ORGANIC VS CONVENTIONAL GARDENING

Written by Sassy Sweet Bren

For at least fifty years organic gardening has been the talk of people who want to not only protect our environment, but also for those that want to eat foods with any chemicals added. Organic gardeners feel that the food is less harmful to their bodies.

Those people that are willing to do a lot of extra work at organic gardening find that it is not as easy as one would think. It takes time for planning as well as the wait for the compost to mature. Plus, composting is an on going process.

Composting is the art of taking natural items from not only nature but also from our kitchens to make a good garden soil. Soil is the basis for the foundation of any good crop. If one is planning to plant just a few tomatoes or have a huge garden, the soil is where it all starts.

Of course, after establishing a good soil, there are many other things to consider. For instance, what will be used to rid the garden of insects and disease?

The gardener who isn’t interested in organic gardening will be just as pleased to use the soil that is available and then add chemical fertilizers to it to get the crop that they wish.

They also will be happy to use insect spray that is made commercially. This is important to people who do not have the needed time for composting or the study of what is necessary for organic gardening.

When growing an entirely organic garden, one must start composting several years in advance. It takes time for the leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen waste to break down into a nice soil.

However, if one decides to use the conventional means of gardening, they can prepare the soil just before the growing season. They can add fertilizers that are purchased in Garden Centers to get the yield that they hope for, or expect.

There are pros and cons to Organic Gardening and gardening the conventional way. Only a few will be included in this article.

Composted soil takes longer but lasts longer, especially, when more compost is added each growing season. Also, it takes a long time to learn how all parts of organic gardening work together.

Some natural products used to kill insects can be harmful not only to aquatic life, and vegetation but human life as well. For instance, insecticidal soap which has a basis of fatty acids (oil) can break down the cells of the plant and kill it if not applied correctly.

Most insecticidal soaps for killing aphids, leaf hoppers, and mites are made from Neem Oil. If used incorrectly, it has been shown to be linked to reproductive defects in rats. Also, if not processed properly, it may contain a carcinogen. For that reason, some people tend to avoid using it.


Using products from the Garden Center, that have been commercially prepared for killing insects, can be highly effective if used property. The only draw back here is that they may also kill beneficial insects such as Lady Bugs, which prey on Aphids. Bees are important for pollinating plants and can also be killed using commercial insect sprays.
When using organic products correctly, there is little damage to insects, birds or run off of chemicals into the ground water which would eventually end up in the ocean.

Commercial fertilizers if not used properly can get into the ground water, streams, lakes, and oceans causing much damage to aquatic life. However, if a gardener goes into the gardening season with knowledge about how much and what kind of commercial fertilizer to use, it can be as safe as using compost.

It is up to each gardener to decide what works best for them. However, I would like to point out that anyone deciding to grow food should educate themselves on whatever fertilizer or chemical, (organic or not) that they intend to use, before planting their first seed.

Ref:
http://www.projo.com/garden/content/lh_organicfacts_04-20-08_2D938U9_v5.12583f6.html

http://www.your-healthy-gardens.com/fertilizers.html