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Shielding your home garden
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There are several eco-friendly ways to shield your greenery from unwanted pests
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GREEN & ORANGE: Tall trees and water bodies attract birds for natural pest control.
Green and verdant — that’s what you want your garden to be. Because, green patches are no more detached from the living area to be small narrow strips of this-and-that plants; neither do they belong to the backyard with a few trees and a well in the corner that would bag occasional visits. Gardens are no more a separate entity, they are integral to living itself and are fundamental to the milieu of a vibrant house.
So, how do you protect the assortment of green and still make it safe for human beings to deal with it, given the fact that insects and rodents are special guests of the green? How do you ensure that your garden has unpolluted air for inhaling fresh air during your morning sojourn and your flowers safe to smell the aroma in them? It’s all in the use of the right pesticides.
The biggest threat to your garden is the unwanted insects that eat and destroy your plants and flowers. Pesticides are the only way out but it is a high-risk factor in the long run.
Says Siddaramaiah, seasoned gardener who is maintaining 40 home-gardens across the city, “The best way to get rid of unwanted insects from your garden is to use organic methods with cow-dung along with smearing of special clay, neem powder, salt and turmeric that is healthy and environment-friendly. Planting neem on the compound sides is another protection as it has anti-bacterial properties. Dried leaf and flowers from the garden and organic waste from the kitchen are also natural re-use manure.”
Not all insects are bad…there exist beneficial insects too like the bees and ladybugs that naturally kill unwanted pests. Chemical pesticides can destroy helpful insects too along with the useless ones and pollute your soil. If you use chemical pesticides over and over again, there is a hidden danger of the pests getting immune and attacking your garden with double vigour. Natural pesticides are but the best way one can handle the issue.
Harmful insects can be done away with only by tolerating helpful insects in your garden. “Another important point for a healthy and pest-free garden is to refrain from harming the local bird population. They are natural enemies of pests as pests are the best dishes for birds,” says Siddaramaiah.
0“The use of unhealthy chemicals will affect the birds too, which could eventually destroy them in your neighbourhood. Silver oak and mango trees and sunflowers are what birds get attracted to. Plant them in your garden and place a bird bath that could help them become regular visitors.”
Some tips
* Cover your garden with thin nets that act as perfect barriers. There will be a drastic fall in flying insects.
* Spray soap solutions towards the evening.
* Organic plant sprays such as a mixture of water and petroleum oil is an example of organic pest control.
* Use herbicides to clear roadside weeds, trees and brush. They can also kill invasive weeds in parks and wilderness areas which may cause environmental damage.
* Uncontrolled pests such as termite mould can damage houses. Only regular sprays will keep them at bay.
In the U.S., farmers get an estimated four-fold return on the money they spend on organic pesticides.
Ranjani Govind, Bangalore
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