Controlling garden pests organically

Growing vegetables organically takes patience and persistence. Keeping your plants strong and healthy is the best defense against insect and disease damage. This means planting your tomatoes, vegetables and flowers in good soil, in the right light and then feeding and watering them on a regular basis. When a problem does come up, there are a number of products you can use to control grasshoppers, slugs, flea beetle, and powdery mildew and so on. Understanding what the problem is and how each product works will help you apply these controls so they are most effective.

Sulfur will help control powdery mildew, rust and leaf spot. It will also control thrip and mites. Apply sulfur directly on the plant and to the ground under your plants.

The special soap formula in Safer® Insect Killing Soap controls aphids and many other garden and home pests.

If you have powdery mildew and insect problems, use Safer®   3-in-1.

Neem Oil is another broad spectrum product for use on insects, rust, powdery mildew and insects.  Neem oil is a vegetable oil pressed from the seeds and fruit of the Neem tree. Neem oil works on sucking and chewing insects.

Slugs and earwigs can be controlled with Sluggo® Plus.  

Food grade Diatomaceous Earth is a powder made from the fossils of water plants. It is very sharp and kills insects that come in contact with it, including slugs and grasshoppers.

Colorado-made Nolo Bait™ is a biological insecticide to use when you have grasshoppers. It will kill very young grasshoppers and it causes older grasshoppers to stop eating and reproducing. You’ll still see them hanging around the garden, but they’re not doing any harm. It’s important remember when you use these products in your garden they may work differently than conventional pesticides. Also, even though the label says its “natural” or “organic”, it’s still a pesticide, so read the label carefully before you apply it. If you’re not sure what the garden problem is bring us a sample so we can identify it specifically and recommend the right solution for you.