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Organic Home Gardening: Home

Daucus carota ssp. sativus, Courtesy of Flickr CC/Steven Depolo
Daucus carota ssp. sativus, courtesy of Flickr cc/Steven Depolo

Home Gardening the Organic Way

Interest in organic gardening is growing due to an upsurge in awareness among growers, gardeners and consumers of practices that respect the environment. Although pesticides have led to increased food production, less disease and lower food costs due to reduced labor, over the long term their use has had detrimental environmental consequences. The persistence of pesticides in the food chain and adverse health effects on non-target species are serious concerns. The organic methods we use for healthy plants and good soils help to restore and maintain ecological balance.

If you integrate the following cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cyclical use of resources, you will become an organic gardener.

Cultural

  • Mulch to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and minimize leaf diseases.
  • Rotate plantings to reduce disease pathogens.
  • Use disease-resistant plant varieties.
  • Return organic matter to the soil to increase fertility and improve structure.

Biological

  • Release or simply encourage beneficial insects and mites.
  • Use native plants, as they have developed the inherent ability to resist insects and diseases and will help to promote ecological balance.
  • Include a wide variety of plantings and habitats to promote biodiversity.
Mulch to conserve moisture; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/rfduck
Mulch to conserve moisture; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/rfduck

Mechanical

  • Prune away leaves and branches that are dead, diseased or pest infested.
  • Remove weeds before they compete with desirable plantings, but keep a natural area to sustain wildlife.
  • Many pests can be trapped, hand-picked or hosed off.
  • Barrier methods such as diatomaceous earth and hardware cloth keep out slugs and small animals.

Organic Solutions to Managing Plant Health

  • Insects and mites: sulfur, soaps, oils, sticky traps, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
  • Disease: copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride, copper sulfate, hydrogen peroxide, lime sulfur, oils, potassium bicarbonate, sulfur
  • Herbicide: soap-based, corn gluten meal
  • Fertilizer: aquatic plant extracts, sulfur, humic acids, magnesium sulfate, micronutrients, boron, liquid fish, bone meal, well-rotted manure, wood ashes, compost tea

Ask a Plant Expert

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plantinfo@nybg.org

Find a Plant at NYBG

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Map of NYBG

  • NYBG PlantTracker
    Use this resource to explore the NYBG grounds, including information about specific plants, bloom times, and garden features.
  • NYBG Garden Guides
    Guides from the Plant Information Office related to specific NYBG gardens, including their history, design, and current plantings.

Related Guides

  • Companion Planting for Roses
  • Compost Days
  • Conservation Resources in the New York Metropolitan Area
  • Gardening in a Changing Climate
  • Natural Habitats: Gardening with Native Plants
  • Organic Perennial Gardening and Pest Control
  • Pondering Fungal Disease: Powdery Mildew and Late Blight
  • Sustainable Gardening
  • Using Mulch
  • Weedy and Wild: Weeds in the Garden
  • Working with Nature to Deter Pests

Noteworthy Books on Organic Gardening

  • Book CoverEdible Gardens by Elizabeth Tehle Peters (Editor); Elizabeth Ennis (Illustrator)
    Call Number: SB475.9.E35 E36 2011
    ISBN: 9781889538754
    Publication Date: 2011-09-06
  • Book CoverThe Truth about Organic Gardening by Jeff Gillman
    Call Number: SB453.5 .G54 2008
    ISBN: 9780881928624
    Publication Date: 2008-02-01
  • Book CoverTeaming with Microbes by Wayne Lewis; Jeff Lowenfels
    Call Number: S591 .L59 2010
    ISBN: 9781604691139
    Publication Date: 2010-02-24
  • Book CoverThe New American Landscape by Thomas Christopher (Editor); Sustainable Sites Initiative Staff (Contribution by); Neil Diboll (Contribution by); Douglas W. Tallamy; Toby Hemenway (Contribution by); Rick Darke (Contribution by); Kathryn Wadsworth (Contribution by); David Wolfenson (Con
    Call Number: SB319.95 .N49 2011
    ISBN: 9781604691863
    Publication Date: 2011-04-20
  • Last Updated: Mar 9, 2022 9:04 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.nybg.org/organichomegardening
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Subjects: Organic Gardening