If you are one of the millions of people all over the world who love gardening and growing things, you probably understand the benefits of organic gardening already. If however you are a gardening 'greenhorn', then this is a short but nevertheless essential guide to organic gardening that will help you completely grasp the benefits of gardening organically.
It might seem a little surprising nowadays, but there was a time (and it was not all that long ago) when mankind really did believe that artificial chemicals could solve almost any problem. Nowhere was this more evident than in agriculture and farming as farmers realized that it was possible to grow far more products a lot more quickly in soil that had been 'treated' with artificial chemical fertilizers than in soil that had been fertilized naturally.
Unfortunately, the headlong rush to using artificial chemicals to grow our food and other plants totally ignored the health risks which were for a long time pushed to one side.
However, from the 1950s up until this day, it has become ever-more obvious that foods grown using artificial fertilizers are nowhere near as nutritious as those grown naturally, and that chemicals are inherently dangerous.
Furthermore, even non-food plants such as flowers are far healthier and stronger when they are grown organically and of course, the health risks of using natural organic farming and gardening methods are infinitely lower than those associated with utilizing artificial chemicals.
This is in one respect the nub of organic gardening, the refusal to use artificial chemicals and substances to promote plant growth when the advantages of using natural alternatives are overwhelmingly obvious.
However, to an extent, the ethos of organic gardening goes considerably further than this.
Whilst it is true that chemical substances used in growing food represent a health hazard, there are many other reasons why it makes no sense to use chemicals when there are lots of natural organic options available.
For instance, even if vegetables and fruits that are grown using chemicals are not dangerous, they are certainly nowhere near as nutritious as those grown organically.
Furthermore, every organic gardener understands and appreciates that nature represents a very delicate balance between all elements of the environment, everything from man through the plants, wildlife and birds right down to the humble earthworm and the soil they live in.
When you garden using organic methods, the basic idea is that you should do as little as possible to upset this fine balance and that when you do sometimes upset the balance, you must redress it as quick as possible.
As an example, every plant that you sow and grow needs nutrients which it pulls from the soil beneath or around it. If you do not replace these nutrients, the quality of the soil will deteriorate over the years. Thus, as an organic gardener, you will ensure that these nutrients are replaced as redressing the balance is an absolutely essential element of what you do.
Whilst lots of organic gardening information focuses only on the practical side of growing things, I believe that any essential guide to organic gardening should also highlight this critical balance between the different elements of nature, and the role that the organic gardener plays in maintaining it. Organic gardening is a wonderful hobby and the clear benefits attached to practicing organic methods mean that it offers something for every would-be organic gardener. http://tinyurl.com/7xjfsxb
It might seem a little surprising nowadays, but there was a time (and it was not all that long ago) when mankind really did believe that artificial chemicals could solve almost any problem. Nowhere was this more evident than in agriculture and farming as farmers realized that it was possible to grow far more products a lot more quickly in soil that had been 'treated' with artificial chemical fertilizers than in soil that had been fertilized naturally.
Unfortunately, the headlong rush to using artificial chemicals to grow our food and other plants totally ignored the health risks which were for a long time pushed to one side.
However, from the 1950s up until this day, it has become ever-more obvious that foods grown using artificial fertilizers are nowhere near as nutritious as those grown naturally, and that chemicals are inherently dangerous.
Furthermore, even non-food plants such as flowers are far healthier and stronger when they are grown organically and of course, the health risks of using natural organic farming and gardening methods are infinitely lower than those associated with utilizing artificial chemicals.
This is in one respect the nub of organic gardening, the refusal to use artificial chemicals and substances to promote plant growth when the advantages of using natural alternatives are overwhelmingly obvious.
However, to an extent, the ethos of organic gardening goes considerably further than this.
Whilst it is true that chemical substances used in growing food represent a health hazard, there are many other reasons why it makes no sense to use chemicals when there are lots of natural organic options available.
For instance, even if vegetables and fruits that are grown using chemicals are not dangerous, they are certainly nowhere near as nutritious as those grown organically.
Furthermore, every organic gardener understands and appreciates that nature represents a very delicate balance between all elements of the environment, everything from man through the plants, wildlife and birds right down to the humble earthworm and the soil they live in.
When you garden using organic methods, the basic idea is that you should do as little as possible to upset this fine balance and that when you do sometimes upset the balance, you must redress it as quick as possible.
As an example, every plant that you sow and grow needs nutrients which it pulls from the soil beneath or around it. If you do not replace these nutrients, the quality of the soil will deteriorate over the years. Thus, as an organic gardener, you will ensure that these nutrients are replaced as redressing the balance is an absolutely essential element of what you do.
Whilst lots of organic gardening information focuses only on the practical side of growing things, I believe that any essential guide to organic gardening should also highlight this critical balance between the different elements of nature, and the role that the organic gardener plays in maintaining it. Organic gardening is a wonderful hobby and the clear benefits attached to practicing organic methods mean that it offers something for every would-be organic gardener. http://tinyurl.com/7xjfsxb
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