Chemical vs Organic Gardening

The Chemical Way

The purely chemical gardener uses his soil simply as a means of anchoring plant roots and of holding artificial fertilizers to provide plant nutrients. This approach does have excellent results, in the short term. In the long term, however, it has two disastrous consequences.

Because organic matter is not replaced, the soil organisms die out; without them the soil structure breaks down and the soil becomes hard, airless, and unproductive. Attempts at “force-feeding” the plants result in soft, sappy growth, which is prone to attack by all manner of pests and diseases.

In order to control them, chemical pesticides are used, often with short-term success. But, in killing the pest, they also kill its natural predators so, eventually, the problem gets worse. Stronger and more poisonous pesticides have to be resorted to, and so it goes on. It is a vicious circle that, once started, is difficult to break.

The Organic Way

The organic gardener has a more constructive approach based on an awareness that there is a fine balance in the natural world which allows all the species to coexist without anyone gaining dominance.

By growing a wide diversity of plants, the organic gardener will attract and build up a miniature ecosystem of pests and predators so that, provided the balance isn’t upset by killing them with chemicals, no species will be allowed to build up to an unacceptable level.

The soil is teeming with millions of microorganisms which, in the course of their lives, will release those nutrients required for healthy plant growth from organic matter. So, rather than feeding the plants, the organic way is to feed the soil with natural materials and allow the plants to draw on that reservoir of nutrients as and when they want them. Plants grown this way will be stronger and more able to resist attacks by pests and diseases.