1. Introduction to Organic | 10 mins

Can organic gardeners use an electric lawn-mower? Is shop-bought compost still considered 'organic'? How do I deal with pests more organically?

Whilst it's true that there are some clear dos and don'ts to follow when growing organically, the most effective way to become more organic is to consider your current methods, growing space and local environment, and identify ways that you can adopt more sustainable organic practices over time.   

By considering and reflecting on your current techniques according to its suitability for organic growing, you can move gradually towards more sustainable practices. 

Good Organic Practice
Although not the ‘gold standard’, this is still good practice and you are certainly working toward the principles and applying your techniques in an organic way. Good organic home growing practices are methods that follow the organic principles but may have some limitations e.g. require more effort or energy, are less efficient, or create some waste. These are still effective and beneficial, but not the absolute ideal of organic gardening practice.

Acceptable, for occasional use
Sometimes the organic ideal simply isn’t achievable. On these occasions, certain techniques are acceptable to use as a one-off or temporarily, particularly when concerning pest and disease management. Acceptable organic growing practices are methods that avoid the use of harmful chemicals and are permissible within organic principles but are less effective or sustainable than good or best organic methods. 

Not Acceptable in Organic Growing
These are methods which should be avoided. They can either be bad practice, or even worse, cause harm to the natural environment, for example using harmful chemicals or methods that will harm the long-term health of the ecosystem. The core organic principle is to feed the soil and work with nature, not against it. 

Where you see these symbols throughout this course we encourage you to reflect on your current gardening practices, and think of areas where you can move them along the best practice scale. 

We are all on a growing journey, learning as the seasons pass, and seeking to move towards being as organic and sustainable as possible. Having completed this first introductory section on 'The five organic principles', let's look at each principle a little more closely starting with 'Building and Maintaining Soil Health'.

Begin section 2: Build and Maintain Soil Health

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