Organic herbs

Hi,
I am in the process of investing in a polytunnel (went to see one today that I will most likely buy). I'am planning to grow a good selection of organic herbs and lettuce in raised beds.
Growing up I did learn alot from my mums greenhouse, but this is my first real gardening venture and will be investing about 2000 pounds as i'am going to be getting a 16metre x 5 tunnel. I just wondered if you more experienced gardeners might have any advise for me concerning growing organic?? I guess now that I am past the planning stage, and just about to spend, i'am getting a little bit nervous

 

I'm no expert but like you I am in the early stages of organic growing. I recently submitted an assignment for a course, and one of the essays was about organic gardening. I have pasted below a few excerpts from what I wrote in the essay, and I hope they are of use to you:

Organic Gardening is the term used to describe gardening practises which are as natural, environmentally friendly, and non-polluting as possible, with an emphasis on "working with" nature rather than against it, and represents an attempt to reproduce the so-called "dynamic equilibrium", in which animals and plants co-exist and make use of resources in accordance with their needs, with no single species taking more than its share . Unlike intensive crop production, or many aspects of domestic gardening, organic gardener places the gardener, and the garden, as part of, rather than separate to, the whole ecosystem.

The organic gardener generally rules out the use of chemical pesticides, and minimises electrical and mechanical, labour-intensive equipment. Artificial applications are also kept to a minimum, with additions such as wood ash and rock dust used only as far as needed to bring soils to productive levels. Encouraging micro-organisms to add nutrients to soil by composting of manures and other organic materials which would otherwise be wasted is, of course, highly promoted, as is the use of natural mulches such as leaf-mould or fleece, while natural predators of garden pests, in preference to pellets or poisons, are encouraged. An organic garden will therefore be attractive to different species of birds, for instance, by means or growing plants chosen to attract particular species (such as berry producing shrubs and fruit trees), and water features such as ponds are created to attract amphibious predators which help manage slugs, snails and other creatures. In organic gardening, the soil is seen as if it were a living organism, with every effort being made to naturally fertilise it and support its good health with beneficial nutrients. Crops are rotated and weeds removed by hand (some organic gardeners regard the hand as a tool in its self) so as to minimize disruption; worms and other creatures are encouraged, to create a naturally balanced ecosystem.

 

I mostly grow organic, but only because I find it a tedious chore to mix chemical solutions. Its easier to chuck a handful of chicken poo pellets down than to measure just the right amount of blue crystals with just the right amount of water etc.

 

[I mostly grow organic, but only because I find it a tedious chore to mix chemical solutions. [/quote]

Is that really the only reason?

 

For me, largely yes. I don't like you to pesticides on principle (that they are toxic to everything), but I have no issues at all with chemical fertilisers and I wont hesitate to use RoundUp if I see my arch nemesis, Bindweed.

The rules are simple for me. If it will harm things that I would rather didn't get harmed, then I wont use it. I don't see that chemical fertilisers fall into that category. They are made of the same salts that plants will extract from organic feeds.