In this time of sedentary lifestyles and disconnection with the greater earth‚ organic gardening has taken on greater meaning․ It can be a satisfying‚ hands-on hobby of establishing connection with the earth‚ as well as a conscious statement of how to tread lightly on the planet․ The principles of organic gardening are the earth‚ the soil‚ the gardener‚ and the many ways to produce healthy food․ The organic gardener's holistic approach considers a healthy environment‚ healthy soil and the health of the gardener to be essential components in producing healthy food․ Gardening organically is a way to get back some of people's sanity and contribute positively to the planet․
Choosing Seeds For Your Organic Garden
One of the concerns that beginners to organic gardening have is whether or not to use organic seeds as compared to conventional seeds․ Conventional seeds are seeds that have been treated with pesticides or engineered plants that grow at an accelerated rate․ Organic seeds are from plants bred by natural processes․ Heirloom seeds are often regarded as having better flavors or other characteristics such as resistance to specific pests or diseases in a given region or climate․ Replanting seeds each year allows a gardener to maintain a self-replenishing stock‚ pursuing a direct relationship with the process of growing food․ Seed selection can also become a purposeful ritualistic act that connects a gardener to the earth and allows them to make choices of varieties that have most appropriately adapted to their locale across generations․
Another key factor for organic gardening is soil management․ Healthy soil with microorganisms‚ insects‚ and nutrients allows plants to thrive․ Organic farmers and gardeners replenish the soil using methods which include composting‚ cover cropping and mulching․ Composting is the controlled breakdown of kitchen and garden waste to produce a nutrient rich soil amendment․ Cover crops such as clover or rye can be grown in the winter between cash crops to prevent soil erosion and add organic matter to the soil․ Mulching slows moisture loss‚ controls weeds‚ and keeps soil temperatures consistent‚ which creates a sustainable environment to allow plants to grow without the need for synthetic fertilizers․
Principles Of Organic Gardening
Crop rotation is one of the most basic principles of organic gardening․ The act of rotating the crops that are planted in one part of the garden each season is for the purpose of not depleting the soil and not allowing a build up of pests․ As an example‚ legumes can be planted in one season in order to provide nitrogen in the soil for leafy green vegetables in the next․ This practice may also contribute to biodiversity because different vegetables attract useful insects and keep at bay different harmful insects in each season․ The use of crop rotations is one technique by which gardeners can work with nature to keep soil‚ and thus crops‚ productive year after year․
Natural pest control methods are also important to organic gardening․ Organic gardening provides a wide variety of ways to keep plants healthy and to control pests or insects in the garden without using toxic pesticides․ Interplanting can disrupt insect pathways and make a crop less susceptible to damage by growing multiple species together․ Pest numbers may then decrease if flowering plants that supply pollen to helpful insects are interplanted‚ such as ladybugs and lacewings․ Homemade natural sprays for insect control‚ like soap solution and neem oil spray‚ are examples of an equally biodegradable and more ecologically friendly alternative․ They encourage greater understanding of the ecosystem‚ including the interdependence between plants and their environment․
A produce-specific seasonal planting calendar allows a gardener to achieve optimum crop production by planting and harvesting at times that take advantage of ideal weather conditions for plants․ Frost dates‚ temperatures and sunlight availability determine when to plant seeds or service plants after seedlings grow indoors․ Cold-season crops such as peas and lettuce are planted in early spring․ Other crops‚ such as tomatoes and peppers‚ are planted when the weather is warmer․ Awareness of the gardening seasons and cycles of growth results in a greater awareness of the passage of seasons․ With a planting calendar‚ gardening can be more than a hobby‚ but a meditative practice in which the gardener slows down and listens to nature․
How To Organic Garden The Right Way
The principles of organic gardening can be seen as the web of life linking the environment to the person trying to garden․ For the person who strives to follow these principles (for example organic seed‚ amended soil‚ crop rotation‚ natural pest deterrent‚ and planting in season) their garden can provide a window into the workings of nature․ People benefit from gardening in a number of ways‚ apart from food and the fact that that food is grown organically․ Growing food allows people to develop an awareness of the world around them‚ to appreciate nature and the environment and to take pride in what they do․ With these principles in mind‚ perhaps more people will turn their backyards into a self-sustaining and enjoyable place to be․
