In my last article, I promised a continuation of how we, as individuals, can positively impact the environment by reducing pesticide usage. I hope the following will encourage you to think twice about using chemicals in the garden, and instead negotiate a truce with Mother Nature.

Investigate

When encountering an anomaly in the garden, this is the first and most important step.

I know that we have been taught to act quickly when we see a pest on our plants. “Spray away and your problems will be eliminated.”

How wrong this notion can be. By first correctly identifying the insect and the reason it is there to begin with, I can often change the conditions, thereby making the environment unsuitable for the pest – no chemicals needed!

There are dozens of examples where a novice in the garden might think a pest is harmful, only to be surprised that it is innocuous or even beneficial. As spring rolls around, I often hear questions about ants covering the buds of peonies. People are concerned that they are damaging the plants in some way.

In actuality, the buds secrete a sweet substance that the ants like to eat and the plant is left unharmed. That’s good news.

Imagine someone thinking of spraying to rid his or her garden of ladybugs! They are natural enemies of many insects, especially aphids and other sap feeders. A single lady beetle may eat as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. We need them!

Perhaps mold is the issue. There’s every possibility that the conditions in the garden are too damp for that particular plant variety. By either watering less or moving the plant to a drier location, you solve the problem without resorting to chemical intervention.

Investigation is key to knowing how to work with your garden in a natural organic way. Countless books at the public library (I recommend Natural Pest Control: Alternatives to Chemicals for the Home and Garden by Andrew Lopez), access to the Internet and help from the County Extension Office – www.co.monroe.in.us/extensionservices/index.htm – should make this first critical step easy for the beginner and seasoned gardener as well.

Acceptance

This second step in the process is more of a personal choice. After researching a pest issue thoroughly, I may decide it is something I can live with in the long run. Often, many of the less aesthetically pleasing problems in the garden are minor.

However, using a chemical to eradicate it might develop a host of other problems that were not anticipated. Any time humans intervene with the balance in the garden, there are uninvited consequences that may not be evident immediately.

There was a time, not too long ago, when Diazinon was the blanket answer for ridding the garden of a variety of pests. The EPA now recognizes that this “miracle” answer is highly toxic to birds, mammals, honeybees and other beneficial insects. It can be very poisonous to freshwater fish and invertebrates.

I find I can live with the small imperfections in my yard much more easily than I can live with the side effects of chemical use.

Mild tactical intervention

There will be times when you have invested time and money in a prized plant and an invasion will be winning the battle. There are some easy organic pest controls that will aid you in turning the tide.

Milky spore is perhaps one of the best known. It is naturally occurring microscopic bacteria that kills Japanese beetles before they can grow into ravenous adults. Many other organic options exist, and I hope you will research these before resorting to chemical solutions.

Remember, even if a product is considered to be organic chemical, it is still a pesticide. Heed all warnings on the label and use sparingly and in conjunction with other non-chemical methods for the best results.

The garden season is almost here. Spring has returned, and we are all itching to get out in the fresh air and interact with nature. We all share the responsibility of how we treat the land, air, water and wildlife when fashioning our landscapes.

Please consider these three guidelines when encountering bugs, molds or fungi. Both you and Mother Nature will appreciate it.

Kristin Rust can be reached at kristin@newleafconsult.com.