should i be growing organically?

[Ian_5]

or if not what's really safe to use on my plants?

the reason i ask is, I've not really given this too much consideration before, but now i have a little 'un who'll be partaking in whatever we grow I'm a bit more cautious. There's a lot of information out there, not all in agreement, so thought i'd open it up for debate...

Any input appreciated

cheers

[zazen999]

I'd open the floor with 'why are you growing your own'?

[Ian_5]

well... satisfaction of growing my own, as a food source obviously and the opportunity to grow varieties that you don't come across that often in the supermarket - that'd be the main reasons i guess...

[Two_Sheds]

You don't mention looking after wildlife, or avoiding chemicals ... so maybe you're not into organic then?

Some are, some aren't

[di]

I grow organically for two reasons. The first and most important being, we are surrounded by so many pollutants, I like to at least try my hardest to make sure all that me and the kiddies eat is as free from crap as possible.
Secondly, have you seen the prices of insectisides, weedkillers and such?

[Snadger]

After weighing up the pro's and con's, its really something you need to decide for yourself. You can also mix organic gardening with non organic gardening.
I personally try to grow as organically as I can, but im not amal about it and respect other peoples ways as well.
At the collodsal level, a plant doesn't really care where it recieves its nutrients from. Similar results can be achieved using organic or inorganic methods.
Artificial fertilisers were developed to help feed the world cheaply by utilising monocultural techniques..................at a price?
Gardening at home or allotment gives us the choice to grow what we like and how we like............the choice is yours.

I would rather term it growing 'environmentally friendly' rather than organically.

[Two_Sheds]

Artificial fertilisers were developed to help feed the world cheaply

Or to feed crops on soil that's been exhausted of nutrients by intensive production?

[Thelma Sanders]

the exhausted soil came after we tried to feed the world cheaply

[bearded bloke]

All things in life are a compromise.

In an effort to aid organic gardeners enjoy flavoursome carrots that are not attacked by the dreaded carrot fly,seed suppliers have selectively bred in/out that whatever it is they think attracts the fly Great joy you say, lovely carrots unscathed by their natural predator,but then that needs to be tempered by the certain knowledge that you are now growing a genetically modified crop

[zazen999]

BB - if you select for a certain characteristic - that doesn't make them Genetically Modified. The genes haven't been modified, they have just selected and saved from [say] the carrots that were not attacked by carrot fly and didn't save from those that were.

[BarleySugar]

A bit like natural selection (but human assisted). In nature the fittest survive, in seed breeding by humans, the plants with the desired traits survive. These are not necessarily the traits that the plant would choose (like double flowers with no nectar, see I've been watching Sarah Raven ).
I try to garden organically but if I do choose to use something that isn't, at least I know what has been used and when.
I am a bit cynical about some organic produce after hearing from my brother about certain farming friends that have some organic produce/milk/free range eggs/meat and some that are not. They aren't adverse to 'mixing' the two. I know this is probably not the norm, but sometimes people get greedy and are not as honest as they should be

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am nowhere near organic but I do try to be careful. I use weed killer but only on the weeds that seem to infiltrate every crack in my paving, never on my plant beds.

I do use artifical fertilisers where I consider necessary and again these go on/in the soil not on the plant to minimise the impact on the foodstuff itself.

Like everyone else has said you will have to make your own mind up after the debate.

Colin

[bearded bloke]

BB - if you select for a certain characteristic - that doesn't make them Genetically Modified. The genes haven't been modified, they have just selected and saved from [say] the carrots that were not attacked by carrot fly and didn't save from those that were.

Zaz,the genes themselves have not been modified,but the edible plant has,as you display in your post

[zazen999]

Zaz,the genes themselves have not been modified,but the edible plant has,as you display in your post

But that's not a genetically modified crop. That's selection of a crop. All our crops are selected each time we save seed; otherwise we'd all be eating the wild versions of everything.

[solway cropper]

If you saw how a lot of so called 'organic' food was produced you'd be sick. I grow my own because I know exactly what I'm eating and what's been used in its production. If I use one single metaldehyde slug pellet then I'm not organic but I really don't care if the Soil Association considers me organic or not. It's just a label and like all labels it gets abused.