Organic gardening is a completely new farming technique to learn. It’s full of novel methods and terminologies which may not be well-known to the everyday gardener. The question is – will it be worthwhile to actually gain knowledge of these new techniques? For sure! You see – no matter where you are, people talk about organic foods now and again. From the daily newspaper to the local marketplace, organic is undeniably in. Gone are the days that these special produce are only associated with the old hippies or the tree-huggers; organic has eventually come into the mainstream diet plan with an earsplitting bang!
You must wonder what exactly the major benefits are from organic gardening.
To learn more about the two main benefits of growing an organic garden, check the list below:
Provides increased nutrients – Did you know that fertilizers, herbicides, and other chemical pesticides have been linked to birth defects, miscarriages, infertility, damaged brain function, childhood leukemia, autism, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Parkinson’s, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, depression, and many other health issues? Perhaps, one of the biggest health benefits of organic gardening is being able to skip all of these risks. Big thanks to the chemical-free and well-nurtured soil because the vitamin and mineral content in organic produce are significantly higher than those traditionally produced fruits and vegetables. In fact, a review conducted by The Soil Association revealed that on average, organic crops have higher levels of all 21 nutrients specifically the following vitamins and essential minerals below:
- Magnesium (29% more)
- Vitamin C (27% more)
- Iron (21% more)
- Phosphorus (14% more)
Reduces chemical runoff and wastes – There are a couple of tools in the arsenal of the conventional gardener –fertilizers and pesticides. There’s a bug, you spray it, and then it dies. Sadly, the moment you spray that creepy-crawly, the plant gets a load of harmful chemicals on it which can be ingested later on. While these chemical substances may appear not as toxic, they are in reality equally challenging for our ecosystem as it can also go into the soil killing its microbes which outline the foundation of your garden’s bionetwork. Aside from that, these chemicals eventually make their way into the drains, and then the creeks or rivers and aquifers; thus, contaminating it because of the toxic algae which have slowly thrived in it. Apparently, countless research studies have already been conducted about the use of pesticides/herbicides and fertilizers, and each report indicates severe immune, hormonal, as well as neurological impacts of the current toxicity levels of our groundwater.
Not only does organic farming offer health and environmental benefits, it also helps in promoting mental health. Those time spent in the garden working with plants and soil can be especially relaxing and meditative; so much so, that it managed to make its way into the industry of mental health in the form of Horticultural Therapy which basically refers to that process of making use of plants and other horticultural activities to improve not just one’s physical adjustment but also his or her social, educational, and psychological health.
