Components of an Organic Garden
by John Yazo
Organic gardening, a way to garden in harmony with nature and not against it. A method that involves a lot more than just gardening without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
When gardening along with nature, you first
need to study the natural environment of your area, and understand what
plants are native to the area, along with there needs. Nature has many
benefits it can provide that are both healthy for you and the
environment. Studying and learning the way plant life is grown
naturally, and creating the same habitat to grow your crops and support
the wildlife in your area is what organic gardening is all about.
There are a few key components that are needed to make up an organic garden, healthy soil, soil amendments, plant nutrition, pest control, disease control, beneficial insects and wildlife.
It is all about the soil, and plays a very important part of every component listed above. A healthy soil is the biggest and most important component of an organic garden. It is the home to a very large complex community of life that works the soil, aids in the preventions of pests and disease problems, supplies the nutrition for plant life to benefit from and retains moisture to be readily available for plants when they need it. It is the support system that plants need to thrive and produce a healthy crop. Soil is the one component that plays a role in every part of an organic garden.
Organic soil amendments are what fuel the existing life that exists in soil and gives them the energy to work hard improving the soils structure, along with adding the nutrition that plants need to grow healthy. Composted organic household waste, yard or garden waste, composted manure, and a combination of all of them will greatly benefit the structure of your gardens soil.
Pest control also starts out with a healthy organic soil structure, and creating a habitat that with attract beneficial insects and wildlife to your gardens naturally the way nature does in the environment around you.
Plant disease is another problem that can easily be prevented by promoting healthy plant growth and creating an ideal environment with plenty of sunlight and air circulation to keep plants from retaining moisture on there leaves for long periods of time, plant diseases can thrive in shaded moist areas.
Along with keeping your gardens soil healthy for plant life to thrive, there are a few other things that will benefit an organic garden. Companion planting, sustainable gardening, crop rotation and intensive planting to name a few.
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