Organic Problems...in the Garden

Back to organic problems…this time in the garden.

I would love to plant and harvest only heirloom varieties, no hybrids, using nothing but organic fertilizer and pest control methods. Again, reality has stepped in!

My garden base is sand. Pest populations are huge, varied, and hungry. Heirloom varieties that I have tried so far tend to waste away due to disease and who knows what else.

I still tend to shun traditional pesticides and fertilizers. I hand pick bugs, spray with a soapy mixture, leave the wasp nests as they enjoy hauling away caterpillars, and use diatomaceous earth. I set out decoy fruit…I will post more about that later. I use cottonseed meal as a fertilizer, in addition to compost and manure. Some feel that because cottonseed meal comes from such a gmo and overly-treated crop that its not exactly organic, but I believe it is still better than so much of what is commercially available for fertilizer. I have also learned the benefits of mulching my crops!

I will use some hybrid plants, at least for now. And this is why. Dead plants and scant crops don’t teach all that much, but can lead to frustration. Nematodes are very bad in my garden, and while I am working to decrease their population, I want to harvest things!

I am a homesteader work-in-progress. I am not where I was, nor am I where I will be next year. I can’t afford to buy all organic vegetables, nor can I successfully raise them at this time. At any rate, I believe that anything I harvest out of my own home garden is better than anything non-organic that I buy from a store…for health, nutrition, cost, and satisfaction!