"Organics is about the soil, about the primacy of organic matter, about plants, and most importantly, about natural systems that have existed long before man. It's about balance." — Howard Garrett, Texas Organic Gardening Book
One thing my sister and I agree on is organic gardening — we wouldn't have it any other way. Well, okay, organic is not the only way, but it should be. You hear a lot about organic farming — no doubt you've shopped at an organic grocery store (and paid the higher prices as a result), but does anyone really understand what it means? Sure, no pesticides, no chemicals, no coughing on the veggies, but some of the finer details are confusing. Like, what about popular fertilizers that use "natural" elements — are they good for plants? Here's a simple explanation of commercial fertilizers to show that it's not so much the plant that needs your attention, but the soil.
Some agriculture experts in the past advised that plants needed only three inorganic mineral salts to grow: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K). Several commercial fertilizers are available to consumers with this combination. The idea behind N-P-K was maximum crop production and minimum expense and effort. The advice turned out to be good for the short-term crop but bad for long-term soil preservation. The soil microorganisms needed to create healthy "humus" in the soil (to feed the plants) are burned by the excessive nutrients and begin to die away. As a result, more and more chemicals and extreme fertilizers are then used to boost production. Imbalance results. The cycle is not irreversible, particularly in your micro-garden world. Use natural fertilizers, like oxygen through aeration of the soil (poking holes in the dirt twice a year with your digging fork), and compost to create a healthy, balanced soil environment. Limit yourself to calcium or sulfur additives depending on whether you have clay (needs more sulfur) or sandy (needs more calcium) soil to further balance the soil.
If you're going to go organic in your garden, here are a few things to remember:
1) Organic is a way of life for sustainability rather than a set of restrictions.
2) Balance and feed the soil with compost rather than treating the specific plant.
3) Don't shop for pesticides immediately — use daily inspection and early detection as your prevention in the garden and then talk to your local nursery for a diagnosis of the problem.
4) Do not use synthetic fertilizers for plant growth "boosters" lest the garden gods smite you in the tomato patch — synthetic fertilizers may create lots of nice greenery, but big imbalance problems in the soil will result. You will have to cure those problems later with natural methods, so don't waste your money.
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