What is Organic Gardening?
You may have heard it called many different things. It’s been called chemical-free gardening, earth-friendly gardening, and even natural gardening. These names can confuse people, and maybe they even confused you, as to what the real meaning of organic gardening is. The truth is organic gardening is more than just what you don’t do or use on your plants. Technically speaking, you can’t really consider organic gardening to be truly chemical-free since all fertilizers and pesticides, regardless of their source, are chemicals. Organic gardening encompasses more than just using the right source of chemicals. It embodies everything about gardening – the soil, water supply, air, the choice of plants, and even the harvesting.
So, what is organic gardening?
Organic gardening is treating the plants as part of the natural system. It considers the other elements that make up that system like the soil, water, people, wildlife, and even the insects that lurk in it. Therefore, organic gardening makes up a combination of these three main points: feeding the soil, taking preventive steps, and using the simplest solution.
Feeding the Soil
Everything begins in the soil, which is the basis for growing almost everything in your garden. The quality of your soil matters a great deal, since it can affect both the quality and quantity of your produce. If it is lacking in nutrients, your plants will never grow, and you’ll only end up with a bare-looking patch of dirt.
Even nutrient-rich soil won’t be able to support the growth of your plants in the long run if you can’t keep maintain its quality. One way to continually nourish the soul is to feed it. Feeding the soil is a way of providing plants with a good foundation for their healthy growth. You can do this by adding organic products into your soil. These organic products include things like compost, manure, chopped leaves, and mulch.
Taking Preventive Steps
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – this is even true with organic gardening. Keep your plants free from pests and disease problems by paying close attention to what it needs: light, moisture, and soil preference. Make sure that the plants you choose match the type of soil that you have. It’s also important to consider the condition and layout of your garden. If you‘re using a shady area, don’t opt for plants that require a lot of sunlight. It’s also worth investing on a wide variety of plant life, especially disease-resistant ones.
Do what you can to keep your plants healthy. Situate them strategically within your garden, making sure that you give enough space for air to circulate. Maintaining a clean garden also helps in keeping your plants free from pests and diseases. Simple steps like removing diseased foliage and picking up fallen fruits will go a long way.
Using the Simplest Solution
Instead of intoxicating your plants and soil with all kinds of chemical products, opt to use the simplest solution first. In most instances, you don’t need these chemicals to help your plants thrive, as there are always simple solutions to common garden problems.
Are you having problems with aphids? You can get rid of them by spraying them with water from a hose or by coming up with a homemade aphid spray. For caterpillars that keep on chewing on the leaves of your plants, you can simply pick them up and get rid of them.
Organic gardening is really that simple. All it requires is being observant, having an appreciation for the creatures living in your garden, and diligence to watch out and intervene when problems arise.