For the purpose of this website, organic gardening means you don’t any artificial agricultural chemicals, including pesticides, to control insects, diseases, and weeds. This is important for many reasons, including:
- Growing healthier food free of synthetic chemicals
- Supporting pollinators by providing safe sources of food and shelter
- Reducing pollution by eliminating pesticide transfer off your property
- Supporting healthy soil biodiversity instead of contaminating soil with chemicals
Organic Gardening vs. Conventional Gardening
Organic gardening:
- uses plants and seeds grown following organic methods
- incorporates natural processes and pathways to manage pests
- uses organic fertilizers so runoff will not pollute waterways
- grows produce without synthetic chemicals
- vegetables may be smaller
- may seem more expensive though you will save you money by not purchasing pesticides and fertilizers
- requires more time
Conventional gardening:
- uses seeds and plants that are not organically grown
- relies on synthetic chemicals to deal with pests
- depends on synthetic fertilizers that can decrease water quality
- vegetables will contain chemicals
- may produce larger, more numerous produce
Read more about organic gardening from the Tennessee Environmental Council, which provided the above information. For more information about the founder of Tennessee Dirt, visit the about page.