In simple terms, growing organically could be described as growing in harmony with nature, without using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or other such products that upset the balance of the ecosystem. For farmers or commercial growers, however, it can be quite complex.
“Organic gardening is more than simply avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. It is about observing nature’s processes, and emulating them in your garden as best you can. And the most important way to do that is to understand the makeup of your soil and to give it what it needs. If anything could be called a ‘rule’ in organic gardening, it’s this: feed the soil, not the plant.”
To feed the soil, gardeners must restore the resources their gardens consume, by adding organic matter. That includes adding compost, and possibly growing cover crops – so-called green manure – that are tilled back into the soil. You can use compost as a replenishing additive, to make both clay and sandy soils more plant-friendly, or as a mulch on top of your garden beds.
Plants that aren’t already stressed are better equipped to withstand insect infestations, too. That doesn’t mean there won’t be damage to your plants. Organic gardeners generally allow for a certain amount of pest damage, because they understand that they are all part of a natural system that includes wildlife – even bugs.
Most gardeners do not understand what organic gardening is all about or how to have an organic garden. Organic gardening is essentially gardening without using synthetic products like fertilizers and pesticides. It involves the use of only natural products to grow plants in your garden. Organic gardening replenishes the natural resources as it uses them.
Gardeners and people who have come across the word organic gardening probably usually desire to know what it means. Organic gardening is a terminology that simply refers to growing of plants, vegetables, and fruits in the best natural way without the use of pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers.