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ORGANIC GARDENING - HOW
- The Organic philosophies believes that one
should work within and with the laws of nature
(God) not fight against nature as we have been
taught by the synthetic chemical industry.
Traditionalists (synthetic chemicals supporters)
fight nature (paddle upstream) while the organic
philosophy works with nature.
- Organic growers have the philosophy that plants
growing in their preferred environment and in soil
balanced to suit their needs will be healthy, and
healthy plants do not attract destructive insects
or disease.
- Organic growers have shown that nature will
tend to correct and cleanse itself if we stop
pumping harmful chemicals into the environment.
- Organic growers have proved that a balanced
ecology without synthetic chemicals will have
larger, better, and healthier quality crops and
flowers.
- Organic growers focus on prevention of problems
through proper soil management and choice of plant
material.
- Organic growers copy nature, we never grow
plants without animals from microorganisms like
fungi and bacteria to macroorganisms like
earthworms and frogs. In nature (organic) with very
few exceptions, plants have minimal levels of plant
disease or insect problems.
- In organics it is remembered that the process
of growth and the process of decay balance one
another. We want leaves, grass, and mulch to
decay.
- "The most fascinating aspect of organics
is this--it works better that the chemical and
artificial alternatives! The fact that organic
techniques and products help us stop ruining our
planet is a welcome side benefit." H. Garrett,
Harmony With The Environment, Acres USA, June
1993
- Costs less - less work - more effective -
healthier - safer
- Organic gardeners look at how nature (God)
works and at the role or function that each
lifeform has. Animals (often considered pests) such
as mice, moles, and shrews dig burrows that help
aerate the soil, they take organic matter deep into
the ground for nests that will eventually decay and
feed plant roots, they provide a food source for
hawks, owls and others (helps to keep them around)
and they in turn help to control poisonous snakes,
etc. They along with lizards and toads eat roaches
and many other pest insects.
SIX BASIC RULES TO GET STARTED
1) Use soil that is balanced in minerals
2) Use soil that is rich in organic matter
(humus)
3) Use well adapted varieties of plants
4) Use soil rich in beneficial life
5) Plant in their preferred season
6) Recognize troublesome insects and diseases as
only symptoms of a deeper problem.
SOIL NUTRITION - feed the soil and it will feed your plants (and you)
- Take care of the soil! The soil, like
everything else in the environment is fragile and
difficult to repair once damaged. Use lots of
compost and keep soil protected by a good thick
mulch layer.
- Use natural organic fertilizers based on soil
needs and requirements, not timetables supplied by
the manufacturers of chemicals. Studies have shown
that synthetic fertilizers, especially with high
nitrogen, stimulate plants to produce rapid weak
growth that attracts insects and disease (it also
requires much more water for the plant to
survive)
- Organic fertilizers nourish AND improve the
soil. Feeding your plants nothing but nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium is like feeding your
children nothing but cookies. Plants need a balance
of nutrients; macro, minor, and trace. Research at
Cornell University has shown than corn fertilized
with cow manure suffered less corn rootworm damage
than control plots fertilized with synthetic
chemical fertilizers. Similar research in Minnesota
showed that Alfalfa fertilized with cow manure gave
larger yields than control plots fertilized with
synthetic chemical fertilizers. Synthetic
fertilizers create weak growth that actually
attracts pest insects (example - lace bugs on
azaleas).
- Biological soil stimulants, like Medina, are
made from the fermentation of numerous organic
materials and designed to stimulate microbial
activity (similar function as compost).
- Use mineral dusts (granite, lava, greensand,
etc.) to feed the soil. Research at Rutgers
University indicates that organically grown foods
taste better than those using synthetic chemicals.
Flavor is related to the available trace minerals
in the soil. Also the function of a plants immune
system is directly liked to trace minerals.
- Use fish and seaweed based fertilizers as they
not only contain minerals, but enzymes, vitamins
and growth hormones that are good for the soil.
- Organic fertilizers, mineral dusts, compost and
mulches encourage earthworms (sometimes referred to
as a gardener's best friend). Researchers have
found that bacteria living in the guts of worms
breakdown (detoxify) many hazardous chemicals such
as hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and clean the
soil.
- "As gardeners and farmers continue with
natural organic methods of soil building, their
plants seemed to develop immunity to the pests and
diseases they were having before, and their farm
animals if left to natural selections, even
preferred to eat plants grown on organically
enriched soils". Malcolm Beck, The
Garden-Ville Method
PLANTS AND FLOWERS
- An ecosystem and its parts operate under
certain natural laws. These laws operate without
fail, and if they are broken, a penalty results,
just as when a criminal is punished for breaking a
man-made law. If we understand more about natural
systems and how they operate, we can often
eliminate, or better yet avoid problems (which are
the penalty of broken laws). Example: If we over
stimulate a plant to grow with synthetic fertilizer
it produces weak tissues that attract disease and
pests.
- Organic gardeners use native plants adaptive to
the area's soils, pests, diseases and climate
(i.e. do not have to use expensive and dangerous
synthetic chemicals to keep them alive).
- Organic gardeners choose the right plant for a
given location with consideration to establishing
bio-diversity and a healthy habitat for birds,
lizards, frogs, beneficial insects and others that
control pests in a garden. Remember that nature is
a series of checks and balances. For instance the
Fire Ant is not all bad as it eats chiggers, fleas,
ticks, termites, and many other insect pests.
- Scientists have learned that in nature, plants
and animals live in communities of different
species called "Guilds" and are
inter-dependent for good health. Permaculture
Gardening, The New Garden Journal, Jan./Feb.
1995
- In nature there is many types of companion
plantings, for example blackberries act as hosts to
a parasite of the grape leafhopper (extremely
destructive of grape vines) hence the plantings of
blackberries near grapes encourages a natural
control. Similarly, spurry plays host to parasites
and predators that control the cabbage worms.
Greater diversity of native plants encourages
natural controls.
- When attacked by insects, plants emit a
chemical "scream" that summons predators
to kill the invading pests. For example researchers
have identified the elaborate defense system in
corn plants whose leaves are chewed by
caterpillars. Attracted by chemical cues from the
injured plants, wasps lay their eggs in the larvae
or caterpillar which then die in the ensuing days
as the wasp offspring eat the host larvae. USDA,
Gainesville Florida
- Avoid public water when possible. Tap water
from most public water systems contains chlorine.
Chlorine can stunt or kill needed bacteria living
in the soil. Chlorine will stunt or kill many plant
species. Other effects on plants will cause leaves
to turn yellow on some species. Fluorine (Fluoride)
is another chemical frequently added to water
systems that has been found extremely dangerous.
The E.P.A. has recently re-classified the toxicity
of fluorine to be between lead and arsenic in
danger and risk. Even very low concentrations (1
part per million) will stunt, kill, or weaken the
immune system of many plant species.
- Organic Gardeners look for the cause of the
problem not treat symptoms. Most people in the
green industry are hardworking honest people with
the best of intentions for the customer...however,
the chemical industry has taught us to treat the
symptoms rather than the problems (this ensures
lots of repeat business - since problems keep
reoccurring)
7 Tenets Of Organic Gardening
1) Protect the environment, minimize pollution,
promote health and optimize biological
productivity.
2) Replenish and maintain long-term soil
fertility by providing optimal conditions for
soil biological activity.
3) Maintain diversity within the farming system
and its surroundings and protect and develop
plant and wildlife habitats.
4) Use materials and resources to the greatest
extent possible within the farm or yard as part
of a regionally organized agricultural
system.
5) Provide attentive care that meets both health
and behavioral requirements of farm animals.
6) Maintain the integrity and nutritional value
of organic food through processing to
consumption
7) Develop new technologies with consideration
for their long range social and ecological
impact.
From: Texas Organic News, Vol. II, No.2
How to Make the Transition to Organic Gardening
I. WHY ORGANIC
- A. Conventional agriculture doesn't
work...500 farmers per week going bankrupt!
- B. If we paid for the cost of the environmental
and health damage, Harvard University estimates
that a hamburger would be $500. We have to stop
robbing from our children's future
- C. Air, soil and water pollution are directly
related health problems and crime
D. Works Better, Lower Cost, Tastes Better and
Higher Nutrition
II. STOP USING SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS
- A. Pesticides, Fungicides, Herbicides, etc.
- DDT and other organo phosphates = cancer
- - organo chlorides = birth defects
- B. Synthetic Fertilizers
- attract pests
- weaken plants
- pollute streams (Gulf of Mexico)
- unregulated industry (toxic materials)
- actually cost more to use
- lawns and gardens require more water
- are allowed to contain mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead, etc. as fillers.
III. Six Basic organic rules:
1) Use adapted varieties
2) Plant in preferred season
3) Use soil balanced in minerals
4) Use soil rich in organic matter-humus
5) Use soil rich in beneficial life
6) Recognize troublesome insects and diseases as
symptoms of other problems rather than the
problem
IV. Improve Soil Health (Soil Ecology)
Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants
A. Organic Matter
- use composts
- use native mulches (avoid barks and colored
wood)
B. Mineral Dusts
C. Organic Fertilizers
- pellets
- fish emulsion and seaweed
- blood meal, bone meal, cottonseed or alfalfa
meal/pellets
D. Use and see weeds as diagnostic tools rather
than pests
E. Promote a healthy and productive soil food
web
V. BENEFICIAL INSECTS
A. Many types
B. How to Attract - use native and open
pollinated species (avoid hybrids)
VI. BIODIVERSITY
A. Plants
B. Well adapted plants to soil and climate
(native)
C. companion planting
VII. RESOURCES
A. Urban Harvest (Bob Randall, PhD) (713)
880-5542
B. Magazines
C. Books
D. See Sources/resources handout
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