Have Some Poison, My Dear

Keep poison off the menu by employing sustainable gardening techniques. SIERRA CLUB ARCHIVES

Just suppose you gave a party for some dear friends and without being aware of it, many of the dishes you served up were poisoned! Not a pleasant thought, but that is exactly the scenario that takes place when you reach for the rodenticide, insecticide
or herbicide to get rid of those pesky moles, insects, or weeds in your garden. Your garden is an invitation to our wildlife friends and they eat what is served, including the just poisoned rodent, insect or weed. And let’s not forget that as these poisons are being applied and leach into the soil and water table, humans are also being exposed and slowly poisoned. So, what are the alternatives? There are many.

PESTS, SUCH AS RATS, MOLES, MICE: Eliminate food sources (such as fallen fruit, or dog and cat food placed outdoors) and shelter (such as large patches of Algerian ivy) . Build or buy nesting boxes to attract barn owls (one family of barn owls will eat 1000 or more rodents/year). If you must, traps that kill quickly and humanely.

INSECTS: To begin with, learn to distinguish harmful from beneficial insects, such as praying mantids, assassin bugs, green lacewings, lady beetles, and hover flies. Biologic control is an effort to keep insects controlled (not eliminated) and begins with purchasing plants that are resistant to insect attack and/or are attractive to beneficial insects. Most often these are plants that are native to your area. Keep plants healthy by first, choosing plants likely to grow well in your garden spot (and again, natives are a good choice) and by giving them the proper water, food (if needed) and maintenance. Watch for early signs of disease or infestation. If either is observed, mechanical controls include removing the diseased portion of the plant or, the whole plant, if necessary; a strong spray from your water hose can remove clinging insects; a gentle spray of water in the morning will get rid of powdery mildew (whereas at night, it will encourage mildew). If chemical controls are necessary (hopefully, the last resort), using the least toxic is best for our environment. Many common household products can be effective and are less harmful than the chemicals sold in garden stores. For example, a mixture of baking soda and liquid soap will treat both blackspot fungus and powdery mildew. An insecticidal soap solution can be purchased at garden stores. In time, when the good bugs establish themselves, these measures will be unnecessary.

HERBICIDES: Most of the herbicide use in the U.S. is applied to lawns. Since a lawn has very little value for wildlife and also consumes an enormous amount of water, fertilizer, and care (read $$$$$) in addition to herbicide, reducing the size of (or totally eliminating!) your lawn would make a big dent in herbicide use. And since Mother Nature abhors bare soil the way she abhors a vacuum, keeping a layer of mulch on all bare soil areas will inhibit weed growth (as well as conserve soil moisture and improve soil structure). When weeds appear, pulling them out works well (best done before they go to seed) and is good exercise! Weeds in cracked concrete or asphalt can be killed with a propane torch or a strong vinegar solution.

Learn more about non-toxic, environmentally-friendly, sustainable gardening
practices at www.finegardening.com (click on pests and diseases) and at www.wasteless.org (click on environmentally preferable purchasing and then on less toxic gardening.
Now, aren’t you less worried about throwing your next “garden party”?