The Truth about Organic Gardening
The truth about organic gardening is that most people think that gardening without sprays and poisons means that their vegetables and flowers will be inferior. Nothing could be further from the truth. Organic gardening done properly can produce healthy, thriving plants that produce extremely well.
Not so long ago, organic gardening was thought of as something only practised by nuts and flower children. But now with global warming, many different “green” movements and ecology awareness it has become highly popular and mainstream.
Supermarkets have sections where you can buy organically grown produce. Organic vegetables, free-range eggs, unpasturized milk, natural honey and a host of other naturally produced foods fetch a higher price simply because they are organic.
This is because organic gardening requires more effort and commitment than conventional gardening. Many gardeners simply lose patience with the first sign of a few pests. It’s so easy to get rid of unsightly bugs with a quick spray of insecticide.
Clearly, not everyone is cut out to be an organic gardener. You do need patience and you do need to be willing to learn by trial and error. But the advantages of organic gardening are so great that it is worth every bit of effort.
What puts most people off organic gardening is the thought of being unable to use insect sprays to deal effectively with pests and diseases. But pests and diseases shouldn’t be top of mind when you start out – otherwise you’ll give up before you begin!
Don’t anticipate problems before they arise. Nature will tell you what to do if you observe your garden carefully.
The Micro-climate of your Garden
For example, the micro-climate of your garden plays a very important role in the success of your plants. The micro-climate simply put, is the local climate within your small garden – how it is affected by the trees, by the walls and by whether the sunshine reaches your garden or not.
The bottom line is that you have to learn to be observant and sensitive to nature. Many people who live in cities don’t even know where the sun rises and sets. So don’t forget to take note of where the sun rises and sets before you plant because this will make a huge difference to the results.
Of course there is much more to working hand in hand with nature and this is only a small example. But that is the general idea.
In particular, organic gardeners don’t like using poisons and fortunately there are a number of solutions for non-toxic sprays. I will be writing about them from time to time in my organic gardening section. Meanwhile, go to Roses and Gardens where I have given the recipes for a few safe sprays for organic gardeners.