GREEN
GARDENING WITHOUT
CHEMICALS
BY LUCY SIMPSON, MANAGER
AT POUNDBURY GARDENS
I
ANTIQUE, PRE-OWNED & NEW
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have been saying for some time that whether you want to or
not we will all be organic gardeners before long. This is due
to a number of factors including the not insignificant number
of gardeners who actively want to reduce the level of harmful
chemicals they use in their garden but mostly it’s down to the
fact that the range of chemicals available to the amateur gardener is
in decline.
Firstly I would start by selecting the right plants for the conditions
that you have in your own garden. Garden with nature rather than
fight against it would be my motto. This includes selecting plants that
will cope with, or even better that will enjoy the soil in your garden.
By this I’m referring to soil type such as whether your soil is clay
based or sandy as well as the pH of the soil. Both will affect the type
of plants that will thrive. For example silver leaved plants such as
Lavender will love a free draining sandy soil whereas Camellias won’t
enjoy an alkaline soil.
I would also ensure that plants are well looked after at the time
of planting with the use of planting composts to improve the soil
conditions and also the addition of Rootgrow in each planting hole.
Rootgrow contains naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi which not
only act as an extension of the root system but also will protect the
plant from invasion by soil borne pathogens.
Mulching after planting with an organic material such as Mulch
and Mix will keep moisture in the soil, will reduce weed growth and
also improve soil structure and fertility in the long term. Combine
this with regular watering so that the plant is never under stress
and a sensible feed programme and plants will be in robust form to
withstand attack from pest and disease.
There are many examples of plants with natural pest and disease
resistance. Many of the seed companies will list these attributes on
the packets. Take for example Cucumber Diva which is resistant to
Downy and Powdery mildew. Both of these were problem diseases in
2014 but there are very few chemicals to control either.
Companion planting is the use of combinations of plants that
confer upon each other mutual benefits or where one plant assists
another. An example of this is the use of French Marigolds amongst
tomatoes in the greenhouse. Either whitefly don’t like the smell of
the marigolds or it confuses them so that they aren’t aware of the
tomatoes but whichever is the case the tomatoes are protected. Other
examples include the use of plants such as the Poached Egg Plant
which attracts beneficial insects including hoverflies which are very
effective predators of a number of insect pests. In a different form of
companion planting Nasturtiums can be used to lure away caterpillar
attack from cabbages.
Garden with nature rather than fight
against it would be my motto.
Cultural methods can also be useful. Keeping the humidity levels up
in a greenhouse will reduce the incidence of red spider mite and again
in the greenhouse air movement can keep fungal attacks down.
There are then some very clever insect traps such as the Pheromone
traps for codling moth in apples, plum maggot and also leek moth.
These traps need to be set up amongst the crop and will attract the
male moths which then get stuck to a sticky pad in the trap.
Biological control is on the increase. This utilises naturally
occurring predators and parasites of insect pests which are
introduced to crops. There are many available for greenhouse use
against aphid, red spider mite, whitefly and mealy bug but also now
for outdoor use are controls against slugs, leatherjackets and vine
weevil. The treatment should be applied in September and October
and is available through Poundbury Gardens.
Many of these methods require a bit more planning and thinking,
but with a bit of effort they are just as useful and much kinder to
the environment.
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