Reasons for Use of Organic Treatments
- Marketing/Certification
- Environmental
- Safety – Pets & Grandkids
- Works Best as Part of Total Organic/Natural Program
Myths of Conventional Agriculture
- Myth #1: Insects are “Out There” just waiting to Eat your Plants
- Insects are Designed to Seek Out Weak/Stressed Plants
- Myth #2: The Only Purpose of the Soil is to Hold the Plant Down
- There is More Life Under the Soil Than on Earth. This Life Has a Symbiotic Relationship with Plants to Mutual Benefit. Any Disruption of this Relationship Causes a Decline in Plant Performance
Treatment Considerations
- Even Organic Treatments Have Some Risk - Evaluating Level of “Safety”
- Selectively Targets Species Type/Non-Toxic – BT, Soap
- Non-Selective/Non-Toxic – Orange Oil, EPA GRAS list
- Non-Selective/Toxic - Pyrethrum
- Know What You’re Trying to Get Rid Of
- Texas Bug Book
- Make Sure You Need to Get Rid of It!
- Yes, you have bugs but are they eating anything?
- Understand Cause of Infestation
- Will Your Plant Grow Here?
- Well Adapted Species
- Correct Amount of Water
- Sun or Shade
- Soil Drainage
- Planted in the Correct Season
- If Yes to Above, Is There Environmental Stress (e.g., drought, excessive rain, etc.)?
- EX: Drought brings on stink bugs to tomatoes
- EX: Rainy season causes increase in fungal diseases or nutrient leaching resulting in discoloration
- Seasonal Change (e.g., increase/decrease in temperature, etc.)?
- EX: Early summer causes cool season veggie stress attracting harlequin beatles
- Plant Stress (e.g., heavy feeders or bloomers needing additional nutrition)?
- EX: Roses bloom themselves into exhaustion
- EX: Heavy feeders such as tomatoes exhaust soil nutrient supply
- If All of the Above Are NO, Then Soil Needs Attention
- Choosing the Best Treatment for The Job
- Insects
- Worms – BT or Dipel – Tomato Hornworm. Cabbage Loopers
- Aphids, Spider Mites, Whiteflies, and Lacebugs
- Mild Infestations “normal” for many Crops
- Large Infestations Sign of Soil Issue
- Treat with Water Blast, Soap, Fish Emulsion/Seaweed, Garlic-Pepper Spray
- Orange Oil – Non-Selective; Will Kill Beneficials as Well
- Prevention - Longhorn Farms story...
- Squash Bugs/Hard Shell Bugs
- Treat with Pyrethrin
- Give Bugs Weakest Plant to Eat
- Squash - Keep mulch away from plant
- Are Plants Out of Season?
- Stink Bugs
- Vacuum/Drop in Bucket of Water
- Are Plants Out of Season? Stressed?
- Fire Ants
- Mound Treatment - Auntie Fuego Mound Drench
- Bait Treatment - G/L Fire Ant Control w/ Spinosad
- Orange Oil, Aspartame, other home-made treatments
- Diatomaceous Earth (DE) as a Barrier
- Grubworms
- Beneficial Nematodes or Sugar –
- Indicates Need to Improve Soil
- Mosquitoes
- Eliminate Water Sources - Empty Standing Water
- BT Dunks or Granules for Water Troughs, etc.
- Slugs, Snails, Land-Bound Critters
- Hot Pepper, cedar flakes, DE
- Fleas
- In lawn, beneficial nematodes
- In home, boric acid in powder
- Citrus Oil in shampoo or area spray
- Cedar oil as barrier
- Grasshoppers
- Battery Acid or Flame Thrower
- Healthy Plants Will Still Resist!
Choosing the Best Treatment for The Job
- Fungal Diseases such as Black Spot, Powdery Mildew for Ornamentals & Vegetables
- Horticultural (Whole Ground) Corn Meal
- An Aggie Invention...
- For Vegetables and Ornamentals, Generously Sprinkle On Ground Under and Around Plants
- Won’t Remove Existing Spots
- Neem Oil
- India’s Medicine Tree
- Insecticide, Miticide, Fungicide
- Indoor/Outdoor
- All plants, herbs, shrubs, fruits, etc.
- Sulphur Dust
- Used extensively in grape production
- Watch sulphur content in soil
- Baking Soda/Potassium Bicarbonate
- Lawn Fungal Diseases such as Brown Patch, etc.
- Corn Meal at 20 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft.
- Compost - The Magic Elixer
- Alfalfa Meal or Alfalfa Meal Mixes
- Back to Nature - Nature’s Blend
- Chlorosis (Mineral Deficiencies) –
- Texas Greensand
- History of Over-application of Phosphorous
- Medina 5-3-4 + Greensand
- Weed Control
- Non-Selective Pre-Emergent Horticultural Corn Gluten
- Must be 9-0-0 - Blends Do Not Work
- Apply at 1 lb. per 100 sq. ft.
- High Nitrogen Provides Timed-Released Greening
- Granular Much Easier to Apply
- Excellent for Grassburrs - Apply by March 1st
- TOO EXPENSIVE!
- Horticultural Vinegar – Natural Round-Up
- Should be 20% acid to work well
- Add surfactant – squirt of soap
- Apply on sunny/warm day
- Mechanical Weed Control
- Hoe & Mow
- Plastic Row Cover, Recycled Old Carpet, Newspapers, etc.
Prevention vs. Treatment
- Frequent Inspection - Key is to Catch Problem Early
- Best Defense is Good Great Soil
- Richard Polk’s Garden Story...
- Organic Soil Testing
- Texas Plant & Soil
- Use CO2 Acids that mimic plant’s action - increase accuracy
- Use Comprehensive Soil Chemistry Analysis (Albrecht System) to make recommendations/calculations
- Pages of personalized recommendations for your crop/soil profile
- Creating Biologically Active Soils
- Compost & Manures
- Actively Aerated Compost Tea
References
- Understanding how Plants Literally Signal Insects to Come Devour Them: Tuning Into Nature by Phil Callahan
- Identifying Pests and Organic Solutions: Texas Bug Book by C.Malcolm Beck and John Howard Garrett
- Soil Food Web and Compost Tea: Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis
- Organic Soil Testing: Texas Plant & Soil at www.TexasPlantAndSoil.com or call at 956-383-0739.
- For a copy of these notes, compost tea recipes and many links to natural and organic resources, visit my blog at www.NaturalGardener.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment