What Is Organic Gardening?
Sep 22nd, 2008 | By cathi | Category: GardeningConventional wisdom says that organic gardening is a simple process wherein one just plants seeds and for it to grow to its potential, fertilizers are put around the area and pesticides are used to brush off annoying insects that may storm the garden. However, organic gardening is more than a step-by-step process; it is a science and even an art by itself, with myriad ways to let the plant flourish and it is always scrutinized by millions of scientists around the world to ensure safety and efficiency of the gardens growth.
Also, common wisdom says that organic gardening simply involves a plough and a rake. In fact, it can be as high-tech as the newly released cellular phone. This agricultural art utilizes many things like rotary tillers, synthesized fertilizers and even biodegradable pesticides. With all the wonderful inventions for gardening, it seems as if its possibilities for growth are limitless and the dream of the disappearance of famine and hunger will soon be reachable.
Basics Of Organic Gardening
- Image via Wikipedia
Of course, you have to be in touch with the fundamentals of organic gardening to fully take advantage and properly use the new agricultural technology products and methods when they finally come to the market and the gardening community, respectively.
First of all, you have to know how build the soil to make it as accommodating to the plant as possible. There are many substances that include this, namely: mulches, cover crops, manure, compost, and ground-rock mineral supplements. With this in your soil-nurturing kit, it will be a cinch to cultivate your plants and make your garden as beautiful as possible by using natural and/or organic methods.
No Insecticides?
But even though the soil is perfect for the plants, you cannot ensure that the plant won’t be harmed as it grows. Insects always lurk around plants and your garden is no exception.
Many natural methods are available to prevent this predicament. You can avoid the threat of bugs by pheromone traps, insecticide soaps and many others that are favorites of organic horticulturists.
Know What You’re Doing - Organic Horticulture
Second, you just cannot dive in into the world of organic gardening without doing your homework. It is a broad science, with each subject that branches out of it all contributing to the complex yet fulfilling world of organic horticulture. There are five schools of thought about organic horticulture.
The first is floriculture, which obviously means the cultivation of flora in your garden and the secrets, skills and knowledge required to maintain it. The science of knowing how to market these floras for your business is also included in this school of thought.
The second area of study is olericulture, where one learns how to cultivate and protect vegetables, which are very fragile vis-à-vis the pests that may exist in your garden.
Third is pomology, where the type of plants involved are fruits, the ones highly targeted by insects because of their edibility and their natural usage of giving life onto the garden, which basically means it has the necessary minerals and nutrients to carry that on.
Next is landscape horticulture, where one gets to design creative and captivating landscapes for the garden not only to attract people to it. But also provide the perfect backdrop for landscape plants.
And the last area of study in organic horticulture is post harvest physiology, which involves keeping the soil fresh for future usage and for the gardens general maintenance. Also, this is the school of thought wherein one gets to learn how to prevent spoilage from current horticultural crops. With these five areas of study mastered and put under your belt, you are sure to carry them all out and make the best garden possible.
With all these said, one can be an exceptional gardener with a little interest tucked in and a lot of perseverance carried over to create the best garden possible. All one has to do is to study the basics of organic gardening, which is knowing the soil, learning how to protect the plants and mastering the intricacies and needs of certain types of plants.
Of Further Interest ...
Growing Vegetables Organically
The rising prices today ranging from food to appliances, all due to the oil price hike, have taken a toll on the contemporary middle-class family. There’s a simple yet cost effective way to cut costs: create a simple vegetable garden. It may seem absurd, but with a vegetable garden, it will cut some costs in the long run and give you healthier eating. Image via WikipediaBeautiful and successful vegetable gardens don’t take a jiffy to complete. It takes a lot of perseverance and ingenuity ...
The Importance of Gardening In The Global Warming Era
You have heard about global warming. You have heard the debates about buying local and buying organic and you have probably tried not to give it too much thought. The truth is that every solution that is provided to you seems to be flawed one way or another: organic is expensive, local is expensive and sometimes neither is very fresh when a new shipment of apples just arrived from Chile. So what is a concerned citizen of the world to do when faced with such a dilemma? Plant your own garden of co...
Get Your Kids Involved In Organic Gardening
As soon as that school bell rings on the last day of classes, kids just rush out of their rooms, excited of the freedom they experience once more and the new lessons they will learn in the summer months. But what activity should they spend time on in these three warm months? Why not introduce them to the world of gardening? From preparing the soil, planting seeds, selecting the plants and finally watching them grow it is entertaining and educational for children because their curiosity is piq...
Growing A Butterfly Garden
What is butterfly gardening? Simply put butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract these colorful and magnificent creatures to our own gardens. A properly planned butterfly garden offers great joy to visitors of the garden by attracting these lovely flitting creatures for our amusement and delight. It also ensures a safe habitat for the butterflies. Deciding upon how to design your butterfly garden is just a matter of personal preference on your part. In re...
Preparing Your Soil For Organic Gardening
Soil preparation is one of the most important aspects of creating an organic garden. It affects everything in the garden, from germination rates and seed failure. So making a good bed for your plants is the single most important thing to make the best and most productive garden. There are a good number of conditions that must be fulfilled in order to insure that you have the perfect soil for your plants. First is that the soil particles must be small enough so there will be room for the roots...
