An
Earth Friendly Guide to Pesticides
I
The pests trying to eat your garden haven ’ t changed , but how we deal with them has . Out are the pesticides that are harmful to the environment and beneficial insects ; in are the ones easier on the environment .
by Alan Ray
If you enjoy the garden and the healthy variety of delicious foods it provides , you are not alone . And if you are , you won ’ t be for long . Between the armyworms , Japanese beetles , and aphids you ’ re going to have company . And while there are countless insects that could eat their way through your garden , the usual suspects generally number a few dozen . Still , with so many voracious vegetarians on the prowl , keeping a vigilant eye can be a time consuming but very necessary part of keeping your plants healthy . Manual methods like plucking caterpillars and washing bugs off your plants is a good thing and works as a quick fix but not so well as a long-term solution . In a large garden , that would require a lot of hands-on time . So , when soft cures like gentle rinsing or hand-picking can ’ t keep up with demand , you may want to consider using a pesticide . An organic pesticide , naturally . With a safe and effective insecticide , you can better protect your garden while reducing the need for constant eyes-on inspection . It may work so well you ’ ll no longer develop chameleon-vision the instant you enter the garden .
AN ICIDE NOTE
The Latin word icide means ‘ something that kills something .’ Fungicides kill fungi , pesticides kill pests , and so on . And that ’ s what you want , something that kills something . Not something that kills everything . Organic pesticides can bump off the bad bugs while sparing the good ones from friendly fire .
READING THE PESTICIDE LABEL
Admittedly , looking at a wall of pesticides can be head-scratching , but don ’ t just grab some bottle off the shelf out of frustration because you see your bug on it . Although it may require the use of a magnifying glass , take a minute to read the label when buying pesticides . The label lists the active ingredients , if it ’ s organic or synthetic , how toxic it is , and how to apply it safely . Moreover , it defines your target ( s ). Regarding toxicity , here are some key words to look for .
44 Maximum Yield