A simple way to help the planet

Check with local gardeners and local, regional, and national garden clubs. There are clubs that teach and promote organic gardening, such as the South Jersey Organic Gardening Club. They can provide names of local vendors. Some suppliers are small and do not, or cannot afford to, advertise widely. Some organic lawn care companies operate only in local or regional areas. The Organic Dutchman provides services in northern New Jersey. Visit web site www.organicdutchman.com

Search the web-enter "organic gardening," or a narrower subject ("non-chemical pesticides, "composting"). The more specific your search keywords, the better results you will get. For instance, "plants for sandy soil," "ground covers," "controlling cutworms." Enter your state, region, city for targeted results when you are looking for a supplier. But be careful! Unfortunately, there are not numerous outlets for organic garden supplies in New Jersey. Some centers advertise "natural" or "organic" but do not have the supplies or their web sites are not up-to-date. To avoid wasted trips, call ahead and ask if they carry particular products.

If you ask if the supplier carries milky spore, parasitic wasp larvae, or insecticidal soaps and the response is, "what's that?" you know you have the wrong vendor! However, even traditional suppliers like Home Depot carry some "non-poison" sprays (read the label carefully) and Japanese beetle traps, so don't necessarily avoid those outlets.

Remember that retailers, even online and "organic" retailers are trying to sell products, not necessarily the best products. They may not tell you the negatives about a product. For instance, Japanese beetle traps attract beetles from a wide area. Many gardeners believe that Japanese beetle traps make the problem worse.

Online retailers and gardening catalogs often offer products for less than bricks and mortar stores, and may have seasonal specials. When shopping online, if the supplier's site does not offer information about contraindications or the time frame for application, consult another site or publication for that information. For instance, milky spore is excellent for controlling Japanese beetles, or rather, the grubs that become Japanese beetles, but must be applied at the time period that the grubs are beneath the soil. That time is different in different gardening zones. If you have a very small lawn that does not support a large grub population, or are in an area where you see only a few beetles in normal years, it may not be worthwhile to apply milky spore. Hand removal may be all you need. An advantage of milky spore is that although it does not harm beneficial insects, it spreads in the soil over the years. It may seem expensive, but if applied properly, it should not need to be applied repetitively.

Some specific resources:

Organic Gardening Magazine - a periodical that has been a resource for generations. The magazine itself has extensive advertising for earth-friendly products. There is now a website: www.organicgardening.com The website has an advice column called "Garden Girl" with an index of topics. You send a question about particular pests and plants, and receive a response.

County Agricultural Extension Services - be aware, however, that the Extension Services are not focused solely on organic solutions and may recommend traditional agricultural chemicals. Agricultural Colleges were established centuries ago when the goal was to increase farm yields and little was known about the dangerous effects of chemicals and hormones.

Research Farms and Foundations - There are many of these, which you will also find on the internet. A well known one is "Seeds of Change" Farm near Santa Fe, NM. Products can be ordered from their web site, www.seedsofchange.com

The non-profit Greater Newark Conservancy in Newark NJ has an "earth friendly" lawn and landscaping service. They do not perform routine maintenance but they perform design and installation of appropriate plantings and grasses for a fee. The Conservancy is a well-known organization that promotes urban gardening, healthy eating, and land reclamation.

Garden Club of America, www.gcamerica.org - Almost a century old, GCA is an umbrella group for clubs in the US and Canada. GCA has evolved into a gardening and landscape organization that provides information, education, and supplies to help gardeners and landscapers achieve traditionally beautiful gardens and landscaping in an environmentally responsible way.

www.jerrybaker.com - online company headed by Jerry Baker, gardening personality, who relies heavily on gardening folk remedies. Supplies products, a free online newsletter, web site with pages about many different topics, including making low cost gardening products from common supermarket items. Some public broadcasting stations carry his gardening show.

Gurney's Seed & Nursery Company, P. O. Box 4178, Greendale, IN 47025
Gurney's is a traditional seed and plant nursery but its catalog does offer some products like traps, non toxic sprays, and beneficial insect larvae. www.Gurneys.com

Gardens Alive! is a well-established mail order supplier of organic products. Visit the website www.gardensalive.com. Gardens Alive! no longer has a toll free number.

www.extremelygreen.com - online organic garden supplies. This site provides an alphabetical table of the common names of garden pests, with the organic pesticides that can be used for each. By clicking on the links in the table, the gardener will be taken to an independent website that gives factual information about the use of the product AND color photographs that are invaluable for identifying pests' larval and adult stages. It provides detailed information about each organic pesticide.

There are many "green" companies that sell through catalogs and websites. You can even buy rechargeable battery-operated lawn mowers that are adequate for small space. Always compare, however. Some organic and "green" products are expensive because generally they are not mass produced and are grown or manufactured in the US or Canada.

Click below to see beautiful natural NJ areas which are pesticide-free!