Organic Alternatives

Is your family safe?

Organic Alternatives

Everyone is gradually becoming more environmentally conscious, much of this is due to the recent popularity and widespread availability of organic foods from top-notch retailers as well as local specialty stores. So what are gardeners looking for when considering organic alternatives? After effectiveness, the number one interest is in safety - safety for pets and children playing in or near gardens and the safety of the overall environment.

I like to explain the difference between chemical and organic fertilizers by comparing them to taking a Vitamin C pill vs. drinking a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Sure, you’ll get the same Vitamin C from each, but you’ll get so many additional nutrients from the juice. For the soil and plants, it’s a similar story. Chemical fertilizers supply the basics, but good organic fertilizers provide so many additional, much needed micro-organisms and enzymes, essential for healthy growth.

Topsoil in our area has suffered over the years with the building industry disturbing nutrients and structure as they excavate our landscape, moving it around in so many different directions. The need for replacing natural elements in the soil is essential to promote better growth in the plants that inhabit it. For the organic gardener wishing to grow their own gardens, more products are now available to fill this demand. Let’s take a look at some of these “organics” for the organic gardener.

For lawn care, several products currently dominate the scene: Espoma Organic Lawn Food, an excellent fertilizer. Ringer Lawn Restore, an organic fertilizer rich in micro-organisms and enzymes designed to repair a weak or stressed lawn, or consider the all natural weed preventer and fertilizer by Concern. These really help to build the soil and make grass grow better and faster, by absorbing nutrients more thoroughly and efficiently.

Organic fungicides and insecticides are just as important in your garden as the organic fertilizers. These can be used to eliminate insects and diseases in and on your plants. Organocide, a patented blend of sesame and fish oils by Organic Laboratories  has insecticidal properties that controls aphids, fungus gnats, wooly adelgid, leaf miner, leaf-rollers, mealy bugs, scales, spider mites, thrips and whiteflies. It also has fungicidal properties that fight powdery mildew and black spot on roses.   Organocide is so safe it can be sprayed at harvest time or even indoors. Serenade Garden Disease Control is a broad spectrum, preventative bio-fungicide recommended for the control or suppression of many familiar plant diseases. It may be used on vegetables, fruits and nuts in addition to annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs located in residential landscapes and interiorscapes. Serenade can also be applied up to the day of harvest, both Organocide and Serenade are OMRI listed (Organic Material Review Institute).

 So the next time you think about picking up a fertilizer, fungicide, weed killer or insecticide for your garden, take a moment to consider the benefits of going organic. After all, it costs about the same as the chemical version. And who knows? Maybe you’ll feel good about doing your part to help make our area’s soil richer, stronger, and more conducive to fostering healthy plant growth!

 Written by: Dean Long, Purchasing Manager for Esbenshade’s Garden Centers.