This article was written specifically for home gardeners, those in particular whose financial well being doesn’t depend on the success of a given crop. In many ways the general idea of this — the whole concept of not freaking out over pests — applies to all, but this post has narrower focus. Commercial growers, for obvious economic reasons, must take pests very seriously. We’ve worked with commercial growers for years, but the rest of us, the majority, those who toil in the garden or tend a lawn, can and should relax a bit.
If per chance one reads into the whole relax concept and takes from it that their garden is somehow unimportant, we know that’s not so. We know your garden is important, just as our gardens are. The point is to question how we define this importance and to what lengths do we go for it. Are we willing to engage in chemical warfare? Not here, it’s not worth it to us.
The Back Story
When I was a kid I used to garden with my family. We had a huge vegetable garden. It was more than a hobby or passing diversion. Our goal was simple: to supplement our table fare. We succeeded every year. It was easy. Not in the physical sense, but it was purely organic and uncomplicated. Yields were big, harvests bountiful.
I remember pushing a wheelbarrow to a neighbor’s barn, filling it with cow manure, then struggling with it on the way home. We spread that on the garden, and that lead to weeds, of course, but we mulched them with lawn clippings — we didn’t have a great lawn, but it yielded crop after bumper-crop of clippings. That suppressed them. The rest we picked. There was a rule. Whenever you go into the garden, pick a weed.
We had a similar rule for pests. Speaking of which, we did have some, but nothing significant. I was old enough and interested enough to know this then as I do now. We picked bugs off and squished them. We used cat food cans with the ends cut off for cutworm control. We spread wood ash (to adjust the pH and temporarily deter slugs). Nothing we ever did to control pests came out of a can, needed to be mixed, or required a trip to town.
Gardening back then was, for us, a seat-of-the-pants affair. If we got the opportunity we grabbed some rabbit manure, or chicken manure, or llama manure. We made our own compost (and still do, it’s black gold). Home remedies and unwittingly organic methods ruled the day. Yes, unwittingly organic: we didn’t try to be organic, it’s how it would be done at our house was all. It was one of those “rules” I guess, though it was never spoken or pinned to the wall.
The Same Today
It’s the same today, though more planned and purposeful than it ever was before. It was fun back then and it is now. It’s just not meant to be or worth being anything but fun. It’s not worth resorting to chemical warfare that’s for sure. It’s not worth a picture-perfect lawn, not worth a weedless garden, or spotless spuds. And certainly not to impress the neighbors. That’s not what it’s all about.
The other day I noticed a bunch of aphids on some pink lupine going by the name of “Popsicle.” The aphids were lining the stems and buds. The plants seemed healthy, I wasn’t alarmed. I’ve certainly seen it before. I put some ladybugs on them. My primary action, though, was to squish them with my fingers.
I didn’t think too much about it. But later on that day I went to my friend Greg’s house. He and I were exchanging a few plants. He, too, likes his gardening. Over by his lupines I noticed some aphids. I mentioned them and told him I had some, too. His response: he walked over to the plants, said ayuh, do-at-dat
, bent down and started running his fingers up and down the stems squishing the buggers. How easy is that?
I asked, laughing. Greg was as relaxed about it as I was. His old school way inspired me to write this.
If you don’t depend on gardening (or growing a lawn for Pete’s sake!), it doesn’t have to be overwhelmingly difficult, and it should never be anything but enjoyable, satisfying, and healthy. If you don’t have the time or inclination to squish the aphids on your lupine or allow imperfections in your lawn, then you’re missing out. If you resort only to liquids and powders to make your garden nice, your lack of time and inclination might be affecting others, hurting the environment, and generally falling outside the definition of the aforementioned enjoyable, satisfying, and healthy.
Relax a bit, let some stuff slide, and get back to the basics. You don’t have to be a staunch organic gardener, just avoid being a nozzle head. Get to know your aphids next time you meet. Introduce yourself. Then shake their hands — shake them right off. Then pat them on the head or give them a nice hug. Have some fun.
