Why the Mittleider method is organic

There are several reasons the Mittleider Method of gardening is sometimes called “the best of organic”.
I. Rather than teaching the use of pesticides or herbicides, we use cultural practices to eliminate the need for them. For example:
1) We eliminate all weeds – from the beds, the aisles, and even the garden periphery.
2) We never water the aisles, but keep just the root zone of the plants moist.
3) We keep leaves off the ground, and prune plants to maintain good air circulation.
4) We grow healthy plants fast, so they have good resistance to bugs and disease.
5) We don’t use materials that could introduce bugs, weed seeds, or disease into the garden.
II. We never guess about the nutrition we give our plants.
1) Compost & manure often lack some of the essential nutrients plants need.
2) The gardener never knows what elements are missing from compost & manure.
3) We use a balanced mix of USDA-approved natural mineral nutrients.
4) We feed plants regularly – in small measured amounts – to match their needs.
III. We harvest our crops at peak maturity, and never leave old plants in the garden to attract bugs and disease.