WORKING ORGANICALLY

Photo:Organically grown ornamental onion seed head.

Ian
I get a bit confused when you talk about working organically in the garden. Could you make my life a bit easier by compiling a list that I can work to as a rough guide please. Thank you.
Sam, Carndonagh.


10 STEPS TO WORKING ORGANICALLY

Here is a Top Ten list to be going on with.


Manage the whole garden organically - not just the fruit and vegetables


Make the garden 'wildlife friendly', encouraging natural creatures to control pests.


Learn to distinguish pests from predators


Play to your garden's strengths, capitalising on its particular characteristics


Make soil care a priority


Make compost and leaf mould to feed the soil


Reuse and recycle, to cut down the use of finite resources and reduce disposal problems


Use organically grown seeds as far as possible


Consider the environmental implications when choosing materials for hard landscaping, fencing, soil improvement and so forth


Collect rain water, and reduce the need for watering by improving the soil and growing appropriate plants


Make local sources your first choice


Stop using slug pellets!


Control weeds without herbicides


Avoid the use of preservative treated wood ·



Say 'NO' to genetically modified varieties





Horticultural.