Killing them softly

I am hellbent on being organic in the garden. What that means to me is pretty simple. No chemicals. Any pesticides or fertilizers I use are derived from natural sources. My reasons for being so stringent are many fold. I eat what I grow so I really don't want to take any chances with chemical pesticides. Besides killing the bad guys most of these controls also take out the beneficial insects in your garden. And eventually, as most commercial growers have come to find out, insects become resistant to these chemicals. So why start the arms race? It is a war you cannot win.

So when the inevitable chew holes started showing up on my young plants I started going through my alternatives. Big holes on leaves usually means slugs and/or snails. These are pretty easy to take care off. If you see them smash them. For the ones that are good at playing hide-n-seek dust the ground around your plants with diatomaceous earth. Soft bodied pests can't stand this stuff. Apparently it would be the equivalent of you sliding on your belly over crushed glass dusted with a little lye. It is relatively cheap and non-toxic ( you still should not breathe it in though - dust is bad for your lungs).

I'm going to wait and see if that cures my problem for now. I have found that most gardeners overreact and cause more harm by applying unnecessary controls. Chill out man! It's supposed to be relaxing( I tell myself).