Organic Gardening Leads to Better Health

Organic gardening -- the use of biological methods of fertilization and pest control as substitutes for chemical fertilizers and pesticides -- is becoming a hot topic in Long Island households. Unproductive soils, as well as the fear of contracting breast cancer and other debilitating illnesses, have prompted more and more environmental organizations and activist groups to promote the use of all-natural gardening products as replacements for poisonous chemicals that pose a risk to the environment as well as to society.

Toxins Damage Soil and Plants
Although chemical fertilizers serve as "plant boosters" to spur growth, they are considered "quick fixes" that don't provide long-lasting effects, according to Agri-Balance Organic Consultants, a horticultural organization in Sag Harbor, N.Y. In fact, says the horticulture organization, the only long-lasting effects chemicals produce are harmful -- such as the destruction of beneficial microorganisms that nourish the soil and protect plants from diseases.

The soil must be regarded as a living organism, and when organisms that live in the soil die, the soil becomes malnourished and infertile, says Organic Plant Care, a plant care and design company in East Swanzey, N.H. When chemicals are applied year after year, acids build up and dissolve the soil's rich humus material, made from the dead bodies of soil organisms. These dead organisms are essential, because they hold the rock particles together to form fertile soil.

What's worse is that on the surface of the chemically fertilized soil, the humus-free particles settle to form a hard, water-repellant layer, according to Organic Plant Care. Thus, this layer of rock particles prevents rainwater from entering the soil.

In turn, water from the water table below the soil surface cannot rise to the top for evaporation. Thus, the soil below the sealed top layer becomes anaerobic and acidic, and the organism population eventually dies.

Roots Lack Essential Minerals
In addition to destroying soil organisms, chemicals prevent plant roots from absorbing minerals. On the root hairs of plants, humus particles transfer most of the minerals from the soil to the root hairs and into the plant. Each humus particle attracts essential elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. As chemical fertilizers and pesticides build up over time, they form a coating that gluts, or clogs, the root hairs. Thus, the plant is unable to pick up the minerals it needs.

Microorganisms also keep plant diseases under control, says Organic Plant Care, because some are antibiotic-producing bacteria or fungi that thrive around plant roots. It's a no-win situation when toxins destroy these beneficial microorganisms, because once they die, the plant becomes susceptible to all kinds of diseases. This is when the use of chemicals increases -- when people see the need for a quick, easy way to revive their dying plants and grasses. Then the root systems become clogged with too much of one element (the toxins) and cannot absorb any other, thereby stressing the plant and making it more prone to diseases, according to the organic plant Web site.

Toxins Pose a Risk to Human Health
In addition to plant diseases, chemicals have been linked to childhood leukemia and to other forms of cancer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Indeed, all pesticides are poisonous, says the governmental agency, and may cause adverse health effects.

To rectify weed and pest problems, as well as to cultivate soil, the EPA as well as organic activists suggest non-chemical methods. Organic fertilizers and pesticides decrease the risk of damaging beneficial organisms and plant roots because they actually replenish the soil with all-natural nutrients and organisms that are essential to plant growth.

The Long Island Neighborhood Network, an environmental watchdog organization, recommends organic compost and fertilizer to enhance the soil, which, in turn, produce healthy, robust plants. All-natural compost adds nutrient-rich matter and beneficial microorganisms to the soil that feed plants and restore a healthy soil environment, the organization says. All-natural fertilizer feeds lawns slowly and enriches the soil, adds the group, while on the other hand, synthetic fertilizers decrease biological activity in the soil.

Long Island Compost soil products provide these all-natural elements to produce 100 percent chemical-free lawns and gardens. Long Island's largest privately owned organic soil products manufacturer turns grass clippings, leaves, manure, and other organic matter into nutrient-rich compost, mulch, topsoil, and other soil enhancements. Treat your lawn and garden with a little TLC -- indulge them with some "gourmet food for your garden"!

In a Newsday article about the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, Karen Joy Miller, founder and president of the organization, says though no studies have identified specific pesticide products as causes of breast cancer, some ingredients are regarded as possibly carcinogenic. To Miller, that's enough of a reason for people to be encouraged not to use toxins on their gardens