and see deep green plants that are twice the size of mine bearing fruit in half the time, and I groan inside.  Sometimes I get so discouraged that I want to jump in my car, head to the garden center, and purchase every chemical they sell.  But I stick to my guns and sweat it out (literally).

Along the way, however, I have found a few organic products that are helpful, so I want to share them with you.  Please comment below to add your favorites to this list as well.

1. You can't beat chicken litter for a natural fertilizer, but if you don't have ready access, try Miracle-Gro's Organic Choice Organic Plant Food.  Be prepared for a little odor, and if you have a dog, he/she will try to gobble it up about as fast as you can sprinkle it on.  But I have seen my plants "take off" after using this product.

2. For insect control in small areas, try using an insecticidal soap.  You can easily make your own by mixing 1 tablespoon of pure liquid soap such as Dr. Bronner's (found at Target and Publix), 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil (vegetable, canola, olive, sunflower, etc.), and 1 quart of water.  Mix it in a spray bottle and apply generously to plants.

3. For a large garden or persistent pests, try neem oil.  It can be purchased already diluted in a spray bottle or in concentrate form, which you will mix with water in a sprayer.  I have had luck with this Garden Safe brand.

Unfortunately, when it comes to insect control, nothing is going to kill 'em dead like the hardcore chemicals.  But that fact alone should be enough to make you think twice about ingesting that stuff yourself.  Putting in a little extra time and effort to remain organic is totally worth it in the end.  Use whatever organic products you can find, and happily accept that nature is probably going to get a portion of your bounty!