The Most Important Thing You Need to Succeed at Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is very popular right now. There are endless articles & books on it. As an agricultural scientist and gardener of several years, there are some principles of organic gardening I can share with you.

Be it on the field, in the pot or the garden, there are some rules of how nature works that are universally true. If you get behind these, you will be able to grow your plants without using any chemicals that hurt you and the planet. Your organic garden will bring you healthy food and the joy of seeing nature thrive. Ultimately, it will save you a lot of trouble, work and money, too!

How to succeed at organic gardening

But what’s the most important thing you need as an organic gardener? Is it some sort of special equipment? Or the thorough knowledge of gardening? Is it the right plants that will make you successful in organic gardening? Or the most suitable soil and climate? Or reading the right books about organic gardening?

I can assure you that it’s none of these (no, not even having my new book, which I’ll introduce you to later on!). Though it’s certainly important to have good equipment, plants, soil, weather conditions and knowledge, that’s not what makes you good at organic gardening.

Think about it: people have been gardening or farming sustainably for millennia without even knowing what photosynthesis is or what it is that makes plants grow in the first place. They have prospered in suitable or unsuitable conditions. People have even created extremely fertile soil without the slightest idea about the chemistry and biology of the soil.

The secret of organic gardening

The key to being a good gardener is to be a good observer. The best organic gardeners don’t have the most knowledge or experience. What makes them stand out is their ability to take in the principles and rhythms of nature and work in tune with them. This guarantees that everything they do in their garden will benefit not only us humans but also all the other creatures living with us.

That’s what it means to be an organic gardener: to work wisely and sustainably. We know that nature is not ours to control or dominate. Rather, we are here to steward and care for the land we own. In fact, we are part of nature!

Work with nature

I like to call this principle ‘working with nature, not against her’.

And it is the most important principle, as it can be applied to anything related to nature: work with her, not against her. Use her forces, don’t fight them.

The consequences of violating this law might not be visible immediately. But eventually, they will show. Whatever we do in nature – through farming, gardening… anything! – we must be careful not to disrupt its finely tuned balance.

A prominent example is that of invasive species. When people brought goats and blackberries to the Galapagos archipelago, they quickly dominated the native, endemic plants, since invasive species don’t have predators of their own. This caused severe damage to the natural ecosystem on the island.

If, on the other hand, we work in tune with nature, this will save us a lot of trouble, and will conserve our environment for future generations, as well.

So, the first step towards an organic garden is to observe nature and get to know her ways well.

Get to know your area, learn about biology, read gardening tips, but most importantly: get outside and learn from nature!

Nature gives freely and generously to those who want to work with her.

Know your garden

So, how does working with nature look like in your garden?

Above all, be an attentive observer!

Before you prepare your garden, it is important to know your local environment well. It will be the basis of choosing your plants, and really anything you do in the garden.

Ask yourself some questions:

How is the local climate? What are average temperatures & rainfalls? Where can you access water? What kind of soil do you have in your garden? Can it retain moisture well? What pH (=acidity) does it have? Take the time to get to know your garden. Ask your neighbours how they are doing with their garden. Draw on the wisdom of the elders and the locals. If you don’t know much about natural science or gardening in general, you might want to seek advice from a local gardening consultant (or try out my virtual 30 minutes garden consultation session!).

Whatever you decide to do, don’t rush in your preparations! It will save you a lot of trouble later on.

An extra tip for organic gardening

Often, we don’t have the necessary equipment to find out what kind of soil we have. I’ll tell you something: you don’t need any special measuring equipment for that!

You can simply take a closer look at the plants and weeds which naturally grow in your garden. They will tell you what kind of soil you have – whether it is moist or dry, rich or poor in nutrients, acid or basic… Each plant has specific requirements, and by the plants, you can know which conditions you have in your garden. Nettles & chickweed, for example, signalize abundance in nitrogen, whereas yarrow shows that the soil is rather dry and poor in nutrients.

Become a true organic gardener

In a way, being good at organic gardening is difficult and simple at the same time.

It’s difficult because nobody can teach you the skill of observing and learning from nature.

But then again, that’s what makes it so utterly simple. All you need are open eyes and ears! Even if you make mistakes along the way, you’ll be able to learn from them by observing what’s happening in your garden. And of course, you need that attitude of admiration and respect for nature.

I believe that this ability is very natural to us. In fact, children are usually the best observers. And they certainly have that sense of awe for the natural world!

So, let’s combine child-like eyes of wonder with our ability to work the land. I’m sure that abundant, healthy and sustainable harvests will follow in our thriving organic gardens…

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Photos from Unsplash.com (except for photo of apples by Naomi Bosch)