Writer Karel Capek once wrote, “I find that a real gardener is not a man who cultivates flowers; he is a man who cultivates the soil. He is a creature who digs himself into the earth and leaves the sight of what is on it to us gaping good-for-nothings. He lives buried in the ground. He builds his monument in a heap of compost. If he came into the Garden of Eden, he would sniff excitedly and say: ‘Good Lord, what humus!’” As Capek insinuates, the organic gardener is a person with a deep down appreciation of earth in its most natural form. He doesn’t approve of chemicals, pesticides or other man-made substances meddling with what he views as “already perfect.” A rich gardening experience can be cultivated through organic gardening.
Advocates for growing food organically argue that this method is better for several main reasons. First, gardening organically reduces your exposure to pesticides, which have been linked to everything from skin rashes, eye irritations and neurotoxicity to cancer, birth defects and hormone disruption. Secondly, organic food contains a higher concentration of nutrients like chromium, selenium, calcium, boron, lithium, magnesium, vitamin C, carotene and vitamin B. Thirdly, organic gardeners work with manual garden supplies and tools, so they avoid gasoline-powered machines that leave emissions. At the same time, the organic gardener is getting a great workout in! Lastly, this method for growing plants prevents chemicals and contaminants from leaching into the soil and down to our water table, so this style of gardening is much better for the planet overall.
Your main concern when organic gardening is soil health. You want your little ecosystem to be as strong and healthy as possible to support the plants you’re growing and the beneficial microorganisms within the soil that depend upon your plant’s by products for nourishment. As you know, these elements work symbiotically to create the best environment for all to survive. Most gardeners begin with a test kit that will provide a detailed analysis of the nutrients present, as well as the acidic or alkaline reading and the drainage level. Garden guides recommend organic compost comprised of decayed matter from table scraps to horse manure. Compost works to add nutrients and aeration to the soil. It also breaks up huge clay clumps to allow for better drainage. Use a tiller when you add your compost to keep air flowing through your garden and encourage earthworms to plough through. If you’re uncertain about your soil’s composition and want to start fresh, then consider buying your soil and using raised beds.
In organic gardening, weeds are pulled rather than stripped by chemicals. Growing plants surrounded by mulch, straw or hay can keep weeds from poking through as well. Organic gardeners rely on birds, ladybugs, dragonflies, spiders and praying mantises to kill the pests that feast on their precious plants. To attract these natural born killers, plant Angelica, caraway, cilantro, coreopsis, white cosmos, dandelions, dill, fennel, geraniums, tansy and yarrow for them to sample while they look for bigger prey like aphids and beetles. You can purchase ladybugs at some garden shops and dragonflies at certain bait shops. In the end, you’ll be glad you cultivated a healthy and hardy garden, without destroying nature in the process.
About the Author: Sandy James
Sandy is a keen Organic Gardener, she enjoys growing organic salad and vegetables all year round. Sandy is also a keen writer and focuses on natural health related issues. Sandy believes organic food can play a large part of a preventative healthy diet.
For a living, Sandy helps run a small friendly insurance service from home providing electronic gadget cover such as iphone insurance and laptop insurance to owners of new electronic gadgets. For more information, check out http:www.uklaptopinsurance.co.uk for the latest news.