Are you an organic grower?

[Laura Hillier]

Hi Everyone,

We have been discussing organic growing here in the GYO office and we were just wondering how many of you grow the organic way? What factors influence your choices?

Answers may be edited and published in the September issue of GYO.

Laura

[Paulieb]

I try to be organic where possible, and hope to be 100% organic in a few years. Its difficult to be totally organic 'from scratch' as I think you need to build up the system....growing comfrey for feed, understanding soil, learning what crops well on your soil, building up organic matter in your soil.

All these (and more) are required to create perfect conditions for things like earthworms to make your soil stable.

I do try to:
not use any chemicals at all.
hand weed annuals before they set seed.
Remove perrenial weeds
Use crop rotation
Have 3 compost bins on the go
use green manures to cover bare soil
save/recycle water and use it efficiently
and MULCH!

[carolineholding]

I've only been gardening for a few years but so far I have managed to be totally organic. I've managed to avoid spraying my crops with pesticides and insecticides and opt for mulching over or digging out weeds instead of using herbicides. I'm very conscious of doing everything I can to turn my garden into the most welcoming environment for wildlife (insect hotel, pond, bird boxes, pollinating flowers etc) and from talking to other people who grow food there seems to be the idea that to be an organic grower you just stop using chemicals, the doesn't seem to be the awareness that there are lots of other things that we need to do to encourage nature to do the pest control for us. I would like to continue being totally organic but I must admit that I've been very lucky, I've never yet lost my entire crop of tomatoes or potatoes to blight, or had to deal with an invasion of a really invasive weed -like Japenese Knotweed (although the slugs have been a bit of a challenge this year). So we shall see, maybe in a few years I'll be less puritanical than I am now, but for now the organic approach seems to be working well for me.

[VirginVegGrower]

I grow organically and abhor the use of inorganic feeds, pesticides and soil conditioners. I want to know that what I put into my children's mouths hasn't been tainted. I don't care if my fruit/veg is blemished. It's as nature intended. I do feel it is a personal choice though.

[StephenH]

Yes, I'm completely organic (and so is my gardening!), so I chose the first option, although couch-grass and bindweed are such a problem on my allotment that I am tempted to zap them with a systemic weedkiller, and then go back to being organic. Tons of compost - that's the secret. I go off into footpaths and woods near my home with a big bag, and collect weeds from there in order to build the heap quickly, so that I can get a hot heap going. I don't generate nearly enough waste material to do so from the garden and allotment alone.
However, though organic, I'm agnostic about other practices often associated with organic gardening, such as no-dig, biodynamics, and planting by the phases of the moon, and don't practice them.

[Indigo23]

We've only just started our allotment and vegetable growing attempts a few weeks ago. We're starting compost, etc, from scratch and we're clearing the ground without the aid of herbicides even though it's hard work. It's hard to tell in most places what was grown in what areas on our plot and how the previous plot-holder dealt with pests and diseases and, while we would like to be organic, it takes a while to get a good system going on your plot. Our necessary concession to non-organic help has been slug pellets.

[shepp726]

Only got my plot on 1st May as did everyone else, as it is a new site.
The field was donated, and had not been used for 40+ years, apart from the land being turned over prior to plots being allotted.
I have hand dug all my beds and added nothing, (apart from blood sweat and tears) in the hope of a better season next year. Although some neighbours have already sprayed, (some twice), in order to get their slice of heaven in order.
hopefully gonna be organic forever!

So have answered 'yes'

[veggiechicken]

I don't knowingly use anything in my garden that is not organic, but I'm not 100% confident that any compost that I buy does not contain chemical residues. When household green waste is being recycled into compost for sale, what control can there be over the contents?

[mothhawk]

My garden is small so I can keep on top of weeds, slugs and snails easily by handpicking, and made easier because one neighbour has a back garden of gravel and paving, and on the other side paving and grass, so no weeds from them

Aerial pests I leave to their own predators, it really doesn't bother me if the roses, runner beans and other stuff have greenfly or blackfly for a day or two, 'cos I know it WILL only be for a day or two, until predators find them and dispose of them.

The only feeding the plants get is seaweed solution as a foliar feed for most, and a bucketful for squashes and beans, plus H/M compost spread all over in the autumn. That I can't guarantee as completely without additives, since a lot of household waste goes into it, things such as tissues, vacuum sweepings, fruit peelings such as bananas and oranges that have probably been sprayed, and bought cut flowers given as gifts that almost certainly have been sprayed throughout their lives. Hopefully after 6 months in the compost bin most of the harmful elements have degraded away.

[mothhawk]

I see no-one has voted that they are not organic - do you think this is because everyone on the vine tries to be organic, or is it because non-organic growers are not reading the thread?

[StephenH]

I see no-one has voted that they are not organic - do you think this is because everyone on the vine tries to be organic, or is it because non-organic growers are not reading the thread?

Or because some people are telling porkies?

[Bren In Pots]

I try to be organic only using a bug spray made from garlic and Ecover washing up liquid, then I feed my veg with either comfrey or nettle tea.
I've resorted to organic slug pellets around my courgettes and cucs because egg shells alone didn't protect them.

[mothhawk]

Or because some people are telling porkies?

Why would they bother?

[WPG]

I've voted 'mostly' because while I do try to be 100% organic, in practice I probably slip up from time to time without even realising. On the whole though, I do aspire to work with nature rather than taking chemical short-cuts, so I use green manures, comfrey tea, lots of companion planting, wildlife areas, and natural remedies. Plus a mountain of crushed egg shells to stop the sluggies.

[frogga]

I've became organic as a New Years resolution for 2013 after my mishaps in 2012 (I still feel really bad for bring so stupid with slug pellets and chickens, the new chicks will not suffer the same!)

I cleared all the cupboards out and threw all chemicals away and now hard work is the only way forward. 8 hour days weeding beat the gym for sure, but nature is much happier.