The Philippine Online Chronicles

Organic gardening or farming has become more popular over the last several years. Many people are embracing a greener and healthier way of life.

What exactly is organic gardening? Unlike in conventional ways of farming, organic gardening does not make use of synthetic products such as pesticides and fertilizers. These chemicals and other non-natural products used for fertilizing, plant disease control, weed and pest control can cause potential long-term harm to the environment. Many gardeners are ditching chemicals that pollute our environment and harm the body.

Organic gardening is harnessing the natural health of the soil, choosing the appropriate plants that are suitable for growing in a particular area and working with nature to come up with a healthy and productive garden. It involves teaming up with nature itself.

How to start an organic garden

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According to the video by Howdini.com, it is easy to start your own garden. It is recommended to start small and work with a space that is around 4” x 8” or 4” x 10”. There are a lot of new gardeners who make the mistake of starting with a huge space which they later on find difficult to maintain. A manageable space makes it easy to pull out weeds without having to step on the soil segregated for planting.

The following are the basic materials needed to prepare the site for the organic garden:

• 4 wooden stakes

• hammer

• rope

• large sized spade - different from a shovel because it is square at the bottom and has foot spots that allow the gardener to push the spade to the soil

• garden fork - preferably one that has a wide spacing

Steps to follow to start your organic garden:

1. Choose a site for the organic garden. For an herb or vegetable garden, choose a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight each day. The site must also drain easily and not subject to water accumulation.

2. Secure the wooden stakes using a hammer at the four corners of the chosen site.

3. Tie a rope around the area to mark the spot.

4. Use a large spade to dig into the soil.

5. Use a garden fork to work the soil.

6. Amend the soil by adding plenty of compost which you either buy or make on your own.

7. Select the type of plants you want to grow in your garden. Be careful when buying conventionally grown plants from nurseries because of possible use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. There’s a better chance of finding organically-grown plants in home and garden centers.

8. Inspect the plant closely before planting. Look for signs of insect or disease problem.

9. Dig a hole with just the right depth. Make sure the hole is least twice as wide as the root ball of your plant. Put the plant in the hole and fill it back with soil then water it thoroughly. Surround the plant with mulch to discourage weed growth and help maintain the moisture of the soil.

10. Label what you planted by putting plant labels near each plant or making a map of the garden area.

    
    

Advantages of organic gardening

• Organically grown plants reduce your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides and fertilizers that can cause a number of health problems.

• Organically grown food is healthier and safer because of the absence of chemical and synthetic substances.

• Original nutritional content of food is preserved because of absence of chemical and synthetic substances.

• Organically grown products are tastier compared to traditionally grown products.

• Organic gardening allows the soil to be used longer because soil fertility is maintained for a long time.

• Organic gardening is less expensive compared to traditional methods because it utilizes all-natural components to help the plants to grow.

• Organic gardeners get good exercise because they tend to use their own physical strength than rely on machines for gardening tasks.

Father of Philippine Organic Farming

Gil Carandang is known to colleagues and the agricultural community as the “Father of Philippine Natural and Organic Farming”. Carandang studied farming under renowned scholars from different countries including John Jeavons of Ecology Action of Midpeninsula, Willits, California on Sustainable Biointensive Mini-Farming and Dr. Han Kyu Cho of the Korean Natural Farming Association on Natural Farming Systems for Crops and Livestocks.

He combined the knowledge he had amassed with practical experience by working together with natural farmers in Japan and attending workshops on Biodynamics preparations with the Biodynamics Association of Northern California and the Permaculture Design Course with the Center for Natural Design in Los Osos, California.

Carandang is currently a full-time farmer. He owns Herbana Farms in Calamba City, Laguna. As a farmer, he is a strong advocate of organic agriculture. His goal is to help farmers utilize the indigenous life of the soil on their very own farms. Carandang shares his knowledge and experience about beneficial indigenous microorganisms as another tool for sustainable farming by conducting extensive lectures and seminars both in the Philippines and the United States.

Carandang is highly sought as a lecturer on intensive and microbial organic farming technologies, organic farm designing, planning and farmscaping. He also happens to be the co-author of the Philippine National Standards for Organic Agriculture.

“There is a Chinese proverb that goes, ‘Add humility to intelligence, it becomes wisdom. Add passion or fire to wisdom, it becomes enlightenment,’” Carandang said. “In soil fertility, it’s the same basis, that’s my opinion. It’s the fire that makes the living soil, and the fire is the microorganisms,” he added.

All around the world, more and more people are realizing that health is synonymous to wealth. Organic gardening is a big step that will help you achieve a healthier perspective in life. You are after all a product of what you eat and absorb from the environment.

Photo: “167/365 Organic Garden 061609” by Veronica, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved; Screencap from PinoyOrganics, c/o Youtube.

Video: Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden by HowdiniGuru, c/o Youtube.

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Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University.  She took up several units of MBA at the same university.  Rachel is a full-time mom to a charming young boy and married to an entrepreneur with a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.