Give organic gardening a try
Ruth explains the benefits of gardening the natural way
THE natural world is in a perilous state as a whole, and the effects are felt in our own little worlds, as insect numbers fall, green spaces are gobbled up, agriculture intensifies and wildlife spotting becomes a rare event.
It feels like a lot to reverse, but we can make a difference in a small way in the way we tend our gardens.
Gardening organically is a good place to start but can feel daunting. Will my garden be overrun by pests? How do I combat diseases? What about weeds? Will it be expensive?
The answer to most of these is a cautious no, though without a chemical crutch gardening can be more laborious. Weeding is time consuming, for example, but it will get you fit.
Checking plants for pests and diseases takes a few minutes each day, but gives you a deeper knowledge of your plants and your garden so you are quicker to spot potential problems.
Like all aspects of this glorious hobby of ours, organic success isn’t a nailed-on certainty and, yes, things can go wrong. We lose several plants each year, though more often than not the fault lies with us not spotting and acting on potential problems fast enough.
But even when things go slightly awry, the result is a healthier, balanced garden with greater biodiversity, which leads to stronger plants.
If you don’t feel confident enough to step away from sprays completely, there are many organic options that use acids, natural oils and fatty acids to combat
pests and diseases. Brands to look out for include Grazers, Neudorff, Ecofective, Vitax and Bug Clear.
As well as gardening without chemicals, we can do so much at home to reuse, recycle and make things last longer with just a little extra thought and effort. By looking after tools, washing and reusing pots, and recycling compost as a soil conditioner we can garden in a more ‘mindful’ way. ■ The national charity Garden Organic ( gardenorganic.org.uk) has published the booklet First Steps in Organic Gardening, which is available from
organiccatalogue.com for £2.99 plus p&p. You can also call ✆ 0344 967 0330 or write to The Organic Gardening Catalogue, Long Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 7SX.