Stock the Pantry

[e Craig]

While browsing these forums, I note many people who are trying to simply feed plants or kill pests with a less harmful method or substance. We need to think differently.

One of the tenets of organic gardening/farming is to build a healthy soil society. A healthy soil society will support healthy organisms, whether they are micro-organisms or the plants that we see and desire.

Most of us have decided that using poisons to promote life is a strange oxymoron. As we switch from chemical training to organics we tend to continue thinking as we were previously trained. We may only seek to feed the plant or kill the pest with a less harmful method or substance. We need to step back and take another look.

If you are buying into the idea that the healthy soil will allow/help the plant to be healthy, then you will soon note that the poor health of your plant is the result of an imbalance in the soil. Indeed, even insects will target the unhealthy plant and not nearby healthy ones. So, if we target the pest disease or insect, we will be attacking the symptom, not the cause.

WE SHOULD NOT BE trying to figure out how to schedule the delivery of specificaly what the plant needs. Instead,we should be, in moderation, adding a wide variety of natural materials that will help build the healthy, balanced, soil . The plant can then pick and choose what it needs, when it needs it. This could be called "stocking the pantry, not setting the table".

Now then, we will use the symtoms to decide what else is needed to bring the soil into a better balance. Thinking in this wholistic manner is far less stressful. Enjoy!

Take care.
Craig

[Tony M]

e Craig-
Welcome to the forum.
I'm not sure who you are addressing. This is an organic forum and the majority of the subscribers are using organic methods and practices.
Your thoughts fit right in with ours but we do encourage non-organic folks to jump in, and then try to convert them.
I'm glad we don't have to convince you.
Tony M

[Health Helper]

Craig,

I try to think as you described in my organic practices but it is sometimes hard in our quick fix society. I try to use a garden theory of 'wait and see' and 'let the strongest survive'. I try to build a healthy soil and environment for the plants, and learn about the overall health of my garden soil from unhealthy plants rather than try to quick fix individual problems. This is what I think you are saying, just because one uses an organic approach does not necessarily mean it is a holistic approach.

I think the same applies to our diet, we need to eat a variety of real, natural, organic foods for optimum health rather than looking for the magic supplement or latest quick fix diet.

Organic gardening and lifestyle should be about finding a balance rather than a new magic bullet (replacing one chemical poison with a natural one or replacing one manmade drug with a natural one). We are a quick fix society and I think this promotes the mindset. I agree with your holistic approach.

Thanks for sharing your views.

[e Craig]

Thanks for the welcomes, y'all.

I was not addressing anyone in particular. Just trying to express a philosophy. I had posted replies to a couple topics in Trees and Pests and Diseases. Then, because I had seen many out of date topics that seemed to be left hanging, decided to try expanding the same messages here in the Gardener's Exchange. Perhaps to get the ideas in circulation ahead of the curve.

We are all coming from somewhere. In my travels, have found many who had changed their gardening and later decided to change their diets. Others who changed their diets, then found that they needed to change their diets.

Take care.
Craig
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"Moderation in all things, including moderation."