"On a subject not so close to my heart..."
by Laurie Cohen
f you are new to the outdoors and perhaps a convert
from practicing regular chemical genocide of any creature smaller than your
hand, you will be amazed at the fauna an un-poisoned organic garden can
attract. One of the most interesting things about organic gardening is becoming
acquainted with the diversity of bug life found in the typical backyard.
The good, the bad and the truly beneficial bug are all part of the natural
processes of nature, and learning to identify them means getting close enough
to see their little legs, wings or markings. For the uninitiated, this can
be done with extra long tweezers and gloves. After a while, you may not
even think twice about hand-picking insects off your plants.
Try growing anything that flowers and you'll
double your fun by attracting insects that pollinate and feed on nectar.
Aside from the bee, butterfly, wasp or moth, there's always some no-name
insect buzzing around, looking for food (your plants) or a place to lay
hundreds of eggs (your plants) to hatch and feed on your plants.
To conserve moisture in the soil, put some
mulch down and be prepared for the onslaught of a variety of bugs who's
only real purpose on earth is to eat every young thing you try to sprout
in your garden. Keep an eye on the tender new growth because it has potential
to become a midnight snack for marauding pill bugs and earwigs who hide
in the mulch during daylight hours. You may have "no-see-ums;"
the ever-evasive insects that makes you want to tear up your vegetables
and swear that you'll only grow cactus from now on. Or you may catch the
strangest looking bug that you've ever seen in your whole life and be ready
to take it to the zoo for identification.
These pests have been around for a very long
time and really do have a place in nature. Some are part of the food chain,
as birds will land and eat them. Others become hosts for the larva of beneficial
insects, like the harmless braconid wasp, who lays eggs on the pesky caterpillar,
making sure her offspring will have a source of food after they hatch..
Some eat dead, decaying matter and turn it into the a form of compost for
the soil. You just have to realize that their presence is not harmful, and
there are ways to discourage them from choosing your garden as home base.
Organic gardeners are painfully aware of pests
in the garden. There are some of us who actually grow extra plants for the
bugs to have as their own. We can set up barriers to marauding insects as
good as any WWII fortification. Netting a tree or using row covers for our
young plants to provide them extra protection is easy to do. Helping snails
and slugs commit suicide in a beer bug bath brings joy to our lives. It's
a jungle out there and we know it!
There are many biologic controls available
to the home gardener. Some need to be ordered through catalogs and some
are available on nursery shelves. Science and technology have combined their
efforts to manufacture safe and effective "bugs" to combat some
of the most annoying and destructive pests. Integrated Pest Management has
been implemented on many farms instead of the timely spraying of pesticides.
IPM is a step in the right direction towards growing healthier food. Healthier
soil equals healthier food equals healthier people, and a better world for
us and our children..
The best advice for any gardener who may have
an abundance of uninvited insects is to be a regular presence in your garden.
Try going out early in the morning when most chewing insects are finishing
up a nightly feast and scoop them all up into a bucket. Moths and butterflies
can be deterred by row covers. Take the time to look at your plants and
give them a grooming every now and then. They'll love you for it!
Laurie teaches free organic gardening classes from her Clairemont backyard. She is also forming the Clairemont Organic Gardener's Club. To learn more, call her at 270-1490, or e-mail her at i.karma
worldnet.att.net.
