Five Reasons for Organic Gardening

By Darren L Blades 

 

Organic gardening is the way of growing fruit and vegetables using only things found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening or farming?

1. Organic gardening does not use chemicals to promote the growth of fruit and vegetables that may have a harmful effect on your health or the environment.
Chemical companies tell us the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even small amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause cancer, especially in children. On average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child's life. With organic gardening these incidents are somewhat reduced.
Remember, pesticides are made up of toxins that have only one purpose - to kill living things. Poisons are often washed into our rivers and streams, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

2. Organic gardening and farming practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations. Less harm is done to the environment by using natural fertilisers and composts which break down naturally in the soil over time rather than accumulating chemical residues.

3. Loss of valuable topsoil through erosion is minimised with organic farming techniques. The Soil Conservation Service estimates that 30 - 32 billion tons of soil is eroded from United States farmlands every year through old unsustainable farming practices.

4. Cost savings. One does not need to purchase costly chemical pesticides and fertilizers with organic gardening. A lot of organic techniques for the control of pests and diseases come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Mixing 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and 1 cup of cooking oil can make an inexpensive garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. A good example of this is the marigold, which helps repel aphids from vegetables.

5. Reduce landfill by recycling food scraps and garden cuttings. One can easily make compost using garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than purchasing prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to recycle garbage and so helps save the environment. Also a simple mulch of pine needles will help to keep the growth of weeds down as well as keeping the moisture in.

If you are interested in learning more about Organic Gardening please visit http://www.garden-organically.com

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