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Solving Garden Problems with Natural Care
by Ann Lovejoy

For decades, I gardened organically without ever encountering problems that needed toxic chemical solutions. When I became the sales manager of Bainbridge Gardens, back in 2001, I quickly learned that my experience wasn’t enough. Gardeners transitioning from chemical gardening to natural care often need safe, simple solutions to a wide range of problems.

The reason was soon apparent. My simple gardening system involves lots of compost and soil amendments and enlisting beneficial critters like bees and ladybugs. Healthy soil promotes healthy plants that don’t need a lot of help from us. Beneficials often handle pest problems before they get out of control, again with little help.

However, gardeners transitioning from toxic weed-and-feed techniques had very different experiences. Chemically treated gardens are often overfed and over-watered to boot. This common combination leads to shallow roots and unhealthy soils. Since sustainable gardening is all about vigorous roots and healthy soil, the transition period can be difficult indeed.

Thus, I had to come up with a lot of those safe, simple solutions in a hurry. My co-manager and I did lots of research and located products and techniques that fit the bill. To find the best, we used them all ourselves and had the nursery staff do the same.

For years, the nursery managed their hundreds of rose bushes with a standard spray program, alternating fungicides and pesticides weekly to keep these primadonna plants clean. When I announced that we would now use compost tea instead, there was a long silence. Finally, one brave soul said, “You had better be right.”

Happily, the compost tea, along with the mycorrhizae, mineral supplements and liquid kelp we used were effective indeed. Our roses were healthy, our customers were happy, and soon we were making compost tea for customers as well.

The essence of natural care lies in preventing problems. I think of it as supporting the solution rather than attacking the problem. Most problems, from weeds to pests and diseases, have an underlying cause. The most common causes are poor soil preparation, under- or over-watering, and mismatching plants with locations.

Luckily, all of these problems are easily remedied with natural care techniques like using lots of compost and making sure bees, birds and beneficial bugs are safe in your backyard. Within a season or two, your garden can change from a fusspot time-consumer into a healthy, beautiful haven where you rest or play more than you work.

Seattle-area gardeners are extremely fortunate to have their local government actively involved in developing a comprehensive natural care program. At this point, only Denver and Toronto (Canada) have similar programs.

We are the beneficiaries of a great deal of research that is available free from most nurseries and from King County. By day, you can call the Natural Lawn & Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224. A quick resource available 24/7 can be found at dnr.metrokc.gov/swd/resrecy/composting/pesticides.asp.

Ann Lovejoy is the author of Northwest Gardening: Natural-Sustainable-Organic.

©2007 Caliope Publishing Company