Q: What does organic gardening really mean? Is it a lot harder than regular gardening?A: Organic gardening minimizes environmental impact on air, water and soil by avoiding use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers (these hurt pollinating insects, beneficial insects and wildlife). It is not harder than a regular garden. It just takes a little more preparation on the front end.
Q: What type of fertilizers can I use for organic gardening?
A: First and foremost, compost! Its free, and a great way to recycle. It is also full of beneficial microorganisms, which greatly improve the structure and nutrition of the soil. Composted manure also has similar effects and should be used in combination with compost. There are natural fertilizers, which can be byproducts of plant or animal waste, such as fish emulsion. Blood meal is also good for this.
Q: Will organic crops look or grow differently than other crops?
A: Possibly. There may be positive and negative effects. On the downside, there may be cosmetic issues because by not using a synthetic pesticide, you are depending on nature to take its course for pest control. The results may not be instantaneous. On the plus side, studies show that gardens with a higher concentration of honeybees as pollinators have larger and better tasting fruit.
Q: Does organic gardening work anywhere in the country?
A: Yes! Ecosystems are at work all over the world and with organic gardening, we are trying to mimic the effects of this in our gardens.
Q: What's companion planting?
A: This is the idea to place plants in your garden that serve to repel pests away from plants you're trying to protect, or to serve as a decoy to attract pests to the decoy plant. An example of this is to plant marigolds next to tomatoes or beans to repel Mexican bean beetles.
