All of the information that the author discovered has been compiled into a downloadable book so that purchasers of The Shoestring Gardener can begin putting the methods it teaches to use as soon as possible.
Certain vegetables and cultivars make attractive as well as edible displays. You can plant an ornamental vegetable garden in the front or side yard or even add vegetables to your flower garden. The ornamental vegetable garden on page 3 shows one of many ways you could plan such a garden. This garden would look particularly nice on a gently sloping hillside. Theme gardens such as a salad bowl garden or a children's garden are also easy.
Understanding the philosophy behind organic gardening Nurturing the soil Diversifying your garden Managing pests Practicing conservation veryone agrees that organic gardening means avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But the philosophy and practice of organic gardening go far beyond that simple concept. Growing organic food, flowers, and landscapes represents a commitment to a sustainable system of living in harmony with nature. For many people, organic gardening is a way of life. This chapter deals with the fundamentals of organic growing, including the philosophy behind organic gardening and the specific techniques that lead to success.
The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), enacted as part of the 1990 Farm Bill, set the stage for establishing uniform national standards for the production and handling of foods labeled organic. The Act authorized the creation of a new USDA National Organic Program and established an advisory group called the National Organic Standards Board to help determine the rules.
Vegetables and flowers are good companions, grown together for centuries for function and beauty. For example, early Americans knew marigolds repel harmful pests. Companion planting in vegetable gardening means encouraging a symbiotic mutually beneficial relationship between one plant and another. One plant may repel insects that commonly plague another. Three years ago I introduced raised beds in my vegetable garden. and there are more benefits than I realized at the time.
To organic foods enthusiasts, organic gardening means producing food plants without synthetic fertilizers, supplementary mineral elements, pesticides or herbicides. You supply soils with high levels of organic matter from animal manures, crop residues, and compost or green manure crops. You do not use supplementary mineral elements except those from natural mineral fertilizers obtained from naturally occurring deposits.
Chard is basically a beet without the bottom. It's a biennial that's grown as an annual for its big crinkly leaves. Chard is a decorative plant with its juicy red or white leaf stems and rosette of large, dark green leaves, it can hold its own in the flower garden. It's also a rewarding crop for the home vegetable gardener it's easy-going and very productive. If you harvest the leaves as they grow, the plant will go on producing all season.-Chard has an impressive history, too it was a popular foodstuff even before the days of the Roman Empire.
The degree to which the successful growing of each vegetable type is dependent on hot and cold weather conditions indicates that temperature is the most important aspect of climate to consider when you're planning your vegetable garden. At this point it's helpful to take a good look at how temperature and other basic climatic conditions affect your garden. Rainfall and sunlight also play a most important part in how your garden grows, so let's take a look at these three elements and how they work with your plants.
If all this planning thoroughly intimidates you, don't abandon the idea of gardening. It's the age of technology, and you can have your entire garden planned by a computer. The computer uses some basic information that you supply about your garden and develops a complete, easy-to-use plan that includes all the information the novice gardener needs to grow a vegetable garden. The only problem involved in having your garden planned by a computer is finding out who offers the service. At the moment only a few states' Cooperative Extension Services and a few seed companies provide computerized planning services, but they're rapidly becoming popular and more available. Ask your local Cooperative Extension Service if they offer computerized planning or can put you in touch with some organization that does. You may also find such services advertised in gardening magazines.
A shovel has a curved scoop and a handle with a handgrip. It's used for lifting, turning, and moving soil. A spade is a sturdy tool with a thick handle (and a handgrip) and a heavy blade that you press into the ground with your foot. The blade is usually flatter and sharper than the shovel's, and often squared off at the bottom. A spade is for hard digging work it should be strong but light enough to handle comfortably. A nursery shovel or nursery spade is an excellent all-around tool in the vegetable garden.
Gardening is a most satisfying occupation, because you are constantly rewarded for your efforts. All the work you put into your vegetable garden cultivating, mulching, watering, watching, and waiting shows dividends in the shape of healthy plants that flourish visibly under your care as the season progresses. And all the labor pays off in tangible form at harvest time.
Oven drying is faster than using an electric dryer or dehydrator, but the electric dryers can handle much larger food loads than any of the ovens. Oven drying is best for small-scale preserving, since the ordinary kitchen model will hold no more than four to six pounds of food at one time. If you've got an extra-big vegetable garden and expect to dry food in quantity, you may want to investigate the new electric dryers or dehydrators, available in some stores and through seed catalogs. Several of the small convection ovens now on the market also have special racks available for drying vegetables. When using an electric dryer, or a convection or microwave oven for drying vegetables, always read and follow the manufacturer's directions.
Some gardeners simply go out and dig common garden soil to fill their vegetable containers. In most cases this won't do. An ideal soil for growing vegetables has fifty percent solid matter and fifty percent air space. Most garden soils are either too sandy or too clayey, giving a less than ideal balance. In addition, in a contained space even a good garden soil becomes compacted more easily than it does in the ground, thus closing the air spaces and causing water to run almost straight through. It also dries out faster and often drains poorly, creating a root-rot problem. It is best, therefore, to use a special container soil for vegetable gardening.
Their leaves are usually composed of three leaflets, and the small flowers are pale yellow or white. Dry beans are seldom planted in the home vegetable garden because it's so easy and inexpensive to buy them. They're fairly easy to grow, however, and give good yields, so if you have space in your garden you may want to try them.
Ordinary kitchen foil Increases light intensity, helping to grow vegetables in shady parts of your garden. Foil lowers the soil temperature about 10 F and helps keep lettuce from going to seed during hot weather. Experiments show that kitchen foil is an effective control against aphids because the insects seem to dislike light reflected under leaf surfaces.
All parts of this system are made to be snapped or threaded together. Drippers and adjustable minisprinklers put the water just where you want it Can be used for vegetable gardens as well as shrubs and flower beds. Once the system is laid out, all you do is turn on the faucet Enlarge the entire system at will by simply snapping additional units together. All parts of this system are made to be snapped or threaded together. Drippers and adjustable minisprinklers put the water just where you want it Can be used for vegetable gardens as well as shrubs and flower beds. Once the system is laid out, all you do is turn on the faucet Enlarge the entire system at will by simply snapping additional units together.
They may not win many design awards, but plastic pails are inexpensive and practical containers for use in vegetable gardening. You can buy the 2- or 3-gallon type at the local variety store, or you might be able to pick up larger, 5- or 10-gallon models that have been tossed away after use at construction sites. There are many ways to doll up these plastic eyesores, such as covering them with metal foil or placing them inside larger wicker baskets.
Horsepower There are three broad categories Tractors with under 10 hp. are used primarily for tending a yard under one acre and for light snow removal those with 10 to 14 hp. are good for preparing a good-sized vegetable garden and are able to handle a variety of cultivating equipment* those with 16 to 20 hp. are designed for heavier-duty, large garden work, and utility chores.
Chernicai fungicides are effective in preventing and controlling vegetable disease. Because fungicides can be blown or washed off plants, they must be reapplied at regular intervals while the disease is active, The following chemicals are often used in vegetable gardens.
Although it is possible to grow vegetables in one of these potting mixes, they generally do better in a combination of soil, potting mix and other ingredients. Vegetables in soil mixes require less frequent feeding than those in potting mixes. Furthermore, a combination soil-potting mix holds water better.
Draw up a simple plot plan giving your garden's measurements in all directions. Remember there's no law that says a garden has to be square or rectangular. Your vegetable garden can be round, triangular, curved, or any shape that fits your landscape and takes best advantage of the space you've got. When you've drawn the outline, sketch in all the nongrowing areas where you won't be able to plant trees, shrubs, sidewalks, sheds, buildings, walls, and the garage. Indicate any areas that are particularly shady or poorly drained and, therefore, aren't suitable for fussy crops.
Very few soils are ready to grow vegetables most soils need to be worked before they will yield as they should. If soil has a high clay content, or too much sand or silt, if s got to be improved. Fortunately, it is possible to change the structure, drainage and circulation of most types of soil by the addition of organic material and inert materials such as gypsum. This is also dealt with under Organic Gardening in Chapter 3. Organic additives should be the first alternative considered by the gardener.
That's one classic method of establishing and maintaining a vegetable garden. Other ways have been developed, and are worth consideration by all gardeners. So popular has vegetable gardening become today, that not only are millions of new gardeners growing vegetables, but dozens of different gardening methods are springing up all across the country. These methods differ in one way or another from the conventional way of planting vegetables in wide rows in a fairly large garden. Here are a few.
If you build it, they will come, sorry to say. Because you're growing edible plants, you should be very reluctant to throw chemical remedies at pest problems in your vegetable garden. Fortunately, you can choose from plenty of proactive, less-risky strategies and deterrents.
What exactly is cultivating, anyway After all, this is gardening I'm talking about, not farming. All it really means in the context here is stirring up the soil and fighting weeds. These jobs, quite honestly, always seem to go hand in hand. You need to do them for the good of the soil and the survival and prosperity of your garden plants. Cultivating tools exist to make the job easier and more efficient, regardless of whether you're tending a vegetable garden or a flowerbed.
The basic goal of every chapter is to give you the information you need to go out and create a garden, or at least plant something, no matter what your level of experience. You may already know a lot about roses, for example, but perhaps you want information on how to start an annual flowerbed the chapters in this book can help out in that regard. Even if your primary interest is in growing roses or daylilies, or in setting up a basic vegetable garden, you can find useful information in every chapter that you can probably apply to your planting project.
Herbs growing by vegetables Adding edible herbs to your vegetable garden is a good idea. They like the same growing conditions of fertile soil and full sun, and when you're in the mood for a spontaneous summer meal, everything you need is right at hand. Some of my favorite choices include basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, fennel, thyme, and chives. Check out Chapter 13 for info on vegetable gardening. If you prefer informal herb gardens, take note A casual bed devoted to all herbs can look delightfully cottage-gardeny, or it can look like a jumble. (A jumble is bad It's hard to care for and harvest from, and crowded plants become more vulnerable to pests and diseases.) So make a plan on paper for this sort, too set it up like your vegetable garden or your favorite flower garden and then see what happens, making alterations as you see fit. Aim for a harmonious mix of foliage colors and types, with the occasional exclamation point of a flowering herb.
Don't toss the pieces back in the water where they can break down and foul and water Add them to the compost pile or dig them straight into a vegetable-garden's soil. For potentially invasive floaters and submerged plants, play it safe and add them and their prunings to the household garbage.
But understanding the site isn't enough you also have to learn what you want and need. Rushing into the design phase without going through this process leaves you without the information you need to make good decisions. Think about your needs and desires. What do you want from the finished landscape Make a simple list. Do this outdoors so you can imagine the possibilities better. If you stand in your backyard and dream about what you need, for example, you might list privacy, a shady place with a hammock or a patio, a play space for the kids, a vegetable garden, a few fruit trees, secure fencing, and a water feature. Take the time to get everything down on paper. Include your family in the process, and make sure that everybody gets heard.
The duration and intensity of sunshine the quality of the soil and such environmental factors as temperature, annual rainfall, humidity, and wind are all variables that affect plant growth. As you may have noticed, not everyone requires the same amount of food or water. Also, some of us actually like cold weather, whereas others prefer the heat. The specific cultural requirements of a plant in a vegetable garden are different from those of a plant in the wildflower meadow, as are those that evolved in alpine versus tropical versus desert environments. Cultural requirements for sunshine, soil quality, water, and climate are described below.
Years, but how is it relevant to life in the twenty-first century Plants still represent an important source of food, fuel, clothing, shelter, medicine, perfume, and recreation they also add oxygen to the atmosphere and help in the removal of toxic waste from the soil. We have become dependent on commercial horticulture to supply our produce and other plant products. What if your favorite fruits or vegetables were no longer commercially available You would either have to cultivate the plants yourself or go without them. The act of cultivation could be as simple as the use of a hoe to weed and loosen the ground under a berry bush you found in the woods or as complicated as the design and maintenance of a year-round vegetable garden.
Organic gardening means growing high quality, delicious and nutritious food in an ecologically balanced way. Organic gardeners respect the Earth and work within the cycle of Nature. Organic gardening and farming improves the 'living soil' with its myriad of microbes and earthworms, rather than degrading the soil by saturating it with artificial and toxic chemicals.
What would you say to a non-organic gardening friend if you were asked these questions And what would you make of the following information from a synthetic fertiliser manufacturer's website These are important questions and deserve a serious reply from an organic gardening perspective. Basically, its all a matter of focus. Growers who rely on artificial chemical fertilisers are foeussed on the plants. They view soil mainly as a support medium for fertilisers. The basic principle of organic gardening is this feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants. Soil is more important than oil in the long run because it is as much a non-renewable resource as oil.
Most organic gardeners will tell you that the fruits and vegetables they harvest from their gardens taste better than their supermarket counterparts. Are the foods healthier, too A multi-million-dollar, four-year study of the benefits of organic food, funded by the European Union (EU), suggests that some organically grown foods are more nutritious than their nonorganic counterparts. The study the largest of its kind also found that in some cases organically grown foods had higher levels of antioxidants, which are believed to be beneficial in fighting cancer and heart disease.
Under contract with private sector composting facilities. Currently, other recyclable materials such as bottles and cans are collected from homes by municipalities in some areas organic food materials are also collected and composted at centralized composting facilities. The day will come when the collected organic materials will include toilet materials.
When you plant your herbs really depends on the plant, but you can't go wrong planting herbs the same way you plant vegetable seedlings that is, plant them out in the garden after all danger of frost is past (see Chapter 13 for info on vegetable gardening). The reason this strategy works for most herbs is that a lot of them aren't especially cold-tolerant. This technique also gets them in the ground under encouraging conditions warm soil, warm air, and a good summer stretching out ahead of them. They should surge right into robust growth.
A fascinating study undertaken at a Californian university has revealed that many of our most popular vegetables are the lowest in nutritive values. Researchers studied 39 of our most popular vegetables and the following ten were selected as the highest in essential nutrients. For the home gardener, perhaps the best way to use a small area would be to grow vegetables specially selected for their high nutritional qualities.
The following list covers the most popular and easy to grow vegetables for warmer climates. When sowing seeds, it isn't that important to place the seeds in a straight row. I remember when I was a child, watching my father plant his seeds. He would put two wooden pegs into the ground, then tie string from one peg to the other in order to have an absolutely straight row of plants Seeds can be planted in circles, curved rows, or 'almost straight' rows. It really doesn't matter. In Nature, seeds usually grow best in the most suitable spot never in a straight row.
Municipal composting operations find it impossible co get market gardeners to accept their product. Ultimately its destiny is to be mulch along roadsides, under ornamentals in parks, and sometimes in homeowners' yards and gardens. Those who foolishly try to use it to grow vegetables are sorely disappointed.
(an you really grow vegetables and flowers in only 6 inches of soil regardless of how good it is I've been doing it for the last ten years in my display and home garden, and it really works. Of course in my lectures when I mention the 6 inches, I can see the audience squirming in their seats, heads shaking and hands rising with the usual question, How can you grow long carrots or potatoes in just 6 inches of soil It's a good question, so we developed a special feature of SFG where you build a 1-foot X 1 -foot box one foot tall for crops that grow in the ground.
Absolute cleanliness in the garden is essential to minimise the many pests and diseases which will attack vegetables at every opportunity Remove spent crops or discarded leaves from the vegetable garden because these will attract 'pests'. Rotting vegetation gives off large amounts of both ethanol and ammonia, attracting many insects.
WHITE-HEADED CABBAGE, RED-HEADED CABBAGE AND SAVOY-HEADED CABBAGE White-headed cabbage, B. oleracea L. var. capitata L. f. alba DC red-headed cabbage, B. oleracea L. var. capitata L. f. rubra (L) Thell and savoy-headed cabbage, B. oleracea L. var. sabauda L. were defined by Nieuwhof (1969). Heading cabbages are the popular definitive image of vegetable brassicas in Europe indeed the terms 'cabbage garden' and 'vegetable garden' were synonymous in some literature.
The Roman Book of Gardening brings together an extraordinarily vivid selection of texts on Roman horticulture, celebrating herb and vegetable gardening in verse and prose spanning five centuries. In an anthology of vivid new translations by John Henderson, Virgil's Georgia stand alongside neglected works by Columella, Pliny, and Palladius, bringing to life the techniques and obstacles, delights and exasperations of the Roman gardener. For all the cultural differences, modern gardening enthusiasts will recognize much of the familiar heaving and chopping that the writers describe but may be surprised at other aspects of horticulture that have changed significantly over the centuries.
Rotate families of vegetables among different areas of the garden each year. Grow resistant varieties whenever possible. Do not save seed if diseases are present. Other tips concerning cultural control of insects and diseases are found in Extension PB 1391, Organic Gardening and Pest Control. When insect and disease problems occur, they must be identified and treated as soon as possible if damage is to be minimized. County Extension offices can assist with identification. Extension PB 595, You Can Control Garden Insects, and PB 1215, Disease Control in the Home Vegetable Garden, contain recommendations for controlling specific insect and disease problems.
Cover crops also offer protection from plant diseases and insects after seasonal crop rotation. They are excellent for areas of the vegetable garden that are not in use because they bind the soil (reducing the impact of raindrops) and prevent erosion in heavy rainfall areas. Plant roots open up the soil channels, penetrating deep into the earth to improve soil porosity and allowing water to run slowly downwards to prevent soil run-off. These crops can also be used for making compost.
0esign is fundamental to successful organic gardening. Well-placed plants can shelter your house provide refuge for wildlife and give you all the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers you desire. This chapter may be the most important one in the book because it's about putting plants in the right places and starting them off on the right foot, so to speak. It provides an overview of designing all types of gardens. For specific information on individual categories of plants, see Chapters 13 through 20.
The vegetable garden, or perhaps on an allotment or in a field. Good crops can result from plants in any of these situations. It is, however, important to consider choosing plants that are more resistant to pests and diseases (pp114-119) tomato blight in particular can be a problem with outdoor crops. Some outdoor bush tomatoes may be allowed to sprawl over the ground, but this makes them vulnerable to pests, such as slugs, and to rotting. Support them with canes and twine or proprietary support systems.
When you're ready to write down your landscape design ideas, make a rough sketch of your property on a sheet of paper. This rough sketch, or bubble diagram, doesn't have to be to scale at this point, but try to make it reasonably accurate. Then start writing words and phrases in appropriate locations new patio, remove tree, dog run, vegetable garden, and so on. The ideas you write down can include anything from problems, opportunities, and needs to desires and specific features you know you like. Encircle each feature with a simple oval. Now isn't the time for fancy graphics your bubble diagram just needs to be useful, much like the simple diagram in Figure 6-1.
With each molt insects change their form to varying degrees, depending on the kind of metamorphosis that insects may have. Most vegetable garden insect pests have either gradual (Figure 1) or complete metamorphosis (Figure 2). Examples of gradual or incomplete metemorphosis, in which the very young resemble the adults, include plantbugs, grasshoppers, stink bugs, squash bugs, aphids and leafhoppers. Examples of pests with complete metamorphosis are Mexican bean beetles, cabbage loopers, hornworms, flies, June beetles, cutworms and armyworms.
Plants that produce long stems for cutting, as well as colorful or fragrant flowers, are tops in my garden. Many of these plants mix well in a perennial border, or you can devote a row in your vegetable garden to them. If you have space and a passion for bouquets, give them a garden of their own. Don't forget to add some everlasting flowers, such as statice and strawflower, which have papery petals that remain colorful for months or even years when dried. Use them for making dried bouquets and craft projects.
There are a number of watering tools, from a variety of sprinklers to cone and fan sprays. For vegetable garden use, the most practical and the least wasteful of water is the soaker hose. Lay it between rows, holes down, for a deep soaking of the roots, holes up for a fine spray.
Before beginning your new vegetable garden, it is a good idea to have some well-made compost available to give your seeds or seedlings a good start. When you're selecting a suitable site be sure that the area is free from vigorous weeds or grasses (nut grass will penetrate a layer of plastic without any problems at all). Remove any larger weeds or grasses by hand before mowing the area. A site which is gently sloping is best, so that excess water from seasonal rains will drain off easily.
Lint them t us at ogiq rodale.com or mail to Organic Gardening Editors. 33 E. Minor St Emmnus. PA 18098. Be sure to include your mailing address, email address, and telephone number. Submissions, including photos and illustrations, should be your original work and no more than 100 words. Submissions will become the property of Rodale. and cannot be returned. The reader tips that appear here haven't been tested by us, so we can't guarantee that they will work in every garden. But we do our best toscreen out anything we think might be harmful.
Organic gardening simple when fully understood Organic gardening is complex, yet quite simple when fully understood. The basis is a healthy 'live' soil, rich in organic matter and natural minerals, and teeming with life. Such a soil will provide all the nutrients that plants need to be healthy and productive. In this healthy state they will also be more resistant to pests and diseases. Using natural fertilisers and mulches, companion planting, rotation cropping, and the minimal use of even non toxic pesticides, organic gardening works in harmony with natural laws and the wholeness of Nature.
You can control the weeds in your garden quite easily if you follow these guidelines. Mulching is most important for good weed control. A good thick mulch will suppress many weeds although some strong-growing species will push through the thickest mulch with comparative ease. These weeds should be pulled out by hand before seeding and should be added to the compost heap because most weeds contain valuable mineral nutrients. You should mulch not only in the vegetable garden but around fruit trees and in ornamental gardens as well.
Put your home vegetable garden in a place that has well-drained soil and is convenient to the house. The garden should not be shaded by buildings, trees or shrubs vegetables need full sunlight throughout the day to grow well. Trees and shrubs close by also compete with garden plants for moisture and fertilizer.
Stringing fishing line between posts scattered through your garden sometimes confuses deer enough that they go elsewhere. You'll have to remember that the fishing line is there, however, or you'll keep walking into it too. This option is better for less frequently visited gardens than for your vegetable garden.
If you maintain tidy perennial beds or harvest crops from your vegetable garden, you change this natural dynamic. By raking up fallen leaves or picking produce, you're removing organic matter and the nutrients it contains from the garden environment. To keep soil healthy, you must put some back, which may mean mulching flower beds with bark mulch or adding compost to vegetable gardens. Most of the soil-building techniques I discuss in this chapter center on nurturing beneficial soil life and maintaining this dynamic underground ecosystem.
These are equally suitable for an allotment, fruit and vegetable garden, or as an ornamental feature. Use railway sleepers, decking boards, bricks, rocks or even the very ornamental flint blocks. Fill to the brim with a mixture of garden soil (if not alkaline) and organic matter. Plant with a selection of highbush and half-high blueberries, and finish off with cranberries or even alpine strawberries as a carpet below them.
This is what we all strive for. Somewhere between clay and sand, containing organic material that gives it a fluffy, light texture. The best soil in any garden is the top few inches where decaying plant roots, leaves and other organic matter naturally decay. This is called the top soil. For a vegetable garden more than for any other kind of garden, you need a deep loam 8 or 12 inches deep. Loamy soils are physically easy to prepare, and weeding and watering are easier too.
Organic gardening covers a lot of ground, so to speak from maintaining a lawn and growing roses to harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables. If you've read this far, you must be curious about how to garden organically in your own yard. This book takes you step by step through building and maintaining healthy soil, encouraging helpful insects and other organisms, choosing problem-free plants, and getting your plants off to the right start. In addition to the basic concepts of organic gardening, it also includes information about how to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees and shrubs, fruits and nuts, roses, and lawns without harmful pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers.
J lot sure what organic gardening is all about Jump m w right into this part for an overview of what organic means. Chapter 1 introduces the foundations of organic gardening, along with basic techniques you'll use whether you're growing edibles, flowers, or lawn and landscape plants. Chapter 2 describes the benefits of gardening organically, as well as the risks to you and to the environment of using synthetic pesticides. If you need to justify your organic preferences to naysayers, you'll have plenty to say after reading this chapter.
F you like lists as much as I do, welcome to Part V. It's also a good place to get started if you want to be an organic gardener but really don't know what to do first. This part sums up the major principles and techniques of organic gardening in a few short pages and offers ideas for making your home and landscape more eco-friendly.
Plants need nutrients to grow flourish and fend off pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. Giving them what they need is a key to successful organic gardening, but as with humans, overdoing poor food choices spells trouble. The best way to feed plants is to feed the soil. Vast numbers of beneficial organisms call the soil home nourish them, and you nourish the plants. Adding organic matter, such as compost, provides fungi, bacteria, earthworms, and other soil dwellers both food and a hospitable environment. In turn, they break down this organic matter into nutrients that plants can use.
In IPM, this process is called establishing damage thresholds, and it's fundamental to organic gardening. Small populations of pests may not cause enough damage to warrant control, and they may provide a consistent supply of food for the predators that keep them in check. Kill all the pests, and their predators will leave too. When the next population of pests arises, the predators will be gone.
Rodale edited the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening in 1959 in response to the American public's request for an approach to the cultivation of produce free from chemical residues. The method has been popular with home gardeners ever since and has grown steadily in the commercial sector through the 1990s and into the 21st century. The common goal with all organic approaches is to grow high-quality produce while having only a low impact on the environment. The methods can also be applied in floriculture and landscape horticulture.
Currently, Australia has more than 2000 certified organic producers, processors and retailers of organic food and fiber products. Scottish farmers now produce enough to meet 70 per cent of the demand for organic food up from the 35 per cent estimated level in 2002. Scotland plans to double the area of organic agriculture and production by 2007 Organic News, 2005.