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Organic or Not

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RSJK:
Hello all once again, Ihave just been looking how the other side is doing, (the bbc) shame on me, there was a question on there about getting rid of brambles on a newly taken over allotment, the advice from someone went like this  l do not use chemicals myself because l am organic......but in this case l think you will have to use them... which got me to thinking why do people sit on the fence, if you are organic you should stick to your beliefs and not say things like ..but in this case.What are your views on this.
                                     8)

aquilegia:
My garden is totally organic. I compost everything I can. Use natural fertilisers. Don't use any chemicals or peat. I try to recycle as much as possible, never throwing anything away if it can be reused somehow, and am an avid skip diver!

I'm not a fence sitter. I don't see the point in taking a stand, but only when it suits you. It's incredibly hypocritcal. If you have principals, stick to them, otherwise what's the point?

tim:
As you will have seen, Richard, there's been plenty under the Whitefly heading.

As an onlooker, I feel that there are several different stances.
1. Go for a chemical-free soil in the interests of structure.
2. Use no dangerous pesticides in the interests of health.
3. Both, if you want to declare yourself 'organic'.

As I've said before, I've banned all poisons - using predators, and/or 'organic' treatments, especially for brassica. I do use inorganics in gro-bags, because structure doesn't matter there, and I see no danger to health.

Someone said yesterday that their dad grew wonderful things without being organic. Of course he could - the more you spray the cleaner and more predictable the crop. Like lettuce - 13 times, isn't it? Once again, the s'markets are setting an unfortunate goal - the more perfect fruit & veg you eat for health, the more the danger. Wonder what the Observer Food magazine will have to say this w/e? = Tim

Ceri:
I do grow as Richard, Aquilegia and Tim, but I personally don't think I could call what I'm growing 'organic'.  

I think it is virtually impossible to be truly organic (if you accept the SA's standard as the definition of organic) in those terms - I don't have enough rain water stored (no shed to collect from) so use sometimes use tap water which is treated (and has flouride in my area).  My garden and lottie neighbours are not organic so there is potential wind transfer.  Peelings from fruit and veg that I buy that are not organic (I wish!) go on the heap.  For me, its about what is realistic for me in terms of 'best organic practices', not about fence sitting or being hypocritical.  

I also think that it is a big step for people who are changing over from using non-organic products to gardening organically so perhaps they are doing it in stages, and should be given positive feedback, not damned as hypocritical.  

Principles are dangerous things to quote in my (very humble) opinion.  On 'principle' I keep to the laws of the land - but have in fact gone a teeny bit over the 70m speed limit at least once in my lifetime.  Yes, that probably does make me a 'hypocrite', but I've yet to meet a single person who hasn't broken a single principle in their adult life!

aquilegia:

--- Quote ---I think it is virtually impossible to be truly organic... I don't have enough rain water stored
--- End quote ---

oops - well I'll admit it - I am a hypocrite then. My shed is too close to the fence to fit a gutter onto so I don't have a waterbutt. Slappedwrist for me.

And after much thought after my very dogmatic post earlier, I think it really does depend on why you are organic, as Tim says.

I'm organic because I think man has already poluted the planet too much, so in my own little way I'm bringing balance back to nature, or at least the little bit of it I own.

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