Digging Into Organic Gardening On-line

GARDENING

Digging Into Organic Gardening Online

by Christine Stoner

Organic gardening is continually gaining supporters as Americans strive to improve their overall health and lifestyle. This method of gardening differs from "conventional" gardening mainly in the areas of fertilization and pest control. The organic gardener prefers to use natural and organic materials and methods, and avoids using practices and synthetic chemicals that may be detrimental to his health or the environment. Organic gardening can be defined as a philosophy that stresses the use of naturally occurring substances and friendly predators, and avoiding man-made chemical fertilizers and pesticides. One of the by-products of organic gardening is reduced pollution of the environment through recycling of garden, household and other wastes rather than dumping or burning them. The organic gardener typically combats pests and disease without using products potentially harmful to human health as well as domestic pets and wildlife, which then encourages and protects wildlife by creating suitable habitats. The organic garden uses good horticultural practices while recognizing the importance of genetic diversity, and hence, the preservation of threatened plant varieties.

Whether you're a beginner gardener considering "organic" gardening for your home garden, or an experienced gardener thinking about "going organic" this year, the World Wide Web is full of information and tools to get you started.

One interesting site which provides a good background in the benefits and methods of organic gardening is Howard Garrett's Basic Organic Program. This site, presented by Howard Garrett, a strong supporter of organic gardening, includes information for both beginners and experienced gardeners. He also offers a monthly newsletter geared toward the organic gardener. Elizabeth and Crow Miller's Organic Cybergarden is another great site. They include on their site columns from their "It's Our Garden Series," and excerpts from their book "Let's Get Growing." This is a site to visit when you have some time to look around and do some reading.

Good organic gardening sites aren't limited to the United States, however. For information from abroad, try Organic Gardening from Down Under. This site is designed by its creators to encourage organic vegetable gardening. It's a great place for the novice to go for easy-to-understand advice and organic gardening guidelines. It's not full of bells and whistles, but is very easy to navigate and provides a lot of commonsense, easy-to-follow information. If you'd rather head to the United Kingdom, visit the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA). HDRA is Europe's largest organic organization. There's also a Helpful Tips page, updated regularly, which provides some useful ideas for use in your home garden.

The online publication entitled "Organic Vegetable Gardening", by James M. Stephens, would be interesting to any organic gardener, particularly novices. It explores gardening methods that are compatible with the philosophy of "organic gardening."

Composting

Composting is an important area in organic gardening. Almost all of the Web sites I mention in this article provide information about composting, or links to composting information. One method of composting is "worm composting," also called vermicomposting. For a fun and informational site, at which to buy worms as well as learn more about this method and its benefits, visit the Happy D Ranch Worm Farm. There's even a vermicomposting forum where you can find general information, and information for beginners and large commercial users, as well as education and archives from past forums. This forum is a division of The Compost Resource Page, where you can go to find information on conventional composting, answers to questions, forums and links to other composting sites.

Web Rings and Link Sites for Organic Gardening

Web rings and link sites are a great way to start your search for information about organic gardening. One site which carries some particularly useful links pertaining to organic gardening is the Organic Gardening Reference Site. Another unique Web ring is The Biodynamic and Organic Gardening Resource, an unusual Web site aimed at the backyard gardener who wants to know the origins and history of agriculture. There's a lot of interesting background information, which will appeal to trivia buffs. Another site, which is currently under construction but is heading in the direction of valuable organic links nonetheless, is Gardening Links at Close Range.

Whether you are over 50 or not, check out Senior Search, a search directory geared to the over-50 group. A site which bills itself as The Organic Gardener's Web is available through the Geocities online community, and is basically a site which links you to the personal Web sites of organic gardeners. It's interesting to look around and hear what other organic gardeners are doing in their gardens when you have some free time or if you're looking for help with a problem.

Discussion Sites

One way to get your organic gardening questions and problems answered is to visit a discussion site or forum focused on this topic. Garden Web has an Organic Gardening Forum for the discussion of organic gardening and composting. If you have a question or organic gardening issue, post it here and other members/visitors will post answers and suggestions for you. You may also benefit and find your answer while reading through the posted problems and experiences of other organic gardeners. Another forum for organic gardeners is hosted out of the UK at MidNet Organic. Here you can also post a message commenting on, or answering, the questions of other organic gardeners, or ask a question of your own. This site also boasts an "Internet Garden," displaying some beautiful pictures if you want to take a moment to "stop and smell the organic roses."

Shopping Online for Organic Seeds

If you're planning to start an organic garden or enlarge your existing plot, you'll need to buy seeds. The following is a list of several companies advertising organic seeds on their Web sites. In most cases you can order online or at the least send for a catalog. Most of them are certified organic and strongly committed to the organic philosophy of gardening.

Seeds of Change offers certified organic seeds and foods as well as gardening tools, books and gifts.

The SproutPeople indicates that it offers the "Widest & Wildest Selection of Sprouts and Sprouting Seed on the Planet." They are a "Certified Organic Sprout Wonderland."

Sow Organic is certified organic and recognized by the states of Oregon and California. This year they're offering over 150 varieties of personally grown organic vegetable, herb and flower seeds.

Eden Organic Nursery Services, Inc. is a family owned and operated business offering rare and unusual seeds and safe organic products for home and garden pest control.

Walsenburg Seed Co. offers organic as well as traditional flower, vegetable and exotic seeds.

Brandywine Farms specializes in locating and preserving heirlooms seeds for sale to home gardeners around the world.

Bethlehem Seed Company, out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has a great slogan which I love: "Edible Landscaping-A Feast For Your Eyes And Your Table." They specialize in flower and vegetable seeds at low prices for the home gardener with an emphasis on colorful varieties that can be incorporated into an edible landscaping design.

One reason people are being drawn to organic food is the food scares that are not as few and far between as they used to be. Mad cow disease, salmonella in chickens, pesticide residues in carrots and strawberries-you never know what's safe to eat. Many people feel that when you buy organic food you're buying a food that's safer to eat because it's grown without using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and organic meat comes from livestock that are free range, fed mainly on organic food, with no routine treatment with antibiotics and other drugs. In addition to being good for you and the environment, organic food also tastes better. The above list should provide you with the comprehensive tools you need to get started maintaining your own organic garden. Happy digging!

Christine Stoner is a freelance writer based in Elverson, PA.