By Justine Olivier
This form of gardening brings with it a unique purity that is refreshing in this genetically-altered, chemical-infused world. It is no wonder that more and more people are becoming eco-friendly and organically-driven.
Organic gardening focuses on using environmentally-friendly methods when gardening, compared to other forms of gardening which use synthetic fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides which may reduce the quality of the produce, and in doing so we may very well be subsubjecting ourselves to harmful substances.
Making your own compost is a lot easier than one might think. Almost anything can be added to make up a compost heap, such as kitchen and garden refuse – kitchen scraps in particular – grass and leaf refuse, animal manure, newspapers, banana peels and egg shells. One can put all of this “refuse” into specially made compost bins. Or, one can dig a deep hole into the ground and place the compost heap well within the ground. A good thing to keep in mind is to turn the compost every second week, this allows speeds up the decomposing process. Professionals recommend adding a compost activator such as a raw bone meal, as well as regular watering, which will also speed up the decomposing process.
Those who don’t like creepy-crawlies can make use of natural insecticides. Stephen Steyn, of Cape Contours, says that “organic pesticides naturally break down into harmless forms without poisoning our rivers and subterranean water. They can be applied to edible crops without running the risk of human poisoning”. For those who do not want to dabble with pesticides and chemicals there are alternate options, such as encouraging beneficial predators such as ladybugs, praying mantises and geckos, or to interplant your foliage with plants known to repel insects, like marigolds.
Graeme Nothard, of Brunsfelsia Landscapes, says that “when considering organic vegetable gardens one should consider the size of ones family as well as planting distances, depths, best time for planting, hardiness, days to harvest and expected yields”. The benefits of organic gardening are tremendous as it not only protects your health by not exposing you to chemicals, but also protects the environment.“Every little bit helps”, concludes Graeme.
