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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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July 1, 2008 |
A Publication of QVHD |
What Happened to My Garden?
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
A true gardener knows that
there are lots of pests and diseases that can destroy a garden. But
don't panic at the first sighting of an insect or weed. There are many
insects and some weedy-looking plants that are beneficial to your
garden. While your instincts tell you to run to the garden center and
get an insecticide, the gardener who resorts to using chemical
preparations of pesticides or fertilizers to solve their problem too
often may be causing great harm to their back yard. There may be times
when this is the only route to go, but there may also be alternative
solutions to pesticides. For example, you may know that you can use a
shallow dish of beer to trap slugs and snails. (You can even hand
capture them!) But did you know that many insects (and some animals)
despise the smell and taste of cayenne pepper?
Before you dump a lot of chemicals onto your plants and into your soil,
stop and take a deep breath. The first step should be to identify what
the problem is so you can take the correct action. You may be able to
take a more “garden-friendly” approach, rather than using a toxic
chemical. The CT Agricultural Center, located in New Haven , provides
comprehensive services that can help you diagnose your problem and offer
treatment suggestions. You can bring them soil samples, damaged plants
or an insect that is eating your plants. Call 974-8600 for questions
about plants and insects or 974-8521 for specific instructions on how to
bring them a soil sample. Your local library and the internet can also
be of great value in identifying garden problems.
There are several gardening actions that can help to keep your garden
healthy. Companion Planting can help to repel bugs. There are certain
plants that bugs do not like. Planting those with other plants may help
keep harmful insects away. Plants that repel bugs include: nasturtium,
tansy, euphoria, rue, dahlias, marigolds, cosmos, coreopsis, garlic,
chive, rosemary, petunias and thyme. Vary the plants in your garden.
Single species of plants can become targets for specific pests. Import
good insects . Did you know you can buy ladybugs and preying mantis eggs
at garden centers and from some seed catalogs? The reason is these bugs,
along with green lacewings, dragonflies, bees and some others, eat
harmful bugs in your garden. The larval stage of the ladybug looks like
a bug you would want to eliminate, but don't. They are even more
valuable to your garden than their parents. Use trap planting . Find out
what plants certain bugs like and plant them near the crop you are
trying to grow. For example, tomato worms like dill over tomatoes.
Maggots like radishes over corn. Use barriers such as collars made of
stiff paper or heavy plastic around the base of the plant. And here's an
old-fashioned idea: pick the bugs off by hand! Or try a good spraying of
cold water every day for a week, to get rid of mealy bugs or spider
mites. If this doesn't work, try adding some soap.
When all else fails and you must use chemicals, remember: Avoid use near
your water supply; Choose the right chemical for the job; Follow all
directions on the product, being sure to mix it correctly; Apply
according to the directions; Be sure to wash your produce well before
you eat it; Store chemicals in properly labeled containers and keep them
out of the reach of children; Keep children and pets away from areas
where you mix or apply pesticides.
Healthy gardening requires some work on your part. Many garden problems
can be solved with a little research. Your local library will have many
gardening books. If you have access to the internet, you may find the
following websites useful for learning about garden solutions:
www.gardening.cornell.edu/
; www.uri.edu/cels/ceac;
www.ladybug.uconn.edu/gardening/horticulture.html (go to fact sheets
for home gardening) www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/ District Residents can
receive a free written information about gardening safety. Call QVHD,
248-4528 or request via email at
info@qvhd.org.
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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