Planning an organic is slightly different from planning a garden that depends on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. You'll want to design your organic garden to encourage nature to take care of the problems. If you already have a garden, but want to switch to organic gardening, you'll need to change your garden slightly.

Switching to chemical-free gardening will not only mean changing your gardening practices, but also your gardening design. Gardening in beds, as opposed to rows, provides for better weed, disease and pest management. Beds are also more attractive and easier to maintain. In a garden bed, everything is planted within arm's reach. The leaves of adjacent plants shade the soil, reducing weed growth. Diversity in a garden bed also has many advantages.

Planting your garden can start in early February with some seedlings you start indoors, and can continue all the way through spring and summer, and even into the fall. While it's tempting to rush out and start digging and planting, it's a good idea to take some time and begin planning. Here are few straightforward tips and you're sure to have great results this season.

• Find the Right Spot. Like real estate, a successful organic garden is all about the right location. Find a spot in your yard with full sun (at least 6 hours), well-drained soil, and one that's within easy reach of the house.
  
  

• You may have some great vegetables planted out there, but no amount of praying to the gardening gods will get them to grow if they don't have enough light. You need to know how much sunlight you have. Plants that receive too much or too little sun are more stressed. For vegetable gardening, most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sun a day.
  
  

• Organic gardens should be close to the house or along a path you frequent. You'll be more likely to check your garden for problems this way. Even if you don't do anything in the garden at that moment, you can make a mental note to take care of the problem later.
  
  

• Beef Up the Soil. Add manure or compost into a seedbed before there is anything planted is relatively easy. Trying to transform the soil around already established plants is a Herculean task. The most basic rules of organic gardening is taking good care of your soil Your garden will be healthier and have fewer problems with insects, diseases, and weeds.