Those familiar with the principles of organic gardening are often concerned that applying these principles will require more time and effort in the garden and will not result in the same kind of outcome generated by the non-organic alternatives. While this is a fairly common belief, it is wholly inaccurate and ignores the many strategies available to increase efficiency within an organic garden. According to Dr. Sid Solomon, the level of effort put into an organic garden rarely exceeds the effort required of a non-organic garden, and even if it did, it would still be worthwhile to go through the extra effort.
The Los Angeles-area dentist went on to note that organic gardening strategies make it entirely possible to avoid tasks associated with frequent weeding, watering and fertilizing, not to mention the frustrating and seemingly endless tasks associated with pest problems. This is because an organic garden’s soil — assuming the gardener uses a soaker hose or drip-irrigation system — retains moisture far better due to the presence of organic material and requires far less frequent fertilization than non-organic soil since the necessary nutrients are already present and adequately balanced for ideal growth.
Since organic plants tend to be much healthier than non-organic plants relying on chemical fertilizers, pests are less likely to take over an entire crop in short order. If pests do become present, using an organic spray is every bit as effective as a chemical spray and does not have the same negative effect on the beneficial insects that help protect plants from pests in the first place. When done properly, it should be plainly evident that organic gardening can actually be accomplished in a far more efficient fashion than non-organic gardening.