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You're a what? An Organic Gardener? Part 1

© Deborah Turton

You've been gardening organically for awhile and people are starting to ask you questions and challenge you. What's organic gardening? What's wrong with chemicals? How can you garden without chemicals?

When people question you, remain polite. Rudeness never converted anyone. And that should be you ultimate goal - to convert your friends and neighbors to organic lawn and garden care. Be a good example and be friendly when answering questions and meeting challenges. Always be willing to offer an alternative to whatever synthetic chemical is suggested, and be sure to point out that often times the alternative is easier.

Here are some of the questions you might hear and some possible responses.

What's Organic Gardening? Organic gardening is a type of gardening that uses no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. But, that's a negative definition. On a more positive note, as an organic gardener, I aim to create a healthy, balanced soil, which supports many creatures such as beetles, worms, grubs, bacteria, fungi, rotifers, etc. I also aim to create a habitat that supports many different creatures above ground such as snakes, toads, birds, and insects. The healthy soil together with the healthy habitat should lead to healthy, productive plants.

I can see not using synthetic pesticides or herbicides, but what's wrong with chemical fertilizers - after all nitrogen is nitrogen is nitrogen. Well, yes, nitrogen is nitrogen is nitrogen, but plants shall not live on nitrogen alone. You can't live on just one nutrient; you need a variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and calories. Plants are the same way. Synthetic fertilizers only provide key minerals. However, to be healthy plants need many major nutrients and trace elements to survive. Organic fertilizers provide many trace elements, major nutrients, as well as organic matter.

Organic fertilizers release nutrients more slowly, so the plant doesn't have a flush of growth when they are applied. Synthetic fertilizers often cause a spurt of unhealthy growth. This makes your plants more susceptible to disease and insects, which leads the synthetic gardener to more pesticides. By using organic fertilizers, you can break this cycle.

The organic matter helps hold the nutrients and water the plants need. It also provides food for soil organisms that recycle and hold nutrients. With all these good nutrients hanging around in the soil, your plant can grow at a steady, healthy pace. And because your organic soil is holding the nutrients, the nitrogen and phosphorus won't leach away and end up polluting our waterways. You can dump all the nitrogen you want on your soil, but if it can't hold the nitrogen, it will end up harming our waterways. There is a large dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, from synthetic fertilizers leaching off our farmer's fields in the Midwest.