Sir Francis Bacon must have drummed up his famous quote, “Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed,” while battling weeds and bugs, because it could be the tenet of organic gardening.

Organic gardening may seem complicated in practice, but for the home gardener it requires you to do only two things: embrace the concept of balance in nature and understand that perfection is a human construct. In other words, get over yourself! The things we call pests are really neither good nor evil—just organisms trying to eke out a living.

Tipping the balance in our favour is possible, as long as we understand that eradicating all “pests” is neither practical nor desirable. Gardens never will be, nor should be, completely devoid of aphids, thistles or disease. Once you make peace with that, organic gardening at home comes down to a few basic principles.
Garbage in, garbage out Sow or transplant only healthy and vigorous varieties of plants. Poor-quality plants can’t fend off diseases or pests and aren’t worth your time, effort or money. Investing in compost, well-rotted manures and high-quality topsoils is critical to keeping plants healthy.

Respect “pests” In a natural ecosystem, they’re kept in check by a system of predators and prey. The vast majority of bugs are beneficial or benign. Beneficial insects like ladybugs consume a large number of pests like aphids; ground beetles consume larger insect prey, such as caterpillars.

Think biodiversity Growing a wide range of plant species in your yard is like rolling out a welcome mat for beneficial insects, as each one has its own relationships in the ecosystem. Hover flies, for example, find chrysanthemum flowers irresistible; hover fly larvae love nothing better than munching on aphids.

Act early, not often Weeds will always find their way into your yard, but the trick is to hand pick or hoe them out as soon as they arrive. Similarly, insecticidal soaps and oils can be used for organic pest control but should ideally be used early, prior to explosions in insect pest populations.

Be flexible Unless you are a commercial grower seeking organic certification, you are free to modify “organic” practices. A simple hybrid philosophy would be to use the least amount of chemical whenever possible and then to use it only as a last resort. wl

Insect Repellent
Some essential tools and advice for weed and pest control.

Stirrup Hoe An agile, lightweight and effective tool for removing weeds.

Compost Loose, aerated soil is not only good for plants, it makes pulling weeds much easier.

Soaps and Oils Read the labels and apply accordingly, as pesticide-
alternatives for controlling bugs.

Appearance Pear-shaped and usually green, but can be black, brown, grey, yellow, red or purple. They may or may not have wings.
Signs The excess sugar aphids eat is excreted in the form of visible, sticky honeydew. Also watch for the white skins that aphids shed as they grow.
Location Aphids cluster on stems and under new-growth leaves. They prefer yellowish-green plants.
Treatment Thorough application of an insecticidal soap weekly. For most brands, if the soap doesn’t cover the aphids’ bodies, it won’t kill them—so apply liberally.