Re: organic gardening

Anne, I've noticed this myself-- the less I use pesticides the more
things seem mysteriously to take care of themselves. I've gotten to the
point where I smile to see a light infestation of aphids in spring-- my
ladybugs will stay around to breed if there's food there. The only
exception I've noticed is the pests that come from greenhouses like
spider mites and whiteflies-- don't seem to have natural enemies in our
part of the country.

		Mary
		MO zone 6

> In a message dated 99-09-11 12:06:15 EDT, Anne in Chicago wrote:
> 
> >> ...  Is it coincidence? The weather? Is the garden now in 
> balance?  Have 
> the
>  rest of you noticed lighter infestations this year?  Whatever the
>  reason, I'm grateful and I'm going to keep on doing nothing as long 
> as
>  possible.<<
>  
> Anne, I do not think it's a coincidence. And you are right that 
> after using 
> pesticides, it takes a few years to restore the balance of nature.  
> I'm 
> convinced that while pesticides may solve pest problems in the short 
> term, in 
> the long run they do just the opposite -- they create pest problems 
> by 
> killing off the pests' natural predators.  Once you start spraying 
> you have 
> to spray more and more and more because you have destroyed the 
> natural 
> balance.  Roughly 90% of all insects are beneficial.  Who in their 
> right mind 
> would want to kill those?  Especially since pesticides are costly, 
> smelly and 
> dangerous to people, pets and the environment.  The thing pesticides 
> do best 
> is make profits for their manufacturers. What a racket --- the more 
> product 
> their customers buy, the more they have to buy.  Almost like pushing 
> drugs!  
> 
> My advice to anyone who cares to listen is to kick the habit!  I 
> don't spray 
> and I don't have any pest problems aside from some occasional slug 
> damage 
> (for which there are many organic solutions, as recently discussed 
> on this 
> list).  
> 
> I don't know about Chicago, but here in Missouri, after two very 
> mild winters 
> and no spring freezes, we have had more insects than I have ever 
> seen.  More 
> pests, but also more predators, so the final effect in the garden is 
> the same 
> -- things are in balance.  Isn't nature wonderful!    --Janis
> 
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