About organic gardening

Organic Gardening Essentials

So what is organic gardening all about? Most gardeners would say it is – gardening without using artificially synthesised pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. That sounds pretty simple, but quite naturally there’s more to it - see below - What an organic gardener must do…

Although for many, good tasting and healthy foods are the most attractive organic benefits, there are other important environmental benefits.

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Advantages to organic gardening

Enjoy the wide diversity of garden insects, birds, and mammals otherwise affected by artificial gardens and pesticide use
No need to buy, store, mix, water or spray potentially dangerous chemicals - even professionals with protective clothing have been affected
Most people say organic vegetables taste better – don’t rely on artificial flavours to experience real tomato, or on canned food to discover real sweet corn
Help save traditional plants by growing non commercial heritage varieties that have better taste bred into them, or have some rare special quality
Get the health benefits of exercise in your garden and really fresh and tasty vegetables
Stops waste and environmental pollution from excess soluble fertilizers - foul smelling ponds and rivers result as overgrowth uses up the oxygen and kills fish
Increased soil organic matter reduces erosion, conserves water to give drought resistance, and feeds plants in time with their needs and avoiding excesses
Recycle all your herbicide-free grass cuttings and other organic matter for your own benefit and reduce land-fill sites
No pesticides go onto fruit, vegetables or herbs that you eat, or on flowers; or stealthy herbicidal growth regulators on the lawn that you play on

Not using artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides is only the start.

To make a success of organic gardening you must do some other things too... ...

What an organic gardener must do

Rotate crops year on year – plants of the same family should not be grown in the same ground year on year. This avoids the build up of pests and nutrient imbalances. An example of a 4 group rotation is Legumes > brassicas > roots > potatoes
Avoid planting up large areas with the same plants. Break up the growing space into small blocks where possible. The same crop may be dispersed over the whole area in unconnected blocks
Grow food plants to sustain insect pest predators like ladybird larvae
Grow plant companions, especially plants that repel insect pests
Increase the variety of plants grown in every square metre
Never leave ground bare, grow green manures to dig in or compost
Make garden compost and add organic matter to the soil regularly, supplement with organic fertilizers
Special techniques include adding shrubs for shelter, adding water for birds and frogs (slug predators), biological pest control, physical pest deterents, nest sites or flowers to attract bees, hoverflys etc...
Control weeds with various types of mulch, by growing ground cover, and by hoeing and cultivating

Gardening doesn’t get more interesting than this. Teeming with life. Nothing compares with a naturally pure and beautiful garden.
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But isn’t all gardening artificial?

Well all gardening involves managing the natural environment. All gardeners desire to build from nature a pleasing environment in which to live and work. We aim to harvest and enjoy the flowers, fruit, veg or herbs of nature. To do this gardeners give special advantage to a few chosen plants.

Yes, some plants and animals are weeds or pests and do need to be controlled. But organic gardeners find a better solution comes by working with nature. Their emphasis is on control, not eradication. Nowadays they are joined by many more who realise the benefits of organically grown produce. Not only fruit and vegetables, but flowers too. Can you really combine a dose of Captan fungicide with an exquisitely scented bloom?

So the question isn’t - why do organic gardening, rather than, why did we ever garden artificially.

BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN - more information and links on organics and organic gardening

BOOKS ABOUT ORGANIC-GARDENING

U.K. Link

U.S.A. Link

ON OTHER WEBSITES:

AVANT GARDENING - about sustainable organic gardening, with workshops etc... Frank & Vicky Giannangelo have farmed in San Juan Islands WA state & in New Mexico
HEIRLOOM SEEDS - Seeds of all kinds for your garden, including vegetable seeds, bulk seeds, flower seeds, herb seeds, cucumber seeds, tomato seeds, chile seeds & many more types of seeds! Also links to more fruit & veg growing. Credit cards, mail order & paypal all accepted.
A LOT OF ORGANICS - a directory to the wide range of organic products now available in the U.K.