Why don't you tell US what YOU think these terms mean?

Ok, well I thought organic meant that anything you used on your garden came from natural sources, whether animal or plant, but no man made chemicals. When a problem comes up, you try to get to the root of the problem and treat everything in as natural a way as possible. Holistic to me means that you take care of the whole system as naturally as possible, also without man made chemicals.

Organic is a substance from a plant or animal.

Holistic is considering a whole system. For this context, there is no restriction on methodology within the system, as the definition is without 'organic', 'man-made' etc, as man is part of the system.

Dan

Just musing: I don't think your friend can manage the garden organically and be holistic as well; unless the answer to the question: 'Can I consider myself to be holistic if I limit my options to those acceptable only to a strictly organic ideology', is YES. To answer YES, you have to really reach for the technicality: " Well, I CONSIDERED the other options", which is technically what is required to be called holistic, "but I rejected them based on my self-imposed limits". That (reaching for the technicality), would be much farther than I would be willing to go, just to appropriate a pretty adverb (holistically).

Al

Thank you Dan! That cleared it up for me. And thanks Al! I see what you are saying. Never would have thought of that myself. You've given me some food for thought. :)
thanks!
Holly

Two terms that kind of mean the same thing. To be an organic gardener is to be holistic. Organic gardeners are, hopefully, environmentalists as well as holistic.
There is a divergence between Organic and BioDynamic however.

I think your friend in this context is using the term holistic as in IPM. A logical, minimal-environmental-damage approach that incorporates organic principles but is definitely not limited to them. JMO. Perhaps you once used a milligram of miracle grow and got shunned from the organic bandwagon ;)

Organic and holistic are essentially the same in horticulture.

To obtain an organic certification requires validation of the whole system. It is not just the soil. The entire management plan is assessed. It encompasses seeds, amendments, tillage, diversity, harvest, handling and storage. Add in the infrastructure and machinery, particularly if you do any processing or value-adding.

Pest and disease management are guided by your certification standard. Only allowable treatments and actions are permitted. If your certification includes animals then you must adhere to prescribed treatments primarily based mainly on homeopathy.

The holistic approach is a stewardship concept in which natural systems are maintained or at least achieve a minimum balance.

Holistic is a much wider definition than organic. As is IPM. Holistic may or may not use organic principles (but should), but does not limit itself solely to organic.

They are not the same thing. They overlap.

Dan

Agreed - you can't adhere strictly to all organic principles and be holistic, but you can practice some organic principles and still lay claim to holism. It's difficult to credibly say you consider all options when a considerable fraction (of options) are eliminated by an exclusive ideology.

It would be like a specialist in acupuncture who treats ONLY with acupuncture, calling himself holistic because he considered but subsequently rejected the efficacy of other avenues of treatment, many of which might have been better choices.

Al

The practice of Holistic Management entails completing a decision making feedback loop that includes diagnosing the root cause of a problem, examining possible solutions/action; testing options to determine which honor your values (stated in a holistic goal) the best and are also socially, economically, and environmentally sound; and monitoring for early warning signs that you are not achieving intended outcomes. For example in my garden I am doing my best to promote life and biodiversity. Therefore when I test my decisions towards this value, the use of poisons - even the ones approved for organic use will fail. What does pass testing for me (you may be different) is the use of natural predators, preventative practices and in some cases simple tolerance. The result of managing holistically is that you make the best possible decisions given available resources. This is very different than adhering stictly to any one ideology, system or technology. The key is to remain focused on what is important and be open to all possibilities. For me the practice of holistic management is about doing my best to enhance social, economic and environmental well being for myself and the world around me through each and every action I take.