AN ORGANIC DEFINITION
An organic garden is cultivated using organic methods that prioritise environmental health, biodiversity, and sustainability. Organic gardeners avoid using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides and instead focus on natural processes to enhance soil fertility and deter pests. Organic gardening often requires patience, as it can take time to establish a balanced ecosystem and regularly observing the garden will enable gardeners to catch issues early. An organic gardener creates biodiversity and promotes sustainability by using renewable resources, minimising waste, and conserving water. Certain plants, as well as animals and insects, are encouraged into the garden, creating a balanced ecosystem, which can in turn reduce pest problems and promote natural pollination. A thriving organic garden that is productive, environmentally friendly, and beneficial for the environment can easily be created by following a good set of principles and practices.
Essential Planning: Organic gardeners only use seeds that are free of chemicals to produce plants that are better adapted to local growing conditions and climate and they emphasise creating healthy soil with extensive use of composting, mulching, and natural fertilizers. Soil tests are regularly conducted to determine pH and nutrient levels and then soil is amended accordingly to improve both fertility and structure. Crop rotation, to prevent soil depletion and reduce pest and disease build-up, is also employed and mulching techniques that use organic materials such as straw, wood chips, or dried grass cuttings are used to cover the soil around crops, helping to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil health as it decomposes.
Good Practices: Organic gardeners use natural integrated pest management techniques, which include the extensive use of organic sprays and treatments, which attract beneficial insects into the garden, in combination with companion planting to deter pests. Neem oil and insecticidal soap work by attracting pollinators and beneficial insects, such as ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, bees, bumblebees, spiders, predatory mites, and ground beetles to the garden. Plants that benefit each other, by repelling certain pests, are grown together and all of this plays a major role within an ecosystem that benefits organic gardens all year around. Efficient watering techniques, such as drip irrigation will reduce water usage while minimising fungal diseases. Regular harvesting of mature crops will encourage further production and over-ripening of produce should be avoided, as this will attract unwanted pests.
