Using chemicals - Reply
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Using chemicals - Reply
- From: S*@aol.com
- Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 09:23:10 EDT
In a message dated 98-06-29 12:19:46 EDT, you write:
> root aphids. I've seen spiders bailing out and (good!) worms dying ugly
> deaths. I don't even want to think about what happens to the birds who
> eat the writhing worms.
>
> I better grow a terrific pumpkin this year - I'm not sure I can keep
> going down this particular path. I don't think I would mind selectively
> killing the pumpkin threats. I can smoosh a cucumber beetle under a
> rock. But these chemicals have so many repercussions - and I probably
> don't even know the half of it.
>
> Is there anyone out there successfully growing large pumpkins without
> using these scorch-the-earth chemicals??
>
> Beth
I agree with you! Once you start using chemicals, you just will get deeper and
deeper into it, everything will become dependant on them, THEN the insects
will become resistant, and you have to use more, or more powerful chemicals,
which kill more beneficial organisms, and probably cause cancer and everything
else in PEOPLE, and it just gets worse, until one day it is chemical
armageddon! It is really a losing battle, in the long run. Organic methods are
pretty much the opposite, with no side effects except beneficial ones. The
problem is that it is hard to control everything organically. There IS
floating row cover, which can keep out almost ALL pests, but of course you
wuld need A LOT of it, but it does work, probably better than any chemical.
Then there are things like beneficial nematodes, which are natural microscopic
predators of soil grubs, like cucumber beetle larvae. There are ground beetles
with eat slugs. There are lady bugs and their larvae which eat aphids, (and
water sprays, insecticidal soaps, etc.). There is seaweed to help make plants
stronger and prevent diseases and insect attacks. There is sulfer and copper
to prevent fungal diseases. Also planting radishes can deter cucumber beetles,
and planting trap crops for damaging insects, etc. I was also wondering about
some sort of pepper (capsican) dust to deter gophers. Hmm, now that I think of
it, this stuff COULD keep most problams under control. And if some bredders
concentrated on insect and disease resistance bred into pumpkins as well as
size, chemicals, in some cases, might not be needed at all!
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