I don’t think anybody likes to use chemicals in the garden.
After all, not only are pesticides, herbicides and even snail bait
poison, they’re expensive as well. But you don’t have to be an
environmentalist in order to lessen our dependence on poisonous
garden products.
I don’t think anybody likes to use chemicals in the garden. After all, not only are pesticides, herbicides and even snail bait poison, they’re expensive as well. But you don’t have to be an environmentalist in order to lessen our dependence on poisonous garden products.
Take mowing your lawn, for instance. A simple way to help keep your lawn healthy without doing anything extra is to mow with a so-calling “mulching” lawn mower.
These are mowers that do not collect grass clippings. Instead, grass clippings are chopped into small pieces and left to lie on your lawn. This not only makes for a healthier lawn, but you don’t have to throw out clippings or even recycle them.
Plus, you’ll save a heck of a lot of time (not to mention gas) by not having to stop your mower every few rows to empty out the grass-clipping catch.
Some home gardeners have a fear that mulching mowers don’t leave your lawn looking as pretty. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
I’ve been using a mulching mower for more than 10 years now, and my lawn looks every bit as good as anyone else’s.
You do need to mow regularly with mulching mowers because if your grass gets more than three inches high, the mower sometimes clogs and has a difficult time cutting higher blades of grass. But you should be mowing before grass gets too high anyway.
Everyone has troubles with snails eating tender, young seedlings. And I’m sure you’ve read all about various ways to kill snails, including killing them with smiles on their faces with the help of beer.
But oyster shell, available at feed stores for around $10 per 50-pound bag, is said to destroy their digestive systems.
Oyster shell, used as cow or chicken feed, is certainly cheaper than Bug-geta and other chemical snail baits. (Sunset magazine recently touted oat bran as another organic snail bait, but a check of local feed stores did not find it available.)
There is a relatively new snail bait on the market called “Sluggo.” It’s more expensive than Bug-geta and other chemical snail baits. However, it uses a fertilizer to kill rather than poison and, therefore, is safe to use around pets and toddlers. Sluggo is available at most garden centers. It is distributed locally by Monterey Garden Supply.
Also, a bird bath in your garden just might help prevent birds from damaging fruit or ripening vegetables. One of the reasons birds drill holes in fruit is because they’re thirsty.
Keep a birdbath full of fresh water and they just might leave your fruits and veggies alone.
Finally, I’m sure you’ve heard of soap sprays instead of chemical insecticides like malathion.
Simply mix a couple tablespoons of liquid soap in plain water, and spray to kill aphids and other soft-bodied insect pests. Safer’s Insecticidal Soap is also available almost anywhere for a wide variety of pests. If you haven’t checked your roses lately, chances are the new growth has aphids on them.
Often times, simply spraying with a strong jet of plain water will keep aphids under control.
You don’t have to be an environmentalist to garden safely.
