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BENEFITS OF ORGANIC GARDENING
Organic gardening works in harmony with mother nature and her natural gifts of health providing plants. Chemically laden fertilizers end up polluting our rivers, streams, lakes and other ground water resources. Practicing organic gardening methods is essential for the growing of items such as herbs, vegetables and fruits that are going to be consumed as part of your diet.

There are a myriad of reasons to practice organic gardening techniques. According to Patricia S. Michalak, in the book Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening Herbs (Rodale Press, 1993), "The goal of the organic gardener is to keep all the natural cycles in balance."

NATURAL PEST CONTROLS
The organic gardener should try to encourage beneficial creatures to their yard. Beneficial insects will eat a variety of harmful pests that may infest your garden from time to time. For example, ladybugs love to feast on aphids and mealy bugs. Utilizing natural pest controls may lessen or even eliminate your need to use harmful chemical based pesticides.

Common beneficial creatures that should be welcomed into your yard include green lacewings, ladybugs, tachinid flies, parasitic wasps, syrphid flies, spiders, lizards, snakes, birds, and toads. Many garden supply companies sell beneficial insects, such as lady bugs and green lacewings, which can be released into your garden when needed. Instructions for utilizing these organic pest controls are included with your shipment of beneficial insects. Organic based insecticides, such as cayenne pepper spray and insecticidal soap, can be purchased at garden supply stores.

A FEW ORGANIC PEST CONTROLS:
1. Cayenne pepper spray

2. Garlic spray

3. Insecticidal soap spray

4. Take a walk through your garden and hand pick bugs and other pests from plants at least once a week

5. Use diatomaceous earth dusted on your plants to help kill pests such as cutworms and hornworms. Use this material with caution as it will also kill beneficial critters such as the caterpillars of butterflies. As I am an avid butterfly gardener I have discontinued the use of diatomaceous earth in my garden and prefer to handpick the larger pests from my plants.

6. Place a ring of wood ash around the base of plants that are bothered by soft bodied pests such as snails, slugs, cut worms and cabbage maggots. The sharp edges of the material discourages these pests from crawling to your plants and doing their damage.

7. A blast of water from your garden hose can help to wash off smaller

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