You can make your soil terrific by adding lots of compost and mulch. Mulch is a layer of natural material such as leaves that you add to the top of your soil. The soil is so fluffy now that I can dig in it with my fingers. For more information on compost, see our Compost Simplified and Compost F.A.Q. . See also the gardening books recommended at Garden Books .
Organic gardening has nothing against killing pests.
Joseph Campbell, author of Hero With a Thousand Faces, once told me that death is a natural part of life. Campbell said that civilized humans need to find a safe outlet for their natural urge to kill. I enjoy killing snails. If I see a snail, I smash it into oblivion. At night with a flashlight, or very early in the morning, you can go on snail patrol and wipe out a whole army.