Practicing organic gardening and using organic products is a way to create a sustainable soil system that constantly provides nutrients for all living matter in that soil.
Organic growing is a planet-wide recycling system, where gardeners take deceased plant and animal parts (in the forms of compost, manure and fertilizer) and reuse them in the soil to provide nutrients to new plant generations. This system is vital for the growth of the plants but also to all the microorganisms, in the soil, that most of us never see or think of. Organic methods create fertile soil which, in turn, provides nutrients for the plants and food for the microbes. In a never-ending chain, this basic exchange is the foundation for sustaining life in the soil.
Microorganisms in the soil are the key to a successful plant growth and a sweeter harvest. A healthy microbial community is essential to plants because they make nutrients in the soil more available for plant roots to take up. They break the nutrients into smaller, more usable parts, which provide 100% nutrient availability to plants. This supports all of a plant’s biological processes and produces healthier plants and more fruit. This nutrient availability causes the plant’s vascular system to produce a higher sugar content, which is directly reflected in the flavor of the fruit.
Additionally, microbes will defend plant root systems from invading pathogens. A healthy microbial population will crowd the bad germs out! These beneficial bacteria, nematodes and fungi can also change the tilth of the soil by aiding in decomposition and providing aeration. This allows for better water penetration and oxygen exchange.
This method allows us to step away from using toxic chemicals that damage the soil and microbes to a point where the soil becomes lifeless and unsustainable. In gardening, the health of the soil is everything. By increasing soil fertility, through organic methods, gardeners can increase the amount of microorganisms in the soil and boost the health and fruit production of their plants.
