- The U.S. Department of Agriculture established a regulatory definition for the term "organic" in 1995. Although the nuances of the term mean different things to different growers, the USDA definition forbids the use of synthetic chemicals in plant production. Instead, growers use methods that build a healthy ecosystem able to sustain plant growth.
- Choosing plants that naturally prefer specific site characteristics, such as soil type and light exposure, and your climate means that you need fewer inputs to sustain that plant. For example, if you have alkaline soil, planting acid-loving rhododendrons will require drastic soil amendment and may not be the best choice for an organic landscape. Native flowers offer the advantage of thriving in your native soils and climate, as well as attracting native wildlife that can help you to keep pest populations under control.
- Good soil is the key to organic gardening. It not only supports your plants, but also provides them with their water and nutrients. Healthy populations of soil microbes can keep diseases and other pests in check.
Have your soil tested to determine the pH, texture and amount of organic matter, as well as to identify any mineral deficiencies or excesses. Organic alternatives exist for providing all of the mineral nutrients usually delivered using chemical fertilizers. For example, manure provides nitrogen, bonemeal provides phosphorus and wood ash provides potassium, the three major nutrients found in chemical fertilizers. Prepackaged organic fertilizers offer multiple nutrients in a single formulation. Incorporate compost, aged manure or leaf litter into the soil of your flower beds to boost levels of organic matter, and mulch with wood chips or dead leaves to prevent weeds and constantly replenish organic matter in the soil. - Organic gardening uses a system called integrated pest management, or IPM, to control insects and diseases. IPM views chemical solutions as a last resort and, instead, seeks to prevent serious problems from occurring. Selecting flowers suited to your soil, climate and site and properly caring for those plants is the first step, as healthy plants better resist disease. Providing nectar and pollen sources for ladybugs and parasitic wasps will encourage these natural enemies of flower pests like aphids and caterpillars. Physically remove pests by picking them off of flowers and dropping them into a bucket of warm soapy water. If you do need to spray for pests, organic products such as horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps kill flower pests like aphids, scale, spider mites and Japanese beetles while leaving beneficial insects unharmed.
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