I do my best to be “sustainable” in my growing methods.
Now “sustainable” is a pretty vague term, it means different things to different people.
What I mean is this: I care about the long term soil health of my garden, because plants need living soils to grow best under even rough weather conditions. To care for the soil, I use compost, cover crops, mulch, and try not to stir them up too much with rototilling–all things that feed the soil organisms, keep them active, and therefore help my plants.
I care about the environmental impact of what I do in my garden. Garden pests are controlled preventatively whenever possible–understand the pest and you’re half way to controlling the problem. Using a spray is the last resort, and I choose one that has the least affect on animals and pollinators, but still works.
Am I organic?
No, I’m not. I work with many excellent organic farmers, and I respect the choices they have made. Many of their practices regarding rotations and taking care of the soil through cover crops are great, and have been proven to have a long term benefit to their farms. The basis of the organic philosophy is that “natural is better,” therefore only substances (fertilizers, pesticides) derived from nature may be used in organic farming. I just don’t think life is quite that black and white. “Natural” does not always equate to “environmentally friendly,” and there are more and more “soft” pest controls that don’t qualify as organic. So I prefer to choose pest controls based on the impact they have on the environment–on people, on beneficial insects, on soil life, and on other animals.
Alright, enough of this treatise. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have about how I grow the gardenshares.
Gardenshares 