Our grandparents grew “organic” without even using the word. Organic gardening adds years to your life, and life to your years!

If you’ve been thinking of ditching the chemicals and going organic, this is the year to do it! There are many good reasons to grow an organic garden, but health tops the list.

Whether you’re a budding green thumb with a bit of experience under your belt or you’ve never grown a garden (or perhaps even a plant) before in your life, there are a few organic gardening basics that are helpful to know when you’re just getting started.

Don’t know where to start? It is possible to hire someone to install and maintain a beautiful organic garden for you, but most of us can roll up our sleeves with a surprisingly low amount of effort. Remember, you can start small, even with just a single plant or two. Don’t worry if things aren’t perfect right away. Will you be a world-class gardener right away? Probably not. Even the most experienced green thumbs experience crop failures and bad seasons. But with a bit of foundational knowledge and a willingness to try, you’ll soon be on your way to becoming a skilled home gardener and enjoying bountiful harvests year after year.

Sounds good? Alright. Let’s begin, green and brown thumbs!

Know your Garden Zone

One of the first things you should know before you even buy plants/seeds or start planning your garden is what garden zone you live in. Garden zones are based on region and climate and help to determine which plants will survive and thrive best in each zone. So knowing what garden zone you live in will help you to select plant varieties that will grow in your area. Knowing your garden zone will also help you determine your average first and last frost dates which will subsequently help you plan when to plant what in your garden. For an example if you live in areas that tend to get colder, like Himachal, your garden zone is essentially Western Himalayan. On the other hand, the western coastal areas of Maharashtra, Goa Karnataka and Kerala, to be precise – the western ghats, fall under West Coast Plains and Hills zone! In this way, you can determine the zone in which you live and eventually figure out which plants will thrive in the temperature, humidity, and other climate segments of your zone.