Why don’t you . . . garden organically?

Posted by rebecca

15 Jul

A while ago I asked, “Why don’t you use cloth diapers?” The responses were so varied and interesting that I decided to make a new series of “Why don’t you” questions. No judgment!

Today’s question is, why don’t you garden organically? Do you find yourself drawn to chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides? Maybe you do it because your parents did it that way. Maybe you get hit by horrible insect infestations or your grass withers up and dies without a regular injection of chemicals. Or . . . what?

Filed under: Organic Gardening, Why Don't You . . . ?

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3 Responses for "Why don’t you . . . garden organically?"

Erin B. July 16th, 2010 at 2:00 pm 1
We garden organically for our backyard and our garden because that is where our pets and our future children play and where the food we eat comes from… but I have to admit, we gave in and hired a lawn service (with chemical pesticides) for the front yard because the yard was such a tangle of weeds and the homeowners association was starting to make snide comments about our “wild yard.” After flooding during several hurricanes (and no resodding) our yard was mostly weeds and with just the organic methods (which were moderately more expensive than chemical fertilizers) we couldn’t keep the weed problem in check and the homeowners association in check. Moderation in all things is key I suppose, but I still feel a little guilty about it!
heather @ green baby green mama July 17th, 2010 at 3:48 pm 2
I tried to plant some veggies in containers this spring but i couldnt keep the bugs from eating my plants. I tried insecticidal soap to no avail, and i finally gave up! I let my plants die instead of using chemicals, i don’t know which is better!
Stacy January 17th, 2011 at 10:16 pm 3
What type of bugs? Each bug requires something different. Try diatomaceous earth at the bottom of your veggies. It is like glass to bugs; doesn’t harm us. Some people even eat it to kill internal bugs (although I really don’t recommend it) The soaps work best for things like aphids but be careful not to burn your plants (aka fry). I’ve found DE to be very effective for tomato hornworms and squash bugs. Beneficial nematodes work well for those slugs. My mother had picks all bugs and uses nothing. Go mom.
Fertilizers like homemade compost or FoxFarmFertilizer with Worm Castings and Bat Guano are the all time best. Epsom salts (for tomatoes) etc can all be good fertilzers used in the correct way.
When I was young, my mother used to tell me she’d rather not have a garden and buy her food from the store than use harsh chemical on her garden. She spends more time that way but it’s worth it.