Organics Gardening is a holistic gardening practice that builds healthy soil and naturally manages pests and diseases without synthetic chemicals. It promotes a diverse ecosystem for healthy crops, flowers, herbs and landscape plants that benefit our local wildlife and biosphere. With the damming results of our rapacious ways becoming painfully clear in global climate changes, organic gardening is one way that individual gardeners can make a positive impact for themselves, their families and the planet.
The foundation of organic gardening is building nutrient-rich soil. The four main components of healthy soil are minerals, water, air and organic matter. Organic matter includes decaying organisms such as earthworms, fungi, and plant roots, along with the organic debris from mulches, manures, and composts. The addition of natural organic matter helps improve soil texture and structure, increases water retention, and optimizes the soil’s pH level.
From Seed to Harvest: Organic Gardening Techniques for a Bountiful Garden
While healthy soil is essential for the success of all organic gardens, it becomes especially important when growing vegetables and fruit. The primary goal of an organic garden is to provide the plants with the nutrients they need to be strong and healthy, which will allow them to defend themselves against disease and insect attacks.
While there are some diseases and insects that cannot be controlled organically, a well-established healthy garden environment will attract beneficial insects and predators like spiders, bats, birds, toads, and lizards that will do much of the work for you by eating or trapping those pesky pests. Organic gardeners also use safe, compliant materials for pest and disease control when necessary – and these products have short persistence and low toxicity to birds and mammals.