Gardening and Health – 3 Simple Fundamentals

In this day and age life can be seemingly complex.  Goodness knows a lot of folks try to make it so.

The same with gardening. But in reality things are pretty simple.

There are fundamentals that hold true in the garden for growing almost anything.  If you apply them to your life in general you’ll stay healthier — just like your plants out in the garden will. Here are 3 of those fundamentals.

Fresh Air/Air Circulation

Gardening

Everything needs fresh air and air circulation.  If you overcrowd your plants or place them where there is no air movement, you can almost bet you’re gonna have trouble in one form or the other.

One example of this would be keeping a cold frame closed up indefinitely, making the perfect environment for aphids, mildew, etc.

Poor air circulation is also one of the causes of damping-off in new seedlings started in flats.

Your Health

I’ve slept with a window open since I was a girl.  I think a lot people underestimate the importance of having fresh air.

Even if you don’t want to sleep with a window open, air in a home needs to be replaced with fresh air every day. Having fresh air has gone a long way towards keeping me healthier.

Good Water

Gardening

Your plants need water, but not all water is equal.  Rain water is the gold standard for plants.  It’s always wonderful to go out after a rain and see how things have miraculously changed and how my lettuce has doubled in size! Water out of the spigot won’t have that effect.

I have been gardening for 33 years and have never had a “system” for watering.  So – I’ve never watered. (As close as I came was to haul a few buckets last year to try to keep a few plants going during the worse drought I ever remember.)  I do collect rain water in two barrels to have water when I transplant or sow seed.

Even though I don’t water, I do pretty well during drought years because of the way I garden.  Sure – I might loose a few  things, but not like a conventional gardener would.

My organic garden shines in drought because it conserves water (the good stuff) and keeps the soil cooler than it otherwise would be.

Your Health

It’s hard to get good drinking water and next to impossible to get ‘living’ water. Get the best you have available to you. Obviously, stay away from water that is polluted or has chemicals in it.

You might have to make an effort or write a note to yourself to remember to drink water throughout the day, but much can be gained from doing it.  It seems simple —–but it works and goes a long way towards good health.

Paying Attention

Gardening

In gardening you can ward off a lot of trouble by just paying attention.  One of the most obvious examples is paying attention to squash bugs. By checking everyday and killing them before they increase, you save lots of time and the headache of a major infestation.

Paying attention everyday also helps alert you to knowing what you are doing right and what you might be doing wrong. If you see bad symptoms right away, it’s a lot easier to correct the problem.

Your Health

“The thing to do” in our society is to run to the doctor.  If you learn to pay attention to your body, you can avoid most of that.

Bottom Line

We all can have a tendency to ignore what is simple and easy.  These 3 fundamentals – fresh air, water, and paying attention – are just that – simple and easy.  But applied consistently you’ll find they can make a HUGE difference in your garden and your health.

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Organic gardening is easy, efficient, effective and — it’s a lot healthier.

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