The Holistic Gardening Series: Organic Helps & Solutions

Gardening is a lot like everyday life. We breeze along, day in and day out, Cabbage and sooner or later, we all hit a snag. The same thing happens in our gardens. Everything is going great guns when WHAM! we notice an infestation of aphids, or perhaps the rose has powdery mildew. Just like everyday life, there is more than one solution to a given problem; the choices we have, though, have to be made with care so we do not end up creating new problems.

This is why I am such an advocate of organic gardening methods. There are easier solutions to many problems, to be sure; unfortunately, those easier solutions often create other problems by hurting the environment or other living creatures. We have to take a responsible stance, and look at the consequences of how we garden.

While organic gardening is safer than other methods, we still have to exercise caution with some of the methods we use. Most organic products are relatively harmless, but if used indiscriminately or improperly, there still can be possible harm to other organisms or animals. For example, Rotenone, an organic pesticide, is safe when used as instructed, but if used near a pond or any place where runoff to a waterway might be a problem, harm can occur to aquatic animals until the product breaks down.

So, why go through all the effort and bother to garden organically? Because most, if not all, organic materials are relatively safe when used as directed and because most of the organic materials we use break down to harmless substances in a relatively short period of time. Synthetic chemical compounds can remain active for years, and can pose a serious threat to the long-term health of the environment. Organic gardening methods clearly offers the more responsible way to garden.

This three-part article is one in the series, Holistic Gardening. Here we will discover some organic solutions to various problems that arise in the garden.

Baking Soda Spray

This spray is very good for preventing powdery mildew on plants, including roses. It will also offer a measure of protection against Black Spot:

1 tsp of baking soda
1 quart water

Spray on plant foliage and stems, covering all surfaces.

Milk, The Wonder Product!

Why does an alkaline, baking soda, and an acid, the lactic acid in milk, work so effectively in suppressing Black Spot and Powdery Mildew? It is because the spores of both of these diseases have such a narrow range of pH in which they can survive. Alter the pH a few degrees more alkaline or acidic, and the spores cannot survive.

--Mix together milk and water, 50:50, spray on roses at this rate. This helps to prevent Powdery Mildew and Black Spot.

--Mix 1 part milk to 8 parts water, spray on cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins, lettuce, and tomatoes to treat powdery mildew and to help prevent tobacco mosaic disease.

NEEM Oil

If you want a good insecticide and a good fungicide, you might wish to try NEEM oil, which is an extract of a plant. It is very good at controlling chewing insects and for controlling Powdery Mildew and Black Spot. I have found it to be a very good deterrent for Japanese Beetles. An important plus is that it is biodegradable, and as such, breaks down relatively quickly.

Uses For Cornmeal, Including On Roses

--Dust the ground around tomatoes with cornmeal for cutworm control. It also helps to ward-off fungal diseases of tomatoes. Reapply as needed, when you can no longer see the cornmeal on the soil.

--Dust the ground around roses with cornmeal, and water in. This helps to eliminate black spot spores that attack roses, and also helps to eliminate the spores in the soil around roses.

Basic Cornell Spray: For Control Of Black spot & Powdery Mildew

This was developed by Cornell University for foliar diseases on roses. Do not substitute vegetable oil spray for the summer weight agricultural oil, it doesn't emulsify in suspension when water is added. The lightweight oil also is an added protection against disease and pests. Another tip I have learned is to spray this in the evening, around or just after supper time. Do not spray this in the hottest part of the day:

2tbs Horticultural Oil (Sunspray or Volk Oil)
1 tbsp of baking soda

Add to 1 gallon of water and spray leaf surfaces LIGHTLY, not to dripping. Reapply every two weeks.

Molasses Fungal Disease Deterrent For Tomatoes

2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses mixed into a gallon of water and water the tomatoes. Can also be used as a foliar spray.

Slug Spray

Mix one part no suds ammonia and two parts water and spray on a day below 80 degrees.

Insect Pest Barrier

Milk cartons with both ends cut out with a band of sticky or greasy material such as Vaseline applied to the exterior of the carton, placed snugly in the soil enclosing the plant will serve as a physical barrier to many pests.