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Summer is enjoying the abundance of nature in my backyard. Yet, as I sit on my lounge   I see weeds, the bane of gardening; and, over there, black spot on my roses.  Taming those pesky unwanted intrusions need not mean a trip to the pesticide department.

 Weeds have a place in the fraternity of plants. The topsoil of the earth would have eroded years ago if not for weeds.  They provide protection to the land, cool the ground, and balance the minerals in the soil.

Less than 1% of all insects are destructive to plants and many insects feed on the damaging pests. Using harmful pesticides changes the dynamics of a garden, often increasing those unwanted visitors. Roundup, a popular pesticide, has been shown to be toxic to earthworms, beneficial insects, birds and mammals. www.organicgardening.com

 Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a common sense approach to weed and pest control, involves three tactics: Biological utilizes enemies of the pests, like ladybugs to control aphids; Cultural or horticultural control involves using garden methods to shade out weeds, like mowing lawn high or planting densely; and

Chemical control involves cautious use of pesticides.

 Steps to maintaining a garden that reduces pests and weeds:

1. Maintain nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in the soil through the use of organic fertilizers appropriate to the plants.  Organic products are carbon-based and include bone meal, mulch, cottonseed meal, compost and manure.

 2. Corn gluten, by-product of corn processing, is a great natural herbicide and works well with dandelions and other broadleaf weeds by inhibiting seed germination. 

 3. A thick layer of mulch (straw, grass clippings, leaves, or shredded bark) will nourish plants, hold in moisture and reduce weeds. Mulch breaks down in the garden and makes the soil easier to till.  Newspaper (no color inks) is also a good weed barrier. With mulch layered on top, it will provide weed protection for several years.

 4. Using a sharp hoe to sever the stems about an inch below the soil line makes short work of weeds.

 5. Sunlight and heavy plastic can cook weeds.  This process takes about six weeks and works for areas with persistent weeds.

 6. Pull weeds weekly while they are small.

 Even the best gardening practices may not keep weeds and pests from the garden.  Environmentally safe options for control include use of baking soda, vinegar, insecticidal soap and utilizing plants that attract beneficial insects. 

 Baking soda as a fungicide has been extensively researched at Cornell and results were even better than toxic products. For black spot and powdery mildew, mix one teaspoon of baking soda in one quart of water.  Add a few drops of liquid soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s or castile) and teaspoon of horticultural oil. 

Horticultural oil is effective with aphids, scale, mealy bugs and spider mites.  A good oil to use is Neem oil, a unique environmentally friendly insecticide derived from the botanical oils of the Indian Neem Tree. www.comonsensecare.com 

Vinegar at 5% acetic acid concentrate, from a grocery store, is effective on annual weeds.

Insecticidal soaps are useful against soft-bodied insects and mites by disrupting their cell membranes, causing dehydration.  The key is to use soap sparingly to protect nearby vegetation. This is a recipe from Annie Berthold-Bond––www.care2.com.  1-2 Tablespoons liquid soap to 1 quart of water.

 

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