Bullshit is Better

Humans are so gullible--easy prey for marketers, as Edward Bernays (Freud's nephew and the Father of Propaganda) showed us starting in the early 1900's. Why? Often because we want to believe what the message promises so already are predisposed to acceptance; and the susceptibility is frequently amplified by laziness. As Aldo Leopold wrote in 1949, "The modern dogma is comfort [convenience] at any cost." The false hope of a magic concoction. Remember the fountain of youth?

Gardeners and so-called gardeners are susceptible. I dedicated 20 pages (Chapter 4) of my Rantings book to dealing with some of these myths. But people do not want to be told they are wrong, anymore than they want to be called names. This is as true at age six as it is at sixty-six. Unfortunately, due to a character flaw or possibly just because I have become intolerant of BS as I age, I find myself doing both. I am certain the manufactures of the products or methods do not appreciate my badmouthing, but I do not care. Understand they have one goal, to get you to give them your money, and they will do whatever it takes to accomplish this. Be openminded, but skeptical of the claims and hype.

One of the biggest myths in gardening is the presumption that synthetic fertilizer is necessary. Fact: I garden almost three acres and only use a few cups of the stuff every year. Why? I do not need to, neither do you. I use wise plant choice and compost instead. So does mother nature, and she is the ultimate gardener.

A little history lesson: After WWII the ammonium that factories produced was diverted from munitions to agricultural fertilizer. In fact there was no synthetic fertilizer available before Fritz Haber (the infamous Polish {but he so wanted to be German} Jew genius) discovered the process (nitrogen fixation) just before WWI (I elaborate in my book). My grandparents and their ancestors used manure. Yes, bullshit is better! The chemical companies wanted a market for the ammonium (more than just agriculture) and have subsequently brained us into thinking that we have to have synthetic fertilizer, while at the same time promoting agricultural practices that are not sustainable. Practices that require the application of their product, thus benefiting shareholders, but not the land. We over use it, like we did penicillin, and are paying the price. Miracle Gro, what an enticing name for a product you should never buy, and DO NOT need. Gimmicks, slick wording, overpopulation and greed. BEWARE