Landscaping at Tom's Thumb is making a commitment to organic herbicides and insecticides. This means that we are phasing out the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides and switching to organic products. I wanted to share some of the things we already knew and some we've learned so far.
Just because something is organic does not mean it isn't toxic. In general, the organic options are less toxic, but you do still need to read labels and use a similar amount of care that you would use with a chemical insecticide. Spinosad is an effective organic insecticide; however, it will kill bees if applied to the flowers when bees are frequenting them. Oils are non-toxic but can still kill a plant if applied in the heat of the Galveston summer sun.
One of our favorite organic products for insects is Neem oil, and it's been a very buggy summer. It works well for most insects, but there are a few tips and tricks to make it the most effective product it can be. First off, in this heat, you need to be spraying at the end of the day or you will burn the plant. Second, Neem is an oil that smothers the insects, so it needs to be applied to all surfaces where the insects are, top and bottom of leaves.
We appreciate you and hope that we continue to work together and support each other in our efforts to be more organic.
