Everybody has got to eat…but

At GreenFriends Farm we recognize and accept that everything has to eat. We are happy to share, however, some of our friendly residents don’t realize the tomatoes (and cucumbers, etc.) are to be shared with humans. The insects and critters think otherwise. Some of our friends devoured this cucumber and nibbled at the tomatoes.

We want to take a natural and non-pesticide approach to protection. In our case, the team got creative to protect our produce. We try fake snakes. Oh, socks and bags can help.

There are several natural approaches to protecting the produce without resorting to pesticides. The tomato plants could have companion plants to ward off insects; plants such as basil and oregano, marigolds, cabbage, chives, parsley, mint, geraniums, and nasturtiums all help.

Attracting birds to the garden can also be beneficial. A recent article on the internet suggested chickadee parents need to capture 7,500 caterpillars to raise a family. That is a lot of caterpillars.

Time permitting, one could pick off the caterpillars, slugs, and snails and place them further away from the plants. Perhaps in an open area for birds to eat.

At GreenFriends Farm we use Hawk Perches to deter the larger residents such as rabbits, voles, mice, and squirrels. In the future, we might consider Barn Owl Nest boxes.

In short, there are many natural options to protect plants. The internet has lots of information to protect your garden efforts without resorting to pesticides.