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Organic Gardening
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is
"organic gardening" anyway?
Organic gardening is often
defined in negative terms, as in
"gardening without the use of
synthetic pesticides or
fertilizers." In fact, organic
gardening is much more than that. It
is a system of positive, holistic
practices designed to mimic nature
rather than master it. Natural
ecosystems are balanced because they
are complex and diverse. The goal of
all organic practices is to increase
the biodiversity of the garden, from
adding compost to feed the billions
of soil organisms to planting crops
that attract beneficial insects to
feed on plant pests.
2. What kind of fertilizer can I
use?
Don't focus on fertilizing
plants. Rather, try to build a
healthy soil rich in organic matter.
Healthy soil produces strong healthy
plants that are resistant to
drought, pests and disease. You can
increase soil organic matter by
adding compost, composted manure,
leaf mulch, grass clippings
(unsprayed), or turning under a crop
of grass, peas or beans.
Some organic growers also use bagged
fertilizers made from natural
organic sources, such as blood meal,
cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal,
seaweed, fish, greensand or
pulverized rock. Fertilizers and
potting mixes that are labeled "OMRI-approved"
meet the strict requirements of the
USDA organic rule.
3. Can I use Miracle Gro in my
garden?
No! Miracle Gro is a synthetic
fertilizer and not allowed in
organic gardening.
4. Are worms good?
Absolutely! Worms are an indicator
of healthy soil rich in organic
matter. Worms help improve the
soil's structure by "aerating" it
with their tunneling, and their
droppings - called castings - are a
rich source of plant nutrients.
5. Where can I buy organic
insecticides?
In your packet is a resource list,
which includes stores and mail order
companies that sell supplies for
organic growers, including
pesticides. However, you may not
need them. Organic gardening
practices create a balanced system
where no one pest gets out of
control and where nature provides
solutions, like beneficial insects.
Organic gardeners also use
techniques such as excluding pests
with fabric row covers, companion
planting, crop rotation and good
garden sanitation to manage damaging
insects and disease. Even in a
balanced garden system, there may be
some insect or disease damage. When
the level of damage is unacceptable,
as a last resort, organic gardeners
use natural pesticides.
6. What is companion planting?
Companion planting is the practice
or planting different species next
to each other, such as when carrots
are inter-planted with lettuce or
basil is planted between tomatoes.
It works because it breaks up a
monoculture. Different pests and
diseases attack different plants. By
mixing species, no one insect or
disease is allowed to grow out of
control because of an unlimited and
uninterrupted food supply. Also,
different plants attract different
beneficial insects, which attack
harmful insects. And some plants can
repel pests. For example, planting
garlic among vegetables can help
fend off Japanese beetles, aphids
and spider mites. Or interplant
marigolds among cucurbits to
discourage cucumber beetle.
Companion planting is also a great
way to increase biodiversity in the
garden, which is the goal of the
organic gardener.
7. What is crop rotation?
Crop rotation is a fundamental
organic practice where the same type
of plant or plant family is not
planted in the same spot two years
in a row. The main purpose of crop
rotation is to prevent pests and
disease. Naturally occurring soil
pests tend to have an appetite for a
particular crop or family. For
example, the fungus that causes
Fusarium wilt loves tomatoes and
other members of the Solanaceous
family, which includes potatoes,
eggplant and peppers. If tomatoes
are planted in the same spot year
after year, these organisms will
have all the food they need to grow
out of control and ultimately
destroy the crop. By rotating crops,
the gardener keeps certain
pathogenic organisms in check while
encouraging other, beneficial ones.
The result is a naturally balanced
system where disease is kept under
control. Crop rotation also helps to
maintain soil fertility by not
taking the same nutrients from the
soil each year.
8. About compost - doesn't is
stink and attract rats?
Compost should not stink. A bad
smell means the compost doesn't have
enough air. If the pile is saturated
or compacted, then the composting
process changes from aerobic - with
oxygen - to anaerobic - without
oxygen. The anaerobic process smells
very bad. You can make your compost
sweet-smelling again simply by
turning it with a spading fork and
adding some course dry material,
such as straw or dry leaves.
Also, never add meat or grease to
your compost. These will attract
animals, including rats. You can
also contain your compost in a bin
or garbage can - with holes drilled
for good aeration - to keep out
critters.
9. How do I know the food I buy
is really organic?
You can be 100% certain when you
grow it yourself. Otherwise, look
for food that is certified organic.
Organic certification gives
consumers assurance that the food
they are buying has met the USDA
standards for organic production.
Also, if possible, buy from local
organic growers and get to know them
and their farming practices. That
way, you will feel more confident
that you know what you are getting.
10. Why does organic cost so much
more?
One reason is that organic farming
is more labor intensive. For
example, instead of spraying
herbicides, organic farmers often
cultivate frequently to control
weeds. Also, the federal government
subsidizes the production of
conventionally-grown food by the
largest growers, so consumers don't
pay the full price.
11. What do I do about weeds?
First, keep the garden small or
on a scale that you can manage
easily without getting overwhelmed.
A few minutes spent hand hoeing or
pulling weeds every couple of days
should keep weeds under control. Or
let mulch do the work for you! A
layer of straw or shredded leaves
will suppress weeds and gradually
add organic matter to the soil.
Between crop rows, a thick layer of
newspapers or cardboard covered with
mulch makes a week-free path.
12. Do I need to get my soil
tested and how do I do it?
It's a good idea to get your soil
tested before you plant your garden
and then every couple of years after
that. A soil test will let you know
if you need to add certain nutrients
or adjust your soil pH. You can buy
a soil test kit from your county
Rutgers Cooperative Extension office
for about $10 (check price). The kit
comes with instructions on how to
take a soil sample, which you then
mail to Rutgers. About two weeks
later you should receive a report.
Just be sure to mark on your form
that you want organic
recommendations.
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