When it comes to the things we eat and feed to our families, most of us want the freshest produce grown with the least amount of chemicals possible. Many gardeners have taken this a step further and have begun to grow their own vegetables using organic methods.

Defining organic
There is not one universally accepted definition of organic, and when the term is applied to agricultural practices, it gets even muddier. Here is the definition used by Georgia Organics, a leader in providing organic farming information in the state:
“Organic farming is a holistic agricultural approach to growing foods and fibers sustainably. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature to build healthy, fertile soil and a naturally balanced ecosystem. Organic agriculture uses techniques such as crop rotations, the recycling of farm-produced organic materials, cover crops and nonchemical methods for the control of pests, diseases and weeds. Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives are eliminated in organic farming.”

The garden at home
Bringing these principles of organic gardening into the home vegetable garden is not as complicated as it sounds. However, for the most part, organic gardening involves a greater commitment of time and closeness with the garden so that you can monitor changes and catch problems early. Using the techniques outlined in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an excellent way to manage an organic vegetable garden effectively.

IPM involves several strategies designed to minimize the need for pest control in the garden.

• Set a pest threshold. In other words, do not take any pest control action until the pests exceed a predetermined limit. This may mean accepting a little damage or loss to your plants.

• Know your enemy. Identify pests versus beneficial insects and learn about their life cycles. Often, disrupting the life cycle of a pest or increasing the numbers of beneficial insects will eliminate the need for action on your part.

• Start out right. Select pest-resistant varieties of vegetables, maintain healthy soil, rotate crops and remove pest-infested and diseased
plants early.

• Use control methods only when necessary. For those gardening organically, this may mean trapping pests and removing them by hand or using organically based pest-control products.

Build a better soil
Much of our soil is in terrible condition. Decades of poor agricultural practices followed by rampant development have taken their toll on the ground, leaving topsoil in most areas thin or nonexistent. In fact, if your garden has nothing but compacted red clay, then you have no topsoil whatsoever. Topsoil, roughly defined, is the “dirt” in the uppermost layers of soil. It should be a rich chocolate brown, high in organic matter that has decomposed into unrecognizable components, full of living creatures, loose, well-oxygenated and able to hold moisture while draining efficiently. The dream of every gardener is to have 6-12 inches of loam, which is a combination of clay, silt and sand in roughly equal proportions. Gardeners often spend years trying to improve their soil.

In nature it can take centuries to create just a few inches of quality topsoil. However, it is possible to speed up the process by adding the appropriate ingredients yourself or simply purchasing topsoil in bulk. By adding copious amounts of organic matter, such as compost or manure, and maintaining a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch, you can quickly build up a layer of topsoil that is sufficiently rich for organic gardening. You must remember to add organic matter back to the soil after each harvest, using compost, manure and/or cover crops (temporary plants designed to prevent erosion and build soil nutrients). If you have a healthy soil that is replenished frequently, the use of synthetic fertilizers should not be necessary.


Pest-resistant plants
Decades of research and plant breeding have radically increased not only the yield from many vegetables, but also their resistance to pests. The best example is that of the tomato. Tomatoes are the most popular home-grown vegetables in the United States. They also are susceptible to a host of diseases and pests. Therefore, scientists have developed resistant varieties that are labeled to describe the diseases to which they are resistant. The most common are listed above.

Problems with perfection
Americans have come to expect perfect produce. The bananas that have a few brown spots or the slightly misshapen peaches are left to rot on store shelves. To constantly strive for perfect produce has led growers to use (and on occasion misuse) a wide variety of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals then end up in our drinking water and can disrupt entire ecosystems. In recent years, some of these chemicals have been pulled from the market due to problems with toxicity and long-term health concerns.

When growing vegetables organically, it’s perfectly acceptable to have harmless spots or less-than-picture-perfect products. Even losing a few tomatoes, cabbages or peppers to a low population of pests is not going to harm you, while long-term exposure to synthetic chemicals may.


Beneficial buddies
Not every insect in the garden is a pest. In fact, on average, only 1 to 3 percent of the insects in the garden are considered harmful to your plants. The others are either beneficial or have no effect at all. Beneficial predatory and parasitic creatures are your friends and should be welcome in your garden, even if their appearances might give you the creeps. Create a habitat that is attractive to them, and they will do most of the dirty work for you. There are dozens of species of beneficial organisms that can help you in the garden. For information on these creatures (with pictures), visit http://lpm.uga.edu/beneficials/beneficials.html.

Be careful with pesticides, because using them often has the opposite effect from what is desired. Wiping out friend and foe alike sets up the scenario in which the pest populations usually rebound faster than the beneficial insect populations, resulting in more damage than if you had done nothing at all.

Crop rotation
One of the best ways to outwit pests and preserve soil nutrition is to rotate vegetables from one location to another year after year. Plants that are related (such as tomatoes, peppers and potatoes) often attract similar pests. Rotating the location of vegetables can disrupt the life cycles of pests that may lie dormant in the soil. Likewise, related crops often have similar nutritional requirements. Rotating crops helps reduce the soil’s depletion of nutrients.

No matter what you do, sometimes the pests, diseases and weeds can get ahead of you. There are organic solutions to the problems. Smother the weeds with extra mulch; hoe or pPhotos on opposite page courtesy of (top 4) Whippoorwill Organic Farm; (bottom 2) photography by Rhonda M. Shannon, owner of LeiHall Farmse nonsynthetic products to combat diseases and insect pests. One of the best sources for organic garden products is Gardens Alive, at www.gardensalive.com. While gardening organically may not produce perfect-looking vegetables, it will allow you the peace of mind that the fresh foods you feed your family are healthy and chemical-free.