What is Organic Gardening?

Organic gardening is a term used by a plethora of people who all seem to claim that food grown organically is the only REAL food worth eating.

But, what does organic gardening really mean? And is organically grown food really all that good?

You may ask yourself, “why go through the hassle of doing things the “organic” way?”

Our answer? It’s simple: food grown in organic gardens is the most natural.

That’s why organic food is normally considered safer, tastier, healthier, and, of course, more valuable than other food.

What Is Organic Gardening?

Organic gardening is the act of growing vegetables, flowers, fruits, or herbs as naturally as possible, without the use of herbicides/pesticides or synthetic fertilizers or chemicals. The term organic gardening also refers to the ground in which the plants are grown. If the garden is organic, the soil is virgin earth that has never been treated with man-made products. Organic gardening additionally includes natural pest control techniques.

The practice of organic gardening boils down to following a few simple but necessary principles:

1. Caring for the Soil’s Health

Great organic gardens have one thing in common, regardless of crop species; they all have amazing soil.

The best organic gardens have extraordinary soil. That’s because their creators know that soil health is the first and most important aspect of gardening organically.

All produce grown in gardens, be it fruits, vegetables, or flowers, rely on the minerals and nutrients present in the soil.

In organic gardens, the importance of the soil tends to take on an even greater significance than in “regular” gardens.

Meaning, when you purchase tons of soil, compost, and mulch each year, rather than organically feeding your soil throughout the year, soil-health isn’t so relevant.

You’ll just buy more and replace it.

But, for organic gardeners, feeding the soil is pretty much a daily activity. Leaves, trimmings, unhealthy plants, grass clippings and more can be added directly to most organic beds as they are collected each day.

Other organic gardeners and farmers tend to collect all of their organic compost in one or two areas, all year long, and apply it to their entire gardens one or two times annually.

At any rate, understanding the importance of a well-balanced and healthy soil-mix for a successful and fruitful organic garden is critical.

2. Basic Preparation and Preservation Techniques

The organic gardens that do the best tend to be run by gardeners who practice lots of preparation and preservation techniques with their crops. That’s why basic prepping and preserving tactics are second on our list of organic gardening principles.

From what we’ve seen so far, the more thought and preparation involved in organic gardening operations from the planning stage on, the higher the chances of success.

While crops are growing, during all phases, simply “getting to know” your plants can help out too. If you “listen” to them, they’ll tell you if they have any issues. You will have plenty of time to correct them too most of the time.

Practicing solid organic pest control techniques to prevent and protect your crops from unnecessary familiar is also extremely important for organic gardeners. It is possibly even more crucial than for “regular” gardeners. That’s because they use pesticides and store-bought products in their gardens.

Organic gardeners avoid anything unnatural going into their gardens. That includes pesticides and all of their heavy metals, toxins, and poison.

Focus on developing and relying on a “prep and preserve” mindset. That way you cut back on pests, diseases, and other common issues found in organic gardens.

Further, simply learning about some of the best organic pest control methods goes a long way.

3. Using Natural Resources Wisely

The last organic gardening principle on our list is equally as important as the other two; using your available resources.

For example, making your own compost pile from grass and plant clippings. And then, distributing it to your garden beds. Or, cutting branches from one of your trees and making “teepees” for your vine-plants like beans and cucumbers.

Being a resourceful organic gardener doesn’t just help your pocketbook, it also helps your plants to be as natural and healthy as they can be… and to grow as God intended them to.

If you’re used to spending tons of money on your garden or simply wish to invest, don’t worry. There are tons of organic matter you can import to your garden-site.

And, yes, your garden will still be “organic.” You’ll just miss out on all the hard work of making the materials yourself!

Is Organic Gardening Right for You?

In today’s world, unfortunately, gardening isn’t as popular as it used to be, let alone still being a real necessity in most places. That said, the act of organic gardening allows us a much more natural approach to gardening, despite the modern times we live in.

Do you have an organic garden or plan to start one, and if so, what do you think about our three principles of organic gardening? Let us know in the comments section below!

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