Organic gardening is not just a matter of replacing chemicals such as artificial fertilizers and pesticides with more natural products, as it is often simplistically described. There is a great deal more to it than that, in both theory and practice.
Basic principles
The organic approach recognizes the marvelous complexity of our living world; the detailed and intricate ways in which all living organisms are interconnected. It aims to work within this delicate framework, in harmony with nature.
Feeding the soil
Conventional fertilizers are generally soluble, their ingredients directly available to plants. The organic way, on the other hand, relies on soil-dwelling creatures to make food available to plants.
Unbelievable as it may sound, a single teaspoonful of fertile soil can contain more bacteria and fungi than the number of humans living on the planet. These microorganisms, which are invisible to the naked eye, break down compost, manure, and other organic materials that are added to the soil, to provide a steady supply of nutrients for plants to take up. Their activities also help to improve soil structure. soil fed in this way tends to produce healthier plants that are better able to withstand attack from pests and diseases, or have a much better chance of recovery.
Natural pest control all creatures, whatever their size, risk attack by pests and diseases. They are part of a great food chain. Ladybugs prey on aphids, robins eat Japanese beetles, and toads devour slugs, as an organic gardener, you can capitalize on the situation by creating the right conditions to attract these unpaid pest controllers—the gardener’s friends. There are other strategies in the organic cupboard, too barriers and traps, pest- and disease resistant plant varieties, companion planting, and crop rotation all provide realistic alternatives to the use of pesticides.
Managing weeds
Weeds can be a valuable resource as a compost ingredient or food for wildlife, but they can also smother plants, compete for food and water, and spoil the look of a path or border. organic
gardeners don’t use weed killing sprays, but there are plenty of effective alternatives, both for clearing ground and for keeping weeds under control: hoeing, mulching, cultivation, hand-weeding,
and the use of heat in the form of flame or infrared burners.
Conservation and the environment
By taking a holistic approach to the use of finite resources and by minimizing impact on the environment, organic growing makes a positive contribution toward creating a sustainable future for
all life on earth. This means recycling and reusing, instead of dumping or burning or buying new; providing habitats where wildlife can flourish; and avoiding the use of non reusable
resources. It also involves choosing locally available materials, rather than those transported over long distances.
Welfare considerations
Animal welfare is an important element of organic farming. There is no place in the organic philosophy for factory farming, such as battery and broiler hen houses or intensive feedlots. as a logical
extension, organic gardeners do not use by-products—such as manure—from intensive agriculture. There is concern for people, too—standards governing the trade in organic food are gradually
converging with those concerned with “fair trade,” to provide better livelihoods for those employed in farming, particularly in developing countries.
The use of animal manures is an integral part of most organic farming systems, but it is quite possible to garden without using any products of animal origin if you prefer. garden compost, leguminous green manures, leaf mold, and plant-based fertilizers are all “animal-free” organic gardening ingredients.
