Don’t ask me why, but I’m suddenly thinking about my vegetable garden. For the past few weeks our backyard and my garden have been sitting there under a three-foot blanket of snow. Here in the nation’s capital metro area we’ve had the greatest snowfall for an entire winter already. I’ve measured more than 60 inches at our house. The average is 15 for winter season. Maybe I’m thinking ahead because by this morning, I almost can see the earth in the garden plot.
I have mixed feelings about gardening, however. I love the fresh tomatoes and beans I grow, but fighting the pests is a never-ending battle. There are the chipmunks, the deer, the bugs and the fungi, always on hand to share the fruits of my labor. I’ve used netting to finally keep the animals away, thank goodness. But the insects –– most notably, the red spider mites–– and the fungi are another matter. I have been using an organic fungicide and insecticide and this works for most of the summer, but I invariably lose the battle.
So this is why I was encouraged to find a very interesting ACS Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast on our Press Room Web page this afternoon. It talks about using “killer” spices as organic pesticides. Natural pesticides made of spices show promise as an eco-friendly way to fight insects that destroy organic food crops.
Mention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. These well-known spices are emerging as organic agriculture’s key weapons against insect pests. Scientists in Canada are reporting new research on these so-called “essential oil pesticides” or “killer spices.” These pesticides have added to the crop-preserving arsenal of organic growers and offer several advantages over their counterparts — they’re readily available and don’t require lots of regulatory approval. And they’re safer for farm workers, who are at high risk for pesticide exposure.
As spring very slowly approaches, if you want to get a head start on protecting your veggies or flowers, I invite you to check out this neat podcast at
spices.
Image courtesy of Martin Dee, University of British Columbia
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