Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun, Tony Fawcett
Published January 29, 2006
FOR most vegie gardeners, harvest time is close to its peak with masses of healthy produce flooding into the kitchen. But how healthy is that produce?
Has it been grown organically? Is it pesticide free? While much has been said on the subject, the evidence now seems clear.
Organic is the only way to grow -- at least if you want the healthiest, most unpolluted crops.
Crops grown organically in healthy soils, rather than depleted soils to which masses of artificial fertilisers have been added, have far greater nutrient content.
In coming months, as you set about preparing beds for new crops, it is worth considering some of the evidence.
There is way too much to expound here, but typical is US nutrition specialist Virginia Worthington's study of published research that concluded organically grown crops have 27 per cent more vitamin C, 21 per cent more iron, 29 per cent more magnesium and 13.6 per cent more phosphorus than those grown with chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
And certainly growing your own, if you stick to a few basic organic rules, is healthier than taking the risk of buying produce you know little about.
While US figures might not correspond exactly to our own, it is interesting that a ''dirty dozen'' fruits and vegetables have been identified by environmental groups there as being more likely to carry higher levels of pesticide residue.
The US Department of Agriculture's lab testing points the finger at apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries as being more likely to be pesticide-polluted than others. Nectarines were singled out as having the highest percentage for pesticide residue, while peaches and red raspberries had the most pesticides (nine) on a single sample.
Celery and spinach were the vegetables that had the highest percentage of pesticide, while spinach had the highest number (10) on a single sample. For this reason, the Environmental Working Group, a Washington research and advocacy organisation, advised Americans to always opt for organic when buying these products.
So how do you grow organically without ruining your garden pleasure by becoming involved in expensive, complicated methods? Basically with commonsense -- possibly things you already do.
REALISE that organic crops might have a few more blemishes than others, but they will likely be far healthier.
RATHER than quick-kill chemicals, opt for low toxic pyrethrum sprays, white oil and DIY ideas such as sticky-traps and, for slugs and snails, beer traps (a little beer left in a buried container usually gets them).
START a compost heap and continually improve soil. Use decayed animal manures such as that from sheep, cows and horses. Add organic mulches such as pea straw that will return nutrients to the soil. Use companion plants (such as garlic to protect strawberries and wormwood to repel insects).
ROTATE crops annually.
GROW ''green manure'' crops that add organic matter to the soil (most nurseries can suggest what to grow).
BE wary about putting anything on your garden you do not understand.
