1: Sowing the Seeds of Organic Gardening in .NET framework

Drawer Denso QR Bar Code in .NET framework 1: Sowing the Seeds of Organic Gardening

Beneficial insects and spiders that prey on plant pests and pollinate flowers die, too And if pesticides drift on the wind or water away from their target, fish and birds may become poisoned, as well

Depleting soil fertility, damaging and polluting ecosystems, and consuming excess water threatens the future of earth s safe and abundant food supply The way that farmers and individual gardeners and homeowners choose to farm, garden, and maintain their landscapes makes a difference in whether our land can continue to house, feed, and clothe us Organic gardeners grow plants using sustainable methods According to Webster s dictionary, sustain means to keep in existence, to provide sustenance or nourishment Sustainable gardening practices, such as composting, conserving resources, and using nontoxic pest controls, ensure safe and plentiful food for future generations

Organic pesticides are derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources Synthetic chemical pesticides come from petroleum and other chemical sources, and that s the main difference between the two types Traditional farmers worldwide have used plant, animal, and mineral-based pesticides for centuries Indeed, home gardeners continue to use concoctions of garlic, hot peppers, onions, and other plants and substances to discourage pests Many people assume that organic means nontoxic, but that definition isn t really correct Some commonly accepted organic pesticides are just as toxic, if not more so, than some synthetic chemical pesticides Although organic pesticides generally have far fewer health side effects than synthetic pesticides, that s not always the case Nicotine, for example, although derived from a plant and used as an organic pesticide, is highly toxic to humans and many other species Pesticides pose another problem Some hang around in the environment long after their job is done Chemists measure this persistence of chemicals by their half-life, or number of days it takes for half of the original quantity to break down into its components Sunlight, water, soil microorganisms, and composition of the pesticide influence the half-life of these chemicals Organic pesticides, and some synthetic ones, have half-lives of only a few days Others, however, remain toxic in the environment for months, or even years, after the farmer or homeowner uses them

The earth s population continues to grow, but the amount of land available for growing food is rapidly disappearing Erosion, development, pollution, dwindling water supplies, and other human-induced and natural disruptions threaten safe food and water supplies Plant and animal species continue to disappear at alarming rates as humans damage and encroach upon their habitats Many gardeners work to improve this grim picture by making personal choices that, at the very least, do no harm to the environment The way you choose to grow flowers and food and maintain the landscape can actually improve the quality of the soil, air, water, and lives of the organisms that depend on it Organic gardening is based on the principle of working with nature instead of against it

It takes 500 years to produce one inch of natural topsoil, the rich matrix of humus, minerals, and microorganisms that plants depend on for growth Plants, in turn, hold the topsoil in place with their roots and shelter it with their leaves Soil without plants erodes easily washing away with runoff from rain and snow or blowing away in the wind When soil washes into streams, rivers, and lakes, it significantly disrupts those ecosystems and pollutes the water In fact, sediment accounts for nearly half of all lake pollution and 22 percent of river pollution, according a 1991 United States government report Erosion devastates farmland, playing a major role in the 2 million acres of arable land (land that s suitable for growing crops) that the United States loses each year The Iowa Department of Agriculture reported that half of that state s topsoil had eroded by the early 1980s Experts report that 30 percent of arable land was lost worldwide in the past 40 years of the 20th century due, in part, to erosion What happens in your own small garden plot may seem insignificant compared to these mind-numbing statistics, but how you garden does play a role in the bigger picture Gardeners can help reduce erosion by keeping plants growing on or covering the soil throughout the year, preserving and encouraging humus formation, and avoiding excessive tilling, disruption, or compacting of the soil