Room for me AND the butterflies too!
There are so many terms used in the world of gardening. “Organic,” “natural,” “sustainable,” and “environmentally friendly” to name a few. It doesn’t take long before people are confused by all this terminology (and companies exploit terms for profit).
When I garden, I practice good stewardship towards the earth. My goal is to live in harmony with the balance of nature. I understand that critters may decide to take a chunk or small nibble out of my crop. The decision to take action against a pest is based on how much they are taking and how much I can tolerate. Also, once you’ve been gardening for a while, you’ll see the ups and down of the cycles of nature and figure out best how to prevent pest problems.
Sometimes the balance of nature tips in favor of a pest. For example, the prolific aphid has populations that seem to explode overnight. Instead of choosing a systemic pesticide (which you would never do for a food crop), try squirting them off with a blast of water (this will kill some) or spraying with a less toxic pesticide like a horticultural soap or oil. If you have just a few food crops, squish the aphids with your fingers after blasting most of them off with cold water. Unfortunately, ladybugs and preying mantids can only do so much work, and can’t be expected to stay in your yard once released (but they are fun to watch!)
On this website you’ll find tips on how to take care of pests and diseases in easy, inexpensive ways. But you won’t find out how to “eradicate” something. Insects are the most ubiquitous group of creatures on this planet, so save yourself a LOT of frustration and and leave that job to super heroes in action films.
February 9, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Squashing aphids by hand is also good stress relief after a bad day in the office. 😉