GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

phorbin · 24-08-2008, 09:28 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible,rec.gardens

In article , lid says...

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
Pags, she's not getting it. When I saw that list of pesticides...who
boy. She doesn't get that, if you nurture the soil with compost you
make for FREE or buy relatively inexpensively she wouldn't need all
the pesticides. But, alas, brick wall and all...

You're another frothing fanatic who doesn't "get it." All our gardens are
loaded with organic matter. Lying by YOU to further your "organic" agenda
wont change that fact. Stop using me as an excuse to get on your
anti-chemical soap box. Organic matter in the soil has no effect on crop
pests and plant disease.

No one has said it this way, so I will.

There are three integrated subjects: Pests, soil, environment. If you
ignore any of these in considering this year's problems you may be beset
by them again next year.

With regards to the pests, clearly what you've always done has failed or
is failing miserably.

The people you've posed the question to have all given their perspective
and many responses have been quite correct.

They may not answer what you see as the urgency of your situation, but
you would be served better by following up on some of them as part of an
overall plan.

The one consideration I'd like to present with regards to your
particular insect problem is pesticide resistance. If they are
resistant, the only long term practical solutions, are likely organic
ones.

With regards to the soil, iron is a micronutrient and unless something
is seriously out of whack with your land, you don't need it. If this
year's analysis says you do, kelp as a soil amendment should answer the
issue with relatively little work and with 60 or so other micronutrients
as part of the package.

If you are going by an analysis done in years gone by, you need a new
one.

In response to your comment about organic matter in the soil I'd like to
say that the healthier the soil, the healthier the plants, the less
tendency for the plants to attract garden pests.

If you've been consistently using both pesticides and herbicides over
the years, your garden's soil has probably lost some or much of the
biodiversity that builds soil, and when you build up the biodiversity
with compost each time you use the poisons, you kill it again.