Dallas Morning News - April 2, 2020
Pest Control for Your New Garden
Ok – what about pests in my new garden? Good news is that pest control under the natural organic program is very easy. Understand first that most insects you see are beneficial. Most microorganisms are also beneficial. Those two things are true if you are not disturbing the natural balance and killing the good guys with destructive products. We want to encourage more life and more biodiversity. If that's done, the good guys win.
Insects and microbes do a great job of controlling themselves if we don't foul up the balance by spraying toxic pesticides, using harsh salt fertilizers or watering too much or too little. For the relatively few bug and disease problems that pop up, there are effective soft pest control techniques.
 Aphids attacking new plant growth |
Some of the first insect pests of the spring are aphids on tender young plant growth.
They attack plants that are in stress. Weather changes in the spring cause mild temporary stress and the aphids appear. You can kill them with any of the mild organic sprays including soapy water, but you might not want to do that. First look closely at the foliage where the aphids are stuck to the leaves. You might see some other insects that look like tiny alligators, small brown space aliens or the parents of those two – adult ladybugs (lady beetles). Even the mild organic sprays will hurt these beneficials. Left alone they will usually clean up the pest attack for you before damage to plants has happened.
Diseases are even easier to control. They are simply microorganisms that are out of balance. Reestablishing balance is key to control. All organic fertilizers and amendments help establish and keep the natural balance but whole ground cornmeal is the most important amendment to both prevent and cure plant diseases that pop up. Use at 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft.
 Alien-looking ladybug pupa |
 Ladybug larva looking for pests to eat |
The Basic Organic Program is: 1. Stop using destructive products – high salt synthetic fertilizers and toxic pesticides. 2. Start using materials that build life in the soil – compost, rock minerals and microbe stimulators. 3. Use soft pest control techniques.
The most important part of soft pest control in spring is the release of Trichogramma wasps and beneficial nematodes. These microscopic wasps will control various caterpillar pests including green worms on your new vegetable crops and the nematodes applied with water to moist soil will control all of pest insects that have at least one of their life cycles in the ground - and most do. Best flea control by far.
Fire ants will eat the tiny eggs containing the Trichogramma wasps. To get rid of the fire ants, broadcast dry molasses at 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. Best fire ant control by far.
 Ladybug feeding on aphids |
These living tools can be purchased at garden centers, feed stores and ordered online.
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