Before long the growing season will be in full gear. I like to be somewhat prepared with the necessary tools of the trade before I need them, so this time of the year I take stock of what’s in storage, in the barn or on the shelf of the potting bench.
Products that help us control weeds, insect, and disease problems, as well as those that fertilize plant material are things that I like to have on hand when I need them. I always try to strike a balance, however, between maintaining a healthy garden and limiting my use of manufactured products. Fortunately, we have many botanical and biological products available to us so that synthetic chemicals need not every find their way into your backyard garden.
First, practice good habits in the garden, this will offset many problems to begin with. For instance, don’t use over-head watering systems and allow for good air-circulation around plants that are susceptible to mildews; rotate vegetable crops like tomatoes if you have a history with wilt diseases; tackle weeds early, before they mature and are harder to control; and mow your lawn at 3 inches or more, no shorter!
The best defense is a good offense, If we notice a problem at the onset we can nip it in the bud before it becomes epidemic. Aphids and other soft-bodied insects, for example, can be controlled with insecticidal soaps when the numbers are small. Aphids multiply rapidly in the heat of the summer and it has been my experience that once this occurs, they are more difficult to control (this is when I might start pruning away infestations and following up with biological and botanical controls such as insecticidal soap, neem or Spinosad).
Mildews are also problematic for many garden plants. Certainly, some plants are more susceptible to mildew then others, but this is where our Kentuckiana weather and our own practices in the garden can facilitate the fungus. Copper sulfate, garden sulfur and lime sulfur all control various fungal problems and they are organic with short residual effects. Neem oil also has effective botanical control over fungal outbreaks. Inorganic fungicides have been over-used historically that many fungal pathogens have developed a resistance because of over-use. Again, another effect of humans, choose the right plant for the right climate.
The caterpillar and the beetle are public enemy #1 and #2 in the vegetable garden. This is an area where I stand firm about using only organic control measures. Again, the three products that I keep on hand are oils that smother, Neem that has both insect and fungal pest control properties and Spinosad that can’t be beat for controlling the caterpillar stage of man vegetable garden pests like cabbage loppers, bean beetles and Colorado potato beetles.
Bt, or bacillus thuringiensis, is another biological control that is excellent for controlling pests during their caterpillar stage. Somehow Bt knows the difference between good and bad bugs. It controls those caterpillars that we don’t want on our vegetables and ornamentals but spares those that prove beneficial (or turn into beautiful monarch butterflies).
I think the issue of qualifying good and bad bugs is something to be aware of in terms of chemical use. The over-use of some chemicals will also kill out the predatory insects that naturally keep the pesky ones at bay. Identify insect problems before you begin to treat them, so you use the appropriate product and time the treatment to maximize its effectiveness.