NM Organics

Gardening is a very adorable hobby among the people of all age groups. There are various benefits, such as that it keeps you working and at the same time helps in saving some cost. But with the increasing gardening practices, the synthetic materials that are usually used has weakened the quality of food that we eat. Side by side, it is also the cause of various health risks. As a substitute to this, a lot of people make use of organic gardening for a balanced growth.

Organic gardening is not a science fiction, though it requires some knowledge and determination. At first, you have to know the health benefits of this way of gardening. Did you know that by not using the synthetic compounds for the development of plants makes them healthier for consuming? When you buy vegetables in market, you cannot be sure whether they are grown organically or chemical compounds are employed to make them as big as they appear. Although the practices of injecting chemical compounds are restricted, there are still people who look only for a profitable business regardless of the risk. Being able to sell more means more profit and hence most of the sellers are likely to prefer quantity of the consumables over the quality.

How to start? Yes, there are initial costs required for the set up of a garden but once you have your organic garden fully established, you can use your own products for the family in order to ensure healthy food. Moreover, no more you need to spend on the food that you are already growing at the back of your house. When you have sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits for yourself, the rest you can sell to your neighbours or friends. If the quantity is extensive, then do not hesitate to supply your fresh and healthy products to the supermarket as well.

One of the keys of the success, whatever you actually do, is self satisfaction. It is something that is highly desired by everyone and it comes when everybody around you is happy. What could be more satisfying than eating food grown by your own as well as offering it to other people. Indeed, running an organic garden business and making your family members and other people around healthier is a great experience of self satisfaction.

Soil in the garden consists of three main layers. These are the surface layer, the layer of decomposition of organic matter and humus layer. Each has its role in the process of growth and maturation of plants and is therefore very important, if the soil structure allows it, the less you disturb the layers.
If the soil is poor in humus, compressed and difficult to process, it requires additional cultural practices that will contribute to improving the water-air system and improve soil fertility and structure.

Onions have been grown more than 5000 years. The Egyptians particularly appreciated the value of onion and paid the workers who built the pyramids with it, while some Pharaohs put onions in their tombs. The popularity of onion was held in the ancient civilizations, Greeks and Romans, especially as it was used by the poorer classes of people. In the Middle Ages it was indispensable vegetable in many European countries, and even it was served as a part of a healthy breakfast. Columbus extended onions to the west, but now  the largest breeders are China, India, United States, Russia and Spain.The Latin name for onion in translation means “one”, “unique”. One reason is that the onion has only one head, unlike its relative – garlic. Another reason is that the onion is composed of several concentrically arranged sheets that make up an onion. It is one of those vegetables that are used as spices (such as parsley, celery, leeks …) so it is sometimes difficult to determine the true boundary between the vegetables and spices. The types of onions  differ by color, size and taste. In spring and summer there are tall varieties, which have a sweet, medium or strong flavor. In the fall,  the harvested onions have bigger heads and dry shells. The name was given by its color – white, yellow and red (purple).

The development of organic farming is motivated by desire to stop the destruction of the planet caused by the existing form of production of food.  It is a great solution, but we often wonder what should be the original source of the vitality of the soil and whether it is available to us?

The answer is biodynamic agriculture, science of life forces, the basic principles of function in nature, and approach to agriculture which takes into account the knowledge which helps the balance of the Earth.
Therefore, we have to expand the perspective of observing the benefits that we get of the planet and  learn the language of  Nature, in order to stay healthy and in accordance with Biodynamic principles.

The primeval human need is to be in touch with nature. Thus, growing food has always been a part of everyday human activities. Residents of rural and suburban areas usually have a large garden where have the possibility to grow vegetables, fruits, flowers and ornamental plants. In urban areas, there are very few green areas, and additionally,  they are exposed to enormous pollution. How can we bring nature into our homes?  Those who have a little house and garden should place the plants into the protected area during winter. These rooms where plants will be during the winter have to be cold rooms, enclosed balconies, kitchens or greenhouses. The basic requirement for their cultivation is a sufficient quantity of light in selected areas. It is best to place the plant near a window. Light is very important and individual plant species require additional lighting during the winter. Make sure that the plants will be moved from the window if outside is frost or low temperatures.

Herbs, some vegetables and ornamental plants can be transferred from the garden and grown in pots and flower boxes. For growing

It is not easy to make decisions nowadays. Everywhere are various temptations, about our health, clothing, food, housing..  New waves, new schools, new discoveries. However, there is something that in not just a recent episode in the history of the mankind. Organic food , in fact , is not a new idea. All the food in the past were grown in the way that we, these days, call “organic” . And even now, the majority of the population buy in the supermarkets products that are raised for mas-consumption. Because it is simpler.. it is cheaper..  Almost!   I believe that the only problem is that people are not determined enough. And maybe not educated in that way. Fortunately, there ARE individuals who found lots of reasons ( or only one is enough) why to grow their own, organic food. We should learn form them and make right decisions. And start to produce food for ourselves and one day even more.

Organic gardening is not as complicated as many people think it is.

Although water is essential for each living being, at the same time it is the most common contaminant of land, the environment from which plants acquire dissolved nutrients. Soil pollution by harmful and hazardous substances through water may be from different sources: from mineralized ground water, from particles from the air passed into the soil by rain, through flood and water from rivers which are polluted … And there is also the process of  irrigation.
Organic production basically includes plant species that are used in human nutrition  in raw condition as well as  products that are preserved or processed. These plants produce a huge green mass with a very high percentage of water, with very well developed above-ground mass, and relatively poorly developed root system. For this reason, plants need high quantity of water. By entering large amounts of water, the intake of harmful and hazardous substances are also greater. In this way, harmful substances accumulate in the tissues of plants, which are used as food for humans and animals.

Risk of pollution
The quality of water has significant importance during irrigation in organic food production. However the quality of  water is often insufficient because there are  different sources of irrigation water: rivers, streams, natural or man-made reservoirs (lakes) and groundwater which is highly contaminated with waste water. In addition to the total quantity and content of certain types of salt, the water quality is affected by chemical substances that come from sewage and pesticides, and by the presence of certain microorganisms.

Many salts and elements  are useful for herbs, but to the certain concentration. They are harmful at higher concentrations and pose a risk, both for plants and for animals and humans. The most common elements present in water are calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, and from salts: bicarbonates, sulfates and chlorides. Other elements, like nitrates, carbonates and trace elements, in some cases can be found in water and affect water quality. Nitrates in water are required for plant nutrition, but they  are toxic to plants in high concentration. Moreover, they are potential groundwater contaminants.

The advantage of organically grown fruits and vegetables is the absence of the use of chemicals common in conventional agriculture, including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. These, in fact  harmful substances  are subsequently linked to many health disorders. To the question whether organic foods have a higher nutritional value than conventionally grown, the recent USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) study answered.  It is a little bit ironic that the following findings came from the USDA laboratory for genetic improvement of fruit and vegetables.

In this study,  the nutritional content in organically grown blueberries was compared with blueberries’s cultivated in the conventional way.  All the values refer to 100 grams of fresh blueberries.  The findings showed that organically grown blueberries contained 319.3 mg of total phenols (flavonoids), compared to 190.3 mg phenol of blueberries grown in the traditional manner, which was 68% higher content. Also, a total of 131.2 mg anthocyanins (important group of flavonoids) contained in organically grown fruit versus conventionally grown with 82.4 mg,  represented 59% higher percentage. The antioxidant capacity of blueberries grown organically was 46.14 mg versus 30.8 mg, which meant 50% higher antioxidant capacity of organically grown fruit. Flavonoids, which are considered potential carriers of positive effects on human health, ie, malvidin, delphinidin, myricetin and quercetin, were also present in higher percentage in organically grown fruit.

The conclusion that arises is that organically grown blueberries are superior in terms of nutritional value in comparison with the blueberries grown in the presence of conventional pesticides and herbicides. The study referred only to this type of fruit, but it is supposed that similar differences are present also in other cultures.

So if you want to grown your own organic  blueberries, here are some brief pieces of advice:
For growing blueberries it is necessary to secure land with acidic soil, with plenty of sun and moisture

Gardening the own vegetable garden can look like a vintage photo of our grandparents, but it should not be. It should be a part of our contemporary life-style because planting on our own garden have various benefits. To start with, it is a healthy and rewarding hobby for everyone. During the work in the garden, you get fresh air and the sunlight provides a good dose of vitamin D. Also it requires some physical efforts so it can be considered as an enjoyable way of exercising. Moreover, the feeling you get because you have to care for something and follow how it develops into beautiful flowers or tasty vegetables and fruits is unsurpassed.

Your children can also take part in gardening. In addition to usefulness of their contribution to the growth of plants, they can learn something. They can learn how to be responsible for some other living being and how their actions effect each plant. It is an interesting, easy and useful way to teach them these important life lessons.