organic gardning?? what does that mean?

[windsng225]

:confused:
Hello anyone,
I am a little confused. I am new at this gardning, had my second one last year with a great success (I think). But, really, what is this organic gardning? Does this mean that I can't use my Miracle grow? I just refuse to use cow manure (the thought just drives me crazy!). I don't use any pesticides, I do use the miracle grow moisture holding bags of soil (I used about 10 of those large bags last year, this was in a 4X50 area) and mixed it deep into the garden soil.
So am I way off with the organic gardning? Or is this my own crazy made up idea of organic gardning?
Thanks for any information you can provide.
Joyce

[redbrick]

Here's a definition from Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening:

"Gardening organically is a skill that draws on farming traditions of the past as well as modern scientific discoveries. Simply stated, organic gardening is a method that uses our understanding of nature as a guide for gardening and living, and caring for the plants in our yards and gardens without using synthetic chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers."

Unfortunately, I have to tell you that Miracle Grow is not organic, nor are the water crystals in their moisture holding soil mixes. Personally, I have boycotted Scotts products, as they are a subsidiary of Monsanto Corporation.

No, you don't need to spread cow manure, although the bagged, composted product available at home improvement centers and nurseries is completely safe and inoffensive. Of course, you can always replace it with compost. If you can't make enough, check with your municipal landfill or recycling center, as someone is likely commercially composting yard wastes in your area.

In my humble opinion, the most important idea in organic gardening is feeding your soil. The more and more varied organic material you can add to your soil, the healthier it will be. Compare your own health and diet to the health and diet of you soil and you can't go very far wrong.

If you think of synthetic fertilizers as junk food for the soil, you can understand the hazards of using them. Most fertilizers contain water soluble forms of just three macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and not much els other than filler. Think sugar, salt, and fat; and you'll get the idea. Yeah, they take care of that quick fix, but then what? Organic matter supplies all three as needed, plus all the other micronutrients, again as needed, especially if you vary the sources you use.

I guess I kicked into lecture mode, didn't I? I hope this answered your questions and gave you a launching point for this year.

[leelanau_ferg]

Well said Andy! :)

[TennOC]

windsng225: You've kinda got the right idea, about mixing the potting soil in your garden to improve the tilth. Now just find some good compost, and use that instead. Keep a little extra around to add as a "side dressing" later in the year. You won't miss the mir-gro after a while, and your plants and veggies will be healthier for it.

[Pharmerphil]

The point is, you are feeding the soil the manure, or compost, not your plants, they can only use nutrients made available to them from the soil.
I would call you a transitional gardener, If you let things change slowly, as TennOc said, you won't miss the miracle grow.
In regard to the miracle grow moisture holding soil, it too most likely contains fertilizer,
Water retaining polymers, will help in dry situations, and on their own, are inert, you can even buy some made from corn by-products.

[SelfSufficientOne]

Well I use Miracle Grow in my seedlings and I think it works great, lol, but I don't put bags of it in my garden. I use cow manure, horse manure and compost whatever I can get. Unfortunately only some things seem to grow good, maybe I should go to using the MG potting soil to amend my soil, lol.

[ihateweeds]

I've used the MG soil and never found it to work "wonderfully." Not to mention the cost.

Comosting is the only way. What's the hang up on cow manure? It's all dried and doesn't smell. If you can get some horse manure (all dried & no smell), it works wonders. Mushroom compost can have a smell to it, especially if you leave the bag sitting in the sun!

And how about starting your own compost bin? They aren't that much trouble. I'll mix in kitchen scraps into my soil with my roses. To say nothing of bring on the earth worms!

Well said, Andy. Appreciate your comments.

[redbrick]

Bump!

[mrtomatoexpres]

it means no monsanto products in the garden like miracle crack grow ortho roundup and any scotts product theres nothing like organic i like to smell the soil and when it rains the air and soil smells great but after a while the air smells like nyc again :D

[Brook]

Nowadays, you cannot, legally, even use the word organic unless you are certified.

Another victory for Monsanto and the factory farms. :(

That aside, windsng, there is a fundemental difference between taking an organic approach and taking a chemical approach. That difference can be summed up in a single phrase:

If you want to grow good plants, first grow good soil. Do that, and the plants will take care of themselves.

Plants need certain nutrients; three majors and a bunch of minors. In all, there are 16 of them. How you supply them in irrelevent to the plant.

Let me state that again, so that there's no misunderstanding. And be aware that those who wear organic halos will dispute it. But the plant _doesn't care_ whether those nutrients are supplied organically or chemically. They are, at base, all soluble chemicals. And the plant will take them where it can get them.

Which brings us back to growing good soil. Chemicals---that is, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and the like---are quick-fix approaches that supply the plant's needs, but which are either a neutral, or negative factor in soil health. Miracle Gro, in particular, can be harmful because the salts it contains build up in the soil, which can lead to some major problems.

Chemical gardening has an economic flaw as well. You have to keep buying, and applying, the chemicals or there is nothing for the plants to use. Which certainly is good for Monsanto. But maybe not so good for your wallet.

On the other hand, organics help build tilth. They contribute to a healthy soil while, at the same time, providing the chemicals the plants need for growth and productivity. If you need any persuading of this, check out two similar gardens; one grown organically and the other grown chemically. Do an earthworm survey, and you'll learn real quick which is the better way to go.

And here's another part of the equation. Strong, healthy plants do not need a lot of help with pest and disease control. Those things are like most carnivores, and primarily attack the weak, lame, and sickly.

An organically grown garden is in balance. It grows strong plants, that resist pests and pathogens. It attracts beneficial insects to help contol any baddies that do appear. Etc. etc. etc.

For me, the choice is a no-brainer.

There is a downside. I referred to those who wear organics halos. Those are the true believers, which you find in any field of endeaver. Trouble is, they often make falacious claims for organics that are so incredible on the face of it that's it's easy to get turned off by them; and thus not give organic growing a fair shot.

You'll often hear, for instance, how organically grown produce tastes better. And that organics are, somehow, morally superior. Claims like that are sheer nonsense. Don't let them affect you.

The other downside to organics is that it entails a greater committment. It's awfully convenient to just sprinkle something from a box or jar, as opposed to actually working to build the soil. It takes work to maintain compost piles, and scrounge organic material, and recycle kitchen wastes, and learn about companion plants and soil structure, and ways of attracting beneficial insects, and the like. It can be hard on the back and the knees to hoe or pull weeds, instead of spraying them. Physically picking and killing bugs can be a turn-off for some people. And you have to get involved with icky stuff, like manures.

In the end, only you can make the choice. Do you want to grow some vegetables? Or do you want a sustainable garden? That's what it boils down to.

[reelretrogrrl]

I just want to say "GRRRRRR SCOTTS SOIL!!!!!!"

I used their potting soil with osmocote and it KILLED my plants!!! It turned hard as a rock and developed a weird fungus.

[moonlightmadness]

Very well said Brook----------indeed!!
I have been organic gardning for 10 years.
And its worth the extra trouble to me to have
tasty and healthy veggies.

[johno]

Lots of clear, sound advice. I'd like to add that if you are lucky enough to live near a rabbit grower, then maybe you can get rabbit manure. As mentioned above, they wider variety of manures, etc., the better, but rabbit manure has the advantage of being weed - free, so it can be used as a mulch. I plant seeds directly in it with as little as one to two weeks "mellowing" time and have never had any trouble with it being too "hot". Also, rabbits eat a lot of alfalfa, which contains plant growth hormones. I don't know if they survive passing through the rabbit or not, but it sure seems like they do. Lastly, the dark color draws heat in the late winter/early spring.

Try it; you'll like it!

Oh yeah; earthworms LOVE it...