Maintain a healthy growing area

Keeping your growing area in good health, rather than just pest and disease free, is at the heart of organic growing. Creating a diverse and vigorous growing system, good hygiene, and close observation all help prevent problems.

To achieve a healthy growing area, you should:

• Keep your soil in good condition.
• Source healthy plants which are well suited to where they will grow.
• Be observant – often problems arise from failing to spot the first signs of disease. Frequent and early intervention prevents problems from escalating.
• Practise good hygiene.

In this chapter of The Principles of Organic Gardening - Maintain a healthy growing area, we look at:

• Keeping plants and soil in good health
• Sourcing plants, seeds and bulbs
• Cleaning tools, greenhouses and polytunnels
• Healthy growth in pots and other containers

Download booklet 5