DE question

[desertgirl]

I already put De in my chicken coop to keep the bugs at bay, but would like to use in my organic garden (especially for the much feared squash and cucumber predators). But if it won't work when it is wet, how do I water the garden and still have effective DE??!!

 

[simple life]

I think you will have to put done the de and not water for a couple of days while it does its work and then water the beds and after the plants are somewhat dry use the de again.
Its not really the best way to go due to having to constantly reapply it and I am not sure how well it work.
I use it in my coops too but not in my garden. I am a beekeeper and I wouldn't put de in the garden, I have seen my bees climb all over a plant and even walk all over the soil in my beds so its not just the blossoms.
Have you thought of using BT instead? I think it will work much better for this type of situation and alot safer for the bees.

 

[desertgirl]

BT? Tell me more!

 

[patandchickens]

Bt is Bacillus thuringiensis (sp?), a bacteria that kills caterpillers. (There are also other strains that affect mosquitoes and gnats). It is good for if your problem is caterpillers and you catch it pretty early.

Personally I am leery of using DE in the garden since it is TOTALLY nonselective and kills 'good' and 'neutral' invertebrates just as dead as it kills the pest species.

I would suggest using it only if you have a serious infestation that is really gonna hurt your harvest. Plants that are well-grown and healthy can perfectly well tolerate *some* buggies gnawin' on them. So unless it's hurting the plant, or is some pest that you know from experience is quite likely to have its population explode soon to the point it *does* hurt the plant, really I think in organic gardening it is better to focus on getting the soil and plants as healthy as possible, and to a large extent just let the bugs be

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[vfem]

I think Pat is right. Unless its a serious infestation you are having I wouldn't treat or anything right now. Getting a few bugs here and there won't kill or destroy a harvest from healthy plants.

Try some organic solutions like companion planting, bowls of beer or oyster shell for slugs, and I saw a suggestion for a bowl or bucket of yellow died water to attract cucumber beetles AWAY from your garden.

I would wait until you see a problem arise, like when it is too much to go out and pick the bugs off by hand.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Years ago when I first heard of BT, it sounded really good, then as time went on I found out different. Here are two articles that can assist you in your decision.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/04/14-1

BT does not discriminate between pest and helper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

note:

There is evidence of hive collapse, generating resistant genes and effects on the Monarch Butterfly.

 

[simple life]

I think there is a difference in using it in the garden on occasion when other organic methods fail as opposed to genetically modifying crops with it.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

When anything is added to the environment, whether it is by a private entity or an industrial oneit is adding to the biological "load" to the entire ecosystem.

How much the environment can handle until there is a failure to thrive is unknown.

 

[hoodat]

I think there is a difference in using it in the garden on occasion when other organic methods fail as opposed to genetically modifying crops with it.

That d%&n genetically modified corn that has BT in it's genes is sure to grow strains of catterpillars that are immune to it and we will just be out one more good organic tool.