- Create your own back yard organic garden.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Organic fruit trees and vegetables are grown without the use of herbicides or pesticides. Farmers use organic methods that include crop rotation, composting and the use of natural predators, like lady bugs, to eat the insects that try to infest crops. Organic farming produces high-quality food, but it also requires more work because crops must be monitored to maintain healthy soils by tilling the ground and adding organic amendments such as humus, manure and various types of fertilizers. - Avocados continue to ripen when picked from the vine.avocado fruits on a wild avocado tree image by Lars Lachmann from Fotolia.com
Organic avocados can produce fruit all year once the tree is fully mature. Avocados are high in Omega-3 fats, fiber and minerals. The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service web site says that organic fruit trees in general respond best to rocky soils that have a slightly acidic pH level of 6.5. Some fruit trees can adapt to more alkaline soils as well. Crop rotation is not practical with organic fruit trees, and some fruit trees do not produce fully mature fruit until the tree has been in the ground for three years. Instead of rotating fruit trees, farmers change the types of crops that are around the trees. Organic avocados are easier to grow than other fruits because the actual fruit pulp is contained inside a thick protective skin that most insects can't penetrate. Avocado trees grow well in Arizona and California. These trees need full sun and waterings at least once per week. - Some blueberry plants are classified as bushes, while others are called trees.blueberries image by samantha grandy from Fotolia.com
The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service says that blueberries are a type of fruit tree that thrives in soils with a pH of 4.8 to 5.5. Natural predators are often needed to protect organic blueberry trees because the fruit is easily penetrable. Buy hundreds of lady bugs to help protect your crops. The lady bugs generally stick around for one to two seasons. Add alfalfa or cottonseed meal to the soil to improve fertility. Some blueberry trees only grow 2 feet tall while others can reach heights of 15 feet depending on the variety. Choose from "Velvet Leaf" or "Rabbiteye." - Organic carrots may need to be protected from insect infestations.carrots image by Freeze Frame Photography from Fotolia.com
Some of the same methods are used when growing both organic and conventional carrots. The main difference is in soil preparation and preventing insect infestations. Planting times vary depending on where you live. The use of natural predators and other precautions is necessary if you live in an area with a high insect population. Cornell University says that the health of the soil is the basis for organic farming, and adding manure and other organic material improves the overall health of the soil. Sometimes covering crops are also necessary to protect the integrity of your plants. Recommended carrot varieties include "Big Sur," "Bercaro" and "Abundance," just to name a few. Organic carrots are usually ready for harvest between 60 to 80 days. The top portion of the foliage and 2.5 inches of the vegetable stick up above the ground when the plant is fully mature. The carrot should be easy to pull from the ground. Carrots need full sunshine and light watering each day. - Chop up organic beets and carrots to make a nutrient-rich raw vegetable juice.early red beets and young beet leaves image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
Growing organic beets requires some of the same methods and attention that apply to growing carrots and other vegetables. Planting times vary greatly depending on where you live. Generally beets are planted in early spring or late summer and are harvested between 60 to 80 days after planting. Beets grow best in soils with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8, but these plants can tolerate other types of soils. Prepare the soil by tilling the ground up to 15 inches deep to ensure that it is well drained. Break up thick, clay-like soils before planting beets. Try different varieties such as "Burpee Golden," "Little Mini Ball" and "Detroit Dark Red." Beets need watering at least three times per week, along with daily sun.
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