If you want to know more about organic gardening, or have had trouble growing, one Grand Junction organization will offer help. Today members of the Organic Gardening Club met to discuss ideas and share tips for organic gardening specific to the valley.
“We just chat about organic gardening and growing food without chemicals inputs, and how to build the soils, and what plants are good to grow,” explains Marian Dorn, Coordinator of the Organic Gardening Club.
Though organic gardening has been thought to be more challenging compared to conventional gardening, Dorn explains that if you have a healthier soil to begin with, which organic growing provides, then you have less chance of insects invading and attacking your plants. Organic gardening can lead to the overall success of your garden with healthier plants as the result.
“Other people just know so much. It is fun to hear what people know. They have had different experiences,” says Dorn.
The group shares anything from plants that grow best in our climate to health benefits of certain organic foods.
“They have found that there are some nutrients that are much more prevalent in organically grown produce. Also some plants can take up a lot of toxins, especially carrots, those are one vegetable that you want to grow or buy organically,” Dorn says.
She also stresses the importance of soil.
“In Grand Junction the soil is very alkaline and it is very important to get lots of good organic matter in your soil,” she says. “The soils here vary too, so you have to pay attention to where you are growing in the valley also.”
The group’s next big event will be a seed swap. Here, fellow gardeners can freely exchange seeds with one another that they may have not otherwise had.
If you would like to know more or become apart of the group, contact Marian Dorn at 970-255-0417. The group meets the second Sunday of every month at the Botanical Gardens.
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