Organic Gardening Concepts

Simply put, organic gardening is growing plants naturally, without the use of man-made chemical pesticides and herbicides. Some simple concepts are employed, drawing on centuries of gardening and farming practices dating from before man-made agricultural chemicals existed. An important note: the National Academy of Sciences reports that although farmers have a more widespread use of chemicals, home gardeners use up to 10 times more per acre than farmers. The reason for this is that home gardeners are not as careful to follow exact measuring and application instructions, often reasoning that more-is-better. Organic gardening can translate into a “greener” lifestyle, where you can make choices in other areas of product consumption that support environmentally friendly methods.

One organic gardening principle is balance. Plants grow best with the proper balance of air, sunlight, water, correct soil type and nutrients. Plants seek this balance, and it is one reason why plants exist in a specific native habitat. Some plants also grow together in harmony, benefiting each other. For example, if you grow garlic near roses, the garlic repels most insects that prey on roses. This technique is called companion planting.

Composting and mulching are simple methods you can use to help build soil. Virtually all of your household plant-based garbage can be composted and returned to the soil to replenish nutrients. Adding compost also attracts beneficial soil organisms and improves soil drainage. This means free fertilizer as well as reduced landfill contributions.

Keeping your garden plants healthy and strong by providing optimum organic growing conditions also builds plants’ natural immune systems. A weak or malnourished plant is more susceptible to insects and diseases, thus it will not produce as it should.