Green Solutions to Garden Pests

Oh no! My organic garden is being consumed by organic bugs! Now what do I do?

Green is definitely the color of the decade, and more and more gardeners are turning to organic gardening principles for their landscapes and kitchen gardens. But what do you do when the hordes attack? Just because your harvest is in danger of premature consumption, doesn’t mean you have to abandon all your “green” principles. You are not defenseless!

Before reaching for the sprayer, consider all aspects of the problem. Chemicals, even organic ones, are only one weapon in your arsenal.

 

Slugs!

Q: I’ve noticed slime trails in my garden and the lower leaves of my flowers are full of holes. What is going on?

A: Gardeners aren’t complaining about the amount of rain we’ve received this summer, but it brought with it uninvited guests – slugs. More like an oyster than an insect, slugs are soft-bodied gastropods that resemble snails without shells.

These slimy creatures can wreak havoc in the garden, feeding on the leaves of many plants, flowers, vegetables and fruits. They have file-like mouthparts used to rasp and chew plant material. Evidence of slug damage is irregular-shaped holes in leaves, especially lower ones. Entire leaves may be eaten, so the best way to identify slug damage is silvery slime trails left on the ground around the plant. Slugs are creatures of the night, feeding and foraging when it is dark and cool. You’ll have a hard time finding them on a sunny day; they hide under decomposing debris or in soil cracks to avoid the sun and dehydration.