What Is the Basic Organic Program on The Dirt Doctor?

The Basic Organic Program is Howard Garrett's foundational approach to land care on dirtdoctor.com: manage soil, plants, and pests without synthetic chemicals. It is the starting point for the site's other protocols, including the Sick Tree Treatment for stressed trees. It suits gardeners and homeowners who want a general organic framework they can adapt to their own soil and climate; it is not a one-size-fits-all prescription, and the site presents it as a foundation rather than a fixed recipe.

What the program covers

According to the site, the Basic Organic Program is described as "Howard's foundation for natural land care" and "the core Dirt Doctor program for soil, plants, and pest management without synthetic chemicals." That framing sets three connected areas:

• Soil — building and maintaining soil biology as the base of plant health
• Plants — feeding and supporting plants through organic inputs rather than synthetic fertilizers
• Pest management — handling pests through natural methods instead of synthetic chemicals

The site positions this as the entry point to its wider library of organic gardening, landscaping, and natural pest control advice.

How it relates to the Sick Tree Treatment

The Sick Tree Treatment is a separate featured guide on the site, described as "the full protocol for stressed trees" that helps you "diagnose decline, restore soil biology, and bring weak or ailing trees back with organic methods."

The relationship is one of scope: the Basic Organic Program is the general foundation for soil, plants, and pest management, while the Sick Tree Treatment is a targeted protocol for trees already in decline. Both share the same underlying idea — restore soil biology and avoid synthetic chemicals — but the tree treatment applies it to a specific problem rather than routine care.

Where to start on the site

The site offers several entry points, and the order below follows how the content is presented:

1. Basic Organic Program — read this first for the overall framework.
2. Cheat Sheet — a "quick-reference organic gardening essentials" page described as "core practices, products, and remedies you can use in the garden any day of the year."
3. Sick Tree Treatment — go here if you have a specific tree problem rather than general care.
4. Online Classes by Howard — the site lists courses covering "organic land care, soil building, pest management, and natural certification" for those who want structured instruction.
5. Podcast and videos — the Dirt Doctor Podcast and YouTube channel carry ongoing episodes, with recent topics including sod, vines in trees, fall planting, fertilization, mulch, and shredded tree trimmings.

Applying it to your own garden

The site does not publish a single step-by-step checklist for the Basic Organic Program in the material available here, so treat it as a framework to apply rather than a fixed sequence. A practical way to use it:

• Read the Basic Organic Program page to understand the soil-first logic.
• Pull the Cheat Sheet for day-to-day practices, products, and remedies.
• Match your specific situation — routine care, a declining tree, or a pest problem — to the corresponding guide.
• Use the podcast and video archive for seasonal topics, since episodes cover timing-sensitive tasks like fall planting and fertilization.

Because the program is presented as a foundation, expect to adjust inputs and timing to your own soil, climate, and plants rather than following one universal schedule.

What to keep in mind

The site's own description frames this as "practical research and teaching" by Howard Garrett, covering organic gardening, farming, landscaping, pet health, and natural pest control. That tells you the orientation — organic methods, no synthetic chemicals — but it also means the material reflects one practitioner's approach. If you want certification-level instruction, the site points to Howard's online classes; if you want quick reference material, the Cheat Sheet is the faster route.