Smiley faces explained

We have given a 'rating' to every practice and product in the Garden Organic Guidelines.

In some cases the appropriate rating is clear, while in others the decision is not nearly as clear- cut, and we have had to make value judgments. Out in the real world, organic gardeners will also have to make their own judgements; is, for example, an imported product with an organic symbol more acceptable than a local product, not organically produced?

The issues that we have considered in making our decisions are listed below. Organic gardening doesn't stop at the garden gate. To create a sustainable future we must also look to the wider environment. Organic gardening methods can help us reduce the amount of �waste' we throw away, and cut energy use in production and transport of fertilisers and other gardening products. If we are to create a sustainable future it is important to think not only about a product's ingredients but also where it comes from, and how it is produced.

Taking all these issues into account, we have also aimed to ensure that the Garden Organic Guidelines describe a practical, manageable, system of gardening.


	Best organic practice - the first choice	Acceptable organic practice	Acceptable, but not for regular use
Organic credentials	Organically grown/ from recognised organic sources, preferably with a recognised organic symbol	From low input/ impact systems	From non organic sources, but within certain limits
Ecological impact in use	Enhancing/ harnessing natural processes	No particular environmental benefit	Possible negative impact
Toxicity	None	Low	May kill organisms other than those targeted
Sustainability	Sustainable	Sustainable	May not be sustainable in the longer term
Sources	Garden/ allotment	Local/ regional	National/ imported
Materials	Reused	Recycled waste product	New materials
Packaging	Loose / no packaging	Environmentally sound/ minimal packaging	Non recyclable packaging
Disposal	None required	Disposal causes little or no environmental hazard	Disposal may be hazardous to the environment

Never acceptable in an organic garden

This category mentions products and practices that might previously have been seen as acceptable, or are often mistakenly thought to be acceptable. It does not of course list everything that should never be used in organic growing.

Comment Script

Members' Comments

Smiley faces

Looks good to me.

Robert - 11/11/2008 - 22:35

Fab, can't wait to read on, it looks very sensible so far.

Sally Smith - 11/17/2008 - 18:28

Moving through the pages

It would be good if when you get to the end of reading the page there was an easy way to go onto the next page and read on, rather than having to go back to the main list.

katie Tippens - 11/24/2008 - 09:00

water

Thank you so much for an insight into the needs and uses of different waters. As a new gardener i now feel i have saved making many mistakes.
Thanks for the info

Fi x - 09/12/2009 - 21:24

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