Organic Gardening 101 – The Basics

Organic growing techniques are ancient, of course, but were brought to the attention of the American public by the Rodale publishing company and particularly its Organic Farming and Gardening Magazine, launched in ‘42. Organic Gardening is now the most widely read gardening publication in the world. Its current chairman, Maria Rodale, is often described as a “one-time wild child.”

So how to define organic? Of course it means using only natural (not synthetic) products, but its approach to “pests” is much broader than simply using an organic product to kill them. It includes:

• Encouraging predatory beneficial insects and beneficial microorganisms
• Choosing disease-resistant varieties of plants
• Rotating crops to different locations from year to year to interrupt pest reproduction cycles
• Using insect traps to monitor and control insect populations
• And most importantly, just tolerating a certain amount of insect damage.

But “organic gardening is far more than an approach to “pests.” It’s a system that mimics nature and starts with building healthy soil because it produces healthy plants that are more apt to resist disease. But DC Urban Gardener president Ed Bruske has more to say:

The nitrogen in synthetic fertilizer is not the same as the nitrogen in compost or organic fertilizers. Synthetic nitrogen is a form of ammonia obtained through a process of extracting hydrogen from a fuel source such as coal, crude oil or natural gas. This type of fertilizer is caustic and suppresses the micro-ecosystem in the soil. Having no organic matter in it, it does nothing to nourish the microbes in the soil. With prolonged use, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer it essentially destroys the soil.

Furthermore, it is not a sustainable product because it relies on finite fossil fuels not only for production (which also requires high pressure and heat), but for transporting from the factory. It also is typically over-applied and ends up destroying the local watershed. Scott’s Turfbuilder, for instance, is 40 percent nitrogen. All things considered, anyone practicing sustainable gardening should not be using synthetic fertilizers.

Gardeners should get used to the idea of nature noshing on their plantings. In all the time I’ve been vegetable gardening, I’ve never had a problem with pests, and the only thing I use is compost.

What about IPM?

Integrated Pest Management overlaps almost completely with organic gardening practices, as its proponents emphasize good growing practices, prevention, and using the least dangerous products first. Yes, there are disagreements in the gardening world between organic purists and the IPM folks, but everyone agrees that the IPM approach is far, far better than the old nuke ‘em approach advanced by the likes of Monsanto and Ortho.

Connection to Sustainable Gardening

Sometimes the terms organic and sustainable gardening are used synonymously, which just shows how much they have in common. From my perspective, sustainable gardening IS organic gardening almost exclusively, but sustainability implies a more holistic approach that considers the larger environment (stormwater run-off, waterway pollution, water conservation) and conservation of labor as an input.

Learning to Grow Food Organically

Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms is an amazing network of farms looking for interns, who’ll learn not just how to grow food but also sheep husbandry, poultry management, pond construction — really anything under the sun. Here’s their American website. For learning opportunities in other countries visit WWOOF International.org or WWOOF.org.

Their Australian website is Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Here’s their message for readers of this website: “Interns can travel around Australia working on organic farms in exchange for food and accommodation. There are over 1,600 Australian hosts to choose from, a great variety of properties and people who practice biodynamics, organics and permaculture. Make lasting friendships and learn all about organics at the same time!”