In assembling, " organic " defines a compound that contains carbon as an element. Organic compounds were believed to be derived single from living organisms, both plant and animal. However, religious to World War II, organic compounds were also successfully synthesized in laboratories without coming from living organisms. To a chemist, an organic compound containing carbon can be either a ) derived from living organisms or b ) synthesized in the lab. In the horticultural world, though, " organic " refers to a method of sustainable agriculture that includes the practice of not applying synthetic fertilizers or pesticides to the soil or to plants. Well, wait a minute - if organic compounds can be either life - based or synthetic - based, why do we cite to " organic gardening " as the absence of synthetic measures? Hmm, this could be confusing... but let ' s simplify.
In 1940, Lord Northbourne is credited for first using the term " organic farming " in his book " Look to the Land ". It is generally accepted that his term was philosophically based, with the implied meaning of interdependency of living things for other living things. Regardless of his original intention, the term " organic farming " has been around ever since. It is with its commonly accepted usage with which we will address some gardening practices.
Let ' s start with an explanation of a term that was mentioned above - " sustainable agriculture ". This term is often used in conjunction with organic gardening definitions. The goal of sustainable agriculture is to replenish the soil as its nutrients are depleted so that the soil and its plantings become self - sustaining. It is this principle of building the soil that is the foundation to fundamentals of organic gardening; i. e., build your soil stronger and the soil will build your plants stronger. These stronger plants can better withstand drought, disease, and insect damage.
Soil building, through the addition of organic amendments, improves soil tilth ( or the overall condition of the soil ). This improvement helps to prevent soil compaction by providing a favorable environment for earthworms and by increasing microbial activity. If the notion of lots of creepy - crawly earthworms isn ' t exactly your cup of tea, consider this: earthworms help to loosen the soil, which facilitates movement of air and water into the soil, plus they add nutritive value to the soil through their castings. What are " castings "? Pure gold in gardeners ' terms, castings are simply worm poop. These castings provide a fabulous source of organic nutrients that will be of great benefit to your plantings.
Composting is another fundamental principle of organic gardening, and another component of soil building. By simply relocating kitchen scraps ( except for meat products ); for example, vegetable peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc., into a compost bin, or a compost pile, a gardener will be rewarded with lots of humus ( decayed plant waste ) to recycle into the garden. Other good additions to the compost pile are leaves and grass clippings. Keep the pile moist, but not soggy, and turn it or mix it from time to time.
If you set a goal to begin building your soil so that it will better sustain your plantings, you are on your way to practicing principles of organic gardening. When you are ready to advance your organic gardening skills, it will be time to implement additional measures. Beyond composting and using worm castings for your garden, planting cover crops, practicing crop rotation, and conservation tillage are other methods that serious organic gardeners use. All these fundamentals of organic gardening will benefit your own backyard garden and you will grow healthy vegetables for your family.
