Principles and Systems of Organic Horticulture

Core Principles

Organic horticulture applies organic agriculture principles to herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamentals: pest management, soil health, conservation. Soil amendments include mulches, compost, vermicompost, cover crops, mineral supplements, manures. High soil quality minimizes pests/diseases; organic-approved controls (soaps, traps) used as needed.

Five Fields of Horticulture

1. Olericulture — vegetables
2. Pomology — fruits
3. Floriculture — floral crops
4. Landscape horticulture — landscape plants
5. Post-harvest physiology — crop quality preservation

All benefit from organic methods.

Philosophy: Long-Term, Holistic

Based on millennia of observation — natural processes, ecosystem approaches. Contrasts with chemical horticulture's reductionist, speed-focused strategies.

Formal Organic Systems

• Biodynamic farming (Rudolf Steiner)
• Natural Farming / no-till (Masanobu Fukuoka)
• Biointensive, SPIN Farming (small-scale, France)

Small-Scale Success

Container/raised beds (32 sq ft) can feed a family with less water/nutrients via biointensive/square-foot methods. Composting/vermicomposting recycles waste into premium fertilizer, boosting any garden.