Organic materials are replacing environmentally unsafe chemicals in controlling garden pests, fungi and weeds.
Microbes, insecticides and repellants made from plant extracts and even certain naturally occurring minerals are being used to control unwanted pests.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), Bacillus subtilis, Gliocladium virens and Saccharopolyspora spinosa are microbial bacteria which affect a variety of pests. Each acts in different ways in killing or preventing pests from damaging vegetation.
Insecticidal soaps works well in killing a wide variety of insects, including aphids, grasshoppers, earwigs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, sawfly larvae and spider mites, to name just a few.
Horticultural oils, mostly made from Neem oil, kill small, soft-bodied insects.
Pyrethrum and pyrethrins are chemicals extracted from chrysanthemums. D-limonene is an element in citrus oil. Diatomaceous earth consists of finely ground shells of fossilized creatures called diatoms.
Corn gluten is a byproduct of the corn milling process and in some studies, has a significant impact on weeds.
Boric acid is a natural compound and is often the “secret” ingredient in many insecticides.
Nicotine comes from the tobacco plant, of course. Pure nicotine is highly toxic to mammals. However it works extremely well against aphids, leaf hoppers, white flies and thrips.
Rotenone is an extract of the Derris plant, which is native to South America. Used to control aphids, caterpillars and some beetles, it is harmless to plants, moderately harmful to mammals and highly toxic to fish.
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