blame Ron

[James27576]

Ron asked for the next question, so this is all his fault

I have heard varied opinions on organic vs. non-organic (is there something else you call it?) gardening? Is there a major difference in taste, chemical composition, etc of the veggies?

what is the difference in between method? Which do you prefer?

 

[RonsGarden]

Good question James!

Randy should have a good answer for you!
Here's a few ideas to get you going:
I prefer organic, since you will need to keep adding more organic matter on a yearly basis (you can never have too much organic matter)!
It also involves crop rotation, and the use of green crops which are dug under as green manure (clover, barley and rye are a good examples)!

 

[Randy]

Okay, Ron, it's all your fault. LOL I am not a true organic gardener although I don't use pesticides on any of my vegetables. As for an honest answer though, James, there are some die-hard organic gardeners on the forum and you will get to know them. I still use a few chemical fertilizers on a small scale in addition to the organic matter that our animals provide. We only have one horse now, so I don't have to look for other gardeners to help use up all that is provided. Composting is one of the ways to get good organic material into your soil and some of the people on here actually scour neighborhoods to get grass clippings to add to their compost piles. Composting is a science in itself, but it isn't that complicated. I have some photos I took recently at the local high school. I know one of the science teachers there and he is in charge of their greenhouse operation. I'll have to knock the file size down on the photos I want to show though. CUL (see you later)

 

[Randy]

Okay, let's see how these turn out. These are large signs that are on the side of one of the high school's garden buildings. There were also some examples of different composting methods. They can be as simple or complicated as you make them. Space may determine what you would like to do, if anything. The first sign says "Earth Machine Composter" at the top. The second one says "Tumbler". The third one says "Vermiculture" which is a technical word for worms. The fourth one says "Block Bin" and deals with a composting arrangement using cement blocks. The last one says "Helpful Tips". The signs were actually quite large and I think you can read all the lettering by zooming in on it.

 

[Scarez]

Hi James, nice to meet you.
I refer to it as Chemical vs Organic gardening. I've never noticed a difference in taste. I presume there is a huge difference in the chemical composition of the fully grown plant (certainly seems like a no-brainer to this old blond!) because if you add a chemical to the soil, wouldn't the plant root suck it up? I could be wrong, hey.

My garden has been organic for many years. I decided my food from the grocer had more than enough chemicals in it, so if I could control my own veggies, all the better. Besides, the more I learned about things like Red dye #4 and other such additives, the more medical issues I learned were related to such things.

I also have a compost pile and worms are my friends
especially in relation to making my garden soil better

Now I can attest to the flavor difference of home grown fruits and veggies verses store bought! That difference is huge and SO much better!

It's all just a matter of learning a new way of doing something (should you decide to go organic in your garden and/or in grocery shopping), and THIS is certainly a great plethora for answers!!

That's it for my typing ability for tonight. Take care

 

[James27576]

Hi James, nice to meet you.


Now I can attest to the flavor difference of home grown fruits and veggies verses store bought! That difference is huge and SO much better!

Nice to meet you as well *extends hand*


I definitely agree with the taste difference between home grown and store bought. there is also a difference between where you buy them. Farmers market vs Wally World vs an IGA.

The times I have tried organic it was store bought organic vs store bought "chemical" and I could tell no difference in taste.

BTW: I was going to ask this anyway, but with my cracked sense of humor I could not resist "blaming Ron"

 

[RonsGarden]

I can add that to my credit! Thank you James!
I don't get blamed for much these days especially when it comes to gardening!
I'm not completely chemical free yet since I'm now gardening a half acre on the shores of Lake Erie, rather then in the city on a small lot!
I still use chemical fertilizers!
I wont use pesticides, or herbicides anywhere on the property!
My veggie garden is only 20' x 6' and I still have a tarp covering it to kill off the grass, weeds and weed seeds! <--(This method is call solarizing)! I placed the tarp late last August and it's still there! I'm waiting for warmer temps to go out and remove the tarp and turn over the soil! I'll dump the contents of my composer over the area, turn it over and then cover the area again with the tarp to help heat the soil and encourage bacterial action!
It has been a good 15 years since I had a veggie garden in this area so it will be interesting to see how my crops turn out!

 

[lynpenny]

James I am not planting vegetables this summer since I will be busy. I am maintaining my flowers.
I compost leaves with my kitchen scrapes. I got a bunch of compost when we decided to redo the compost method. I built new bin last fall. I put all the easy to compost matter in there. I do not put the plants that are too stocky when I clean out the garden in the winter. I don't follow any rules on my compost. I compost my leaves and get leaves from some of the neighbors.

I do use Crabbers hot pepper spray when the bugs get to eating to much but I try not to use any bad chemicals near my garden.

Good luck and it takes a while to quit buying the chemicals.

 

[Randy]

These are some more pictures I took over at the high school. The first one is a way of making composting bins using concrete blocks. Were I to use this concept, I would leave some spacing between the blocks though to allow a little better exposre to air on the backside. The next item is a tumbler type composter that rotates on a horizontal axis. I'm not a lover of plastic though as it will usually deteriorate in just a few years. There is also a bin made from wood that has an excellent aeration capability built into it with those boards staggered from inside to outside. This one, like the concrete block one requires manual turning over with a pitchfork or shovel. Notice the latch on the front though that allows access without having to go over the top. There is another style of plastic composter behind the tumbler. It is stationery and I couldn't tell if there was an easy way to aerate the composting products inside. In fact, I didn't even notice the composter until I studied the photos later.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Well I personally am organic. It is proven that there are some subtle taste changes with organic such as more flavor or stronger flavors. Mainly it is the heath benefits of non carcinogenic effects of chemicals. Not to mention the effects on the environment and beneficial insects. Think of it this way. The earth has a perfect bablance, when the balance is disrupted the solution is not to pour poison on it but to restore the balance by natural methods = add beneficials , if they are insects or natural occuring compounds.
Composting is a habit and is so easy. It requires a little space and time but is far cheaper and easier than going to the store, buying chemicals, lugging them around, ingesting them and harming the environment.
With the very wide range or organic supplments now available, I often wonder why anyone would continue onthe path of distruction with chemicals.

 

[Randy]

Can't say it much better than that.