Organic Gardening Pesticides

The best "medicine" for an organic garden is PREVENTION. Who else has heard that when we were kids !...but its true for your garden too !. Stop those pests that may cause harm to your garden BEFORE they become a problem.

Your ultimate goal is a natural balance of all the key elements of your garden...soil, water, plants AND insects. When those elements are in balance, it promotes a healthy garden and a balanced insect population (just enough of the good insects to control the bad ones)...and a healthy garden will do a great job all by itself to control harmful pests.

Here are four tips to promote a natural organic garden balance:

1. Maintain healthy soil.
This will promote healthy plants. Most insects only attack unhealthy plants.

2. Rotate your crops.
Planting a crop in the same spot season after season will eventually weaken the soil. The resulting unhealthy plans will be more prone to insect attack.

3. Invite the good bugs to your garden !
Encourage beneficial predator and parasitic insects into your garden by planting flowers in your garden that provide sources of food for them. They, in turn, will help keep the harmful insect population in check.

4. Keep your garden clean.
Keeping the garden or orchard free of excess debris will give the harmful insect population less places to hide and thrive.
 
 

Peppers for Sale at a Local Market, Ipanema
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If the delicate balance of your organic garden becomes upset, theres a chance you may end up with a pest problem that requires organic gardening pesticides. But dont worry ! Theres a nearly endless list of home remedies that people live by to help control pests. Some, quite frankly, just arent practical. (for example, Ive seen a few that require you to collect dead bugs and blend them into a smoothie...Mmmm....and just where are you going to collect large quantities of dead bugs ?.

I have had success with quite a few that were a little easier to prepare. Of course, the effectiveness of any home remedy will depend on the type of pest you are trying to control and the severity of the infestation. You can get much more detail by using the Garden Pest and Disease Reference Guide at Gardens Alive!. They also have great environmentally-friendly products to help control pest and disease problems. Be sure to give them your patronage if their guide is helpful.

Aphids, whiteflies and other soft-body pests
Mix a few drops of mild dishwashing detergent with water and spray on plants leaves (make sure you get both sides and avoid spraying on flowers!) .

Cabbageworms and spider mites
Mix 2 tablespoons salt in 1 gallon of water and spray on affected plants.

General pest repellent
This is quite a recipe...but its worked for me as a general spray that has helped prevent a lot of infestations before they became a problem.

- 1/4 cup of hot red peppers (red pepper sauce works well as a substitute)
- 1/4 cup of fresh spearmint (look in your produce for fresh herbs or grow your own !)
- 1/4 cup horseradish, both root and leaves (prepared horseradish doesnt work as well)
- 1/4 cup green onion tops
- 1 tablespoon of liquid detergent

Grind the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything in a blender or food processor. Strain the solution and add the liquid to half-gallon of water with the detergent. Store the mixture for a few days in a cool place and then spray on affected areas. Outside use only.

OK, so you've tried to walk the fine line with your garden's delicate balance of soil, water and plants and you've tried a few home remedies, but you still have something eating the vegetables that you've worked so hard for. An empty and helpless feeling, I know...

As a last resort, gardeners can choose to turn to some commercially-available "natural" or "organic" pesticides but is important to note that most of these products are not completely free of harmful ingredients. If you want a truly chemical-free organic garden, these products should be avoided and you should rely only on prevention and homemade remedies with common kitchen ingredients.

"Natural" or "organic" pesticides contain chemicals that are derived from botanical (plant) or mineral (animal) sources. These chemicals may still be toxic, but they break down more rapidly and are much safer than other man-made chemicals. One way to gauge how "safe" an organic pesticide is would be to review the label and look for an EPA-approved rating.

A complete discussion of the toxicity of some of the more common ingredients in organic pesticides can be found by reading Some Pesticides Permitted in Organic Gardening by Laura Pickett Pottorff, a Colorado State University Cooperative Extension horticulturist and plant pathologist.

When choosing organic gardening pesticides, also consider these facts.

- Products containing "sabadilla" are harmful to bees and should be avoided.

- Products containing copper will stunt plant growth and should be used sparingly.

- Products containing sulfur or lime should not be used if any oil-based product has also been used in the last month.

- Organic soaps and oils are effective against soft bodied insects (ie aphids..). Water the plants before applying and do not apply in full sun.

1. Read all labels carefully before using any product.

2. Observe and follow all directions and restrictions on labels.

3. Always store the product in the original container.

4. Keep all pesticides in a locked cabinet and out of reach of children!

5. Use recommended amounts of pesticides.

6. Dispose of empty containers per pesticide instructions.
 
 

"Fresh Artichokes"
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An article from Kyle Gillis from the Business & Media Institute released on 5/19/10 addressed the recent attention given by the major US networks to the subject of ADHD and pesticides. Kyle wrote "The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree and, in the case of the mainstream media, the analysis doesn't fall far from the network agenda.

On May 17, NBC's "Today" and CBS' "Early Show," along with all three network evening news programs, discussed a recent study in the medical journal Pediatrics linking pesticides used on fruit and vegetables to ADHD with their in-house medical analysts. The networks weighted their analysts' viewpoints over a CropLife America response to the study 70 to 1.

The Pediatrics study asserted a correlation between pesticides used on fruits and vegetables and ADHD symptoms in children. The study focused on 1,139 children from 2000-2004 but only 119 met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD .Croplife America, which represents the crop protection and pest control product companies, found the study far less persuasive and their statement was all but ignored by the major network.

Inaccurate or selective reporting, perhaps. Ignorance to the real story, probably. To see the entire story, visit Networks Swallow Whole a Study Linking Crop Pesticides to ADHD

There are so many things to consider to keep your organic garden healthy and it can be overwhelming at times. But if you are successful, your garden will reward you with some of the healthiest fruits and vegetables on earth. If you still have questions, I recommend getting a good organic gardening book. Keep it as a reference tool. It will be as helpful as a new shovel or any other garden tool that saves you time and energy.

...and dont forget the most important thing.

Gardening is healthy and FUN and anyone can be a sucessful gardener. Dont let a few bumps in the road slow you down.

Image courtesy of BONGURI on Flickr through Creative Commons.

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