Using Natural Insecticides in Your Organic Garden

Posted by Cathy England
June 30th, 2009
Filed in Garden Maintenance
Tags: garlic spray, insecticidal soap, Natural insecticides, pests

Unless you began your life as an organic gardener, this time of year can get frustrating as you try as hard as you can to keep bugs, insects, worms, and caterpillars from chewing through your precious crop.

You really want to do the right thing, but the pull toward the ”just this once”, application of mass-destruction full spectrum insecticides and toxic chemicals are calling out to you.  Perhaps you still have some lurking in the corner of garage, basement or shed.  Instead, you trudge along begrudgingly to the garden center for the natural insecticides.

Breathe.  It may not be pretty, but it will be okay.  It is the end of June, and quite often, the life cycle of all of those nasty garden pests are in full swing, but will ebb.  Many times, one of those cycles is more frustrating than others.  Generally, insects in the larval stage are the most damaging as they are voracious eaters and for whatever reason, are not attracted to the perfectly good weeds back along your fence.

Monitor Your Garden For Insect Infestations

It is a hard thing to do during a busy spring and summer, with work, and kids home all day, but to the extent that you can, watch your plants.  If you know your garden, you will notice new holes, curling leaves, lines, and yellowing that may not have been there before.  All of those symptoms can possibly be the result of an insect infestation.

Once you are able to recognize a problem, you can begin to diagnose it.  If you are not able to identify the issue, try the internet or take a photo and send it to your local extension office.  They may be able to tell you everything that you ever needed to know about your particular pest in one hour or less, and how to control it.

Find a Product That Can Solve the Problem

There are a number of outlets where organic products can be purchased.  However, it may save a lot of time and frustration to buy online. While many garden centers and big box stores are beginning to cater to the organic market, they usually do not have many choices, and may not have the least intrusive choice, which is of course, the one that you are going to want to use.  If you are not already receiving organic gardening catalogs, sign up for some, or review them online so that you know what is available.

Use the Right Product at the Right Time

It is a difficult decision when it comes to actually using a spray on your precious plants.  Start small.

• Use a hot pepper wax spray or a garlic spray: This can take care of the chewing problems in many cases, and does not kill all of the beneficial insects that you have been working so hard to keep in your yard.  The drawback is that you often need to reapply following  a rainstorm, or periodically to ensure effectiveness.  This method does not kill any insects, only makes plants unappetizing to those who may destroy them.
• Use an insecticidal soap: The mechanism used in an insecticidal soap is that it works to dry up the bodies of soft bodied insects.  This would include aphids, scale, and the larvae of many other insects.  It works on contact, and gets rid of that particular problem immediately.  However, it also can kill off your beneficial insects, and that is to be avoided if at all possible.  Spray directly on the pest attempting to avoid other non problematic insects.
• Use Neem Oil: The use of oil is often considered to be a last choice.  The way that oils work is to suffocate the insects that may be bothering a plant.  In many cases, this is desirable, however, it is also non-selective, and can involve a hefty expense depending on what needs to be sprayed.  Oils also often keeps pests from overwintering in the soil.

Do Not Become Discouraged!

There are ways to get through the hardships of organic gardening.  For many of us, it becomes about accepting imperfection.  It is okay to have a couple chew holes in your leaf lettuce.  But everyone has a different tolerance for these imperfections.

If you prefer to have an organic garden that looks rather perfect, then one of the above products will work well.  But insecticides are just one spoke in the wheel of having a terrific looking garden. Look at your garden as a whole, and using other methods to help protect your plants and deter insects (companion planting and soil maintenance, for instance), you can reduce your reliance on pesticides.