Gardening organically isn't just simply gardening without chemicals. According to Terra Viva Organics, organic gardeners must work with nature to develop an ecosystem in their garden.
Follow these simple steps:
- Learn about and encourage healthy bugs such as ladybugs, lacewings, and other predatory insects to come into your garden and feed on your pests. You can do this by planting fennel, dill, allyssum, ammi majus, and cumin.
- Help your soil feed your plants. Add as much organic matter as you can in order to feed soil organisms. These organisms will break down organic matter and will eventually feed your plants. Try to make your own compost. Not only does compost nourish the soil, making it reduces kitchen and garden waste immensely!
- Finally, learn to tolerate a little bit of damage by insects here and there. If you wipe out all your pests, what will the ladybugs feed on?
Best of Luck with your organic garden.
original article from Backyard Gardener, September, 2009.