Organic Gardening in a Stressful Environment

Organic gardening practices are usually best, but what happens when the climate or other factors work against you in trying to use these practices in your own yard?

Traditionally, organic gardening works with the weather, soil, natural water and other factors to produce healthy, hearty plants.  This is often the best way to ensure your plants will thrive because you are not using artificial measures in your gardening methods.  By avoiding the application of chemical pesticides, for example, you avoid the problem of possibly killing off beneficial insect species that could help your plants and remove harmful pests.

However, there are times that traditional organic practices do not work because of unforeseen circumstances or those which are simply out of your control.  Here are a few examples of situations in which the gardener may not be able to employ the most common organic methods due to other factors:

• Changes in weather patterns.  With shifts in weather patterns that occur every few years, such as La Niña and El Niño, wind and rainfall levels can change somewhat dramatically.  For example, in San Diego, La Niña conditions often bring about cooler average temperatures and drier conditions.  These changes may make it difficult to rely on regular rainfall to water certain parts of a yard or garden.  On the other hand, the hotter and wetter seasons spawned by El Niño could result in an overwatered yard if the gardener has not prepared for it.
• Changes in invasive species.  Periodically, an invasive species of plant, animal or insect will be introduced into an area.  Invasive species are those for which there are currently no natural controls or deterrents.  These species often cause significant damage to plants because they are hard to control with natural means until nature restores the balance. 
• Diseases in the environment.  There are many diseases that can strike plants, and sometimes these diseases will break out in “pandemic” form.  After some time, the diseases usually die down or become endemic, but before they do, they can create big problems for the organic gardener.

So, what can you do if you are faced with irregular circumstances but still want to maintain a healthy yard with organic methods?  There are actually several steps you can take, including:

• Utilize slightly different methods.  Often, taking on invasive species means introducing new types of plants or insects to your yard.  Doing a bit of research and finding out what species will control the invader may help you keep your outdoor spaces organic while still fighting the pests.
• Look into organic options for watering and fertilizing.  Changing weather does not have to mean abandoning your plants to the mercy of the climate.  Instead, think about environmentally-friendly ways you can change your watering and fertilizing habits to benefit your plants, no matter what the weather.
• Change your outdoor space.  It may be that some plants simply do not thrive in your current conditions.  Perhaps they do not like your soil, or they are suffering in the weather in your area.  Instead of fighting the conditions, why not work with them?  Choosing slightly different plants could allow you to have a beautiful, vibrant yard without all the hard work of continually battling the elements.

If you want help in designing your yard to be weather- and pest-proof, Juniper Landscape Company is here to help!  Our designers can help you choose the right plants and additions to make your yard easy to maintain and keep it beautiful all year.  Give us a call today!