Go Native, Choose Natural Alternatives!

Summary: Landscaping with native plants can significantly reduce the need for pesticides!

Description

Why Native Plants Matter?

Native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions where they naturally occur. These important plant species provide nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds, and other animals. Unlike natives, common horticultural plants do not fit the bill. These adaptations bring us several gardening advantages:

• Wildlife Viewing
  Native plants, birds, butterflies, beneficial insects, and interesting critters are "made for each other." Research shows that native wildlife prefers native plants.

• Save Water
  Once established, many native plants need minimal irrigation beyond normal rainfall.

• Low Maintenance
  Low maintenance landscaping methods are a natural fit with native plants that are already adapted to the local environment. Look forward to using less water, little to no fertilizer, little to no pesticides, less pruning, and less of your time.

• Pesticide Freedom
  Native plants have developed their own defenses against many pests and diseases. Since most pesticides kill indiscriminately, beneficial insects become secondary targets in the fight against pests. Reducing or eliminating pesticide use lets natural pest control take over and keeps garden toxins out of our creeks and watersheds.

• Support Local Ecology
  As development replaces natural habitats, planting gardens, parks, and roadsides with New York native plants can provide a "bridge" to nearby remaining wildlands.

Landscaping with native plants can significantly reduce the need for pesticides. Native plants are often resistant to harmful insects and attract beneficial creatures, allowing predatory insects to naturally control pests that would otherwise damage non-native plants. Additionally, because native plants are already adapted to the local climate, they require less water, special soil, or fertilizer. This makes it easier, more cost-effective, and chemical-free to maintain your garden.

When an insect or animal is destroying a garden or wreaking havoc on a lawn, potent chemical pesticides might seem like the obvious tool for dealing with the problem. But are they absolutely necessary? 

Non-chemical alternatives exist for most pesticides! Prior to the 1940s, synthetic pesticides did not exist. Instead, people created healthy and safe landscapes using cultural, biological, or mechanical methods. Many of these time-tested methods still work. 

We've put together a detailed list of alternative insecticides and pesticides. Check the Deep Dive tab and give them a try!

For more information, the Swampscott Conservancy offers resources on their website, including details on their Annual Native Plant Sale, Gardens Around Town, and Native Plant Lists.

Deep Dive

In this session, you'll discover two interesting facts and benefits of trees, as well as local resources and alternatives to insecticides and pesticides.

1. How much carbon dioxide can a tree remove from the atmosphere? Over the course of a year, a young tree can remove approximately 6 kilograms/13 pounds of atmospheric carbon dioxide. By the time that tree is ten years old, the amount of carbon dioxide it can absorb jumps to 22 kilograms/48 pounds. Within 50 years, a mature tree has removed almost one ton of carbon dioxide.

2. How do trees help cool the atmosphere? Trees cool the atmosphere and ground around them through transpiration, the process through which plants absorb water through their roots and release water vapor through the pores of their leaves. On a sunny day, a mature tree can transpire up to 100 liters of water and in the process convert 70 kilowatt-hours of solar energy into latent heat held in water vapor. Without tree cover, the soil  absorbs heat instead. This contributes to a rise in temperature not only of the ground, but also the surrounding atmosphere. 

General Resources

1. Incorporating Nature-based Solutions in Community Climate Adaptation Planning

2. Swampscott Tree Canopy Study

3. Town of Swampscott Organic Pest Management Policy

Alternative insecticides for the yard and garden:

• Diatomaceous earth

• Available at garden centers

• Affects crawling insects, such as snails and slugs

• Dust ground around plants with powdered diatomaceous earth (can also sprinkle directly on affected leaves)

• Needs to be reapplied after rain (or heavy watering)

• Neem oil

• Available at many garden centers

• Disrupts the life cycle of insects in any stage (egg, larvae, or adult)

• Biodegradable, nontoxic to pets, birds, fish, and other wildlife

• Don't pollute groundwater or runoff

• Won’t harm bees, butterflies, and ladybugs

• Effective against many common insect pests

• Effective against powdery mildew and other fungal infections

• To prepare for use, mix 2 teaspoons neem oil with 1 quart of water (option to mix 1 teaspoon mild liquid soap)

• To use, spray on affected plant foliage

• Spray early in the morning or in the evening. Avoid spraying during the heat of the day  when the combination of sun and oil can burn foliage.

• Peppermint, thyme, and rosemary oil repellent

• Mix equal parts (about 10 drops) peppermint, thyme, and rosemary essential oil in a spray bottle filled with water

• Spray around garden

• Repels (doesn’t kill) flies, fleas, mosquitoes, cabbage looper caterpillars, aphids, squash bugs, white flies, ants, beetles, spiders, chiggers, ticks, and roaches.

• Homemade Insecticidal soaps

• ​Spray directly on affected foliage (avoiding heat of the day)

• Affects many common garden pests

•  Oil spray

• Mix 1 cup vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon liquid soap (such as castile soap)

• To apply, mix 2 teaspoons of oil and soap mix with 1 quart of water. Shake, and spray directly on affected plants

• Avoid spraying during the heat of the day.

• Works on aphids, mites, thrips, etc.

• Soap spray

• Mix 1 ½ teaspoons of mild liquid soap (castile) with 1 quart of water.

• Spray directly on infected plants.

• Apply early in morning or in evening, not during the heat of the day.

• Works on mites, aphids, whiteflies, beetles, etc.

• For wasps or hornets nests:

• ​Peppermint or Tea Tree Oil Castile Soap Spray

• Add one cup of tea tree oil or peppermint liquid castile soap to a hose end sprayer.

• Attach to the hose and spray directly at the nest until it disintegrates or falls down.

• The soap suffocates the wasps or hornets and the peppermint or tea tree scent prevents them from coming back and rebuilding nests.

Alternative pesticides for the home:

• Peppermint oil

• Spider and ant repellant

• Mix about 5-7 drops of peppermint oil and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle filled with warm water, shake well

• Spray along windows, doors, and other places you might find spiders

• Mosquito repellant

• Place a few drops of peppermint oil in a shallow dish of water

• Place in the room where you want to deter mosquitoes

• Rodent repellent

• dip cotton balls or rags in peppermint oil and place around home (inside or outside) wherever the pest problem occurs

• Repels mice, rats, squirrels, and rabbits

Alternative pesticides for weeds:

Vinegar and hot water are effective at killing most weeds, but care must be taken because they could also kill surrounding plants you want to keep. These treatments are best used for treating weeds in sidewalk cracks, patios, or other hard surfaces.

• Vinegar

• Add a couple of drops of liquid soap to white vinegar to help it adhere to the plant

• Spray on a dry, sunny day

• Optional: add salt to prevent weeds from coming back. Salt will also inhibit other plants from growing, so only add salt where you know you never want anything to grow (ex: walkway, crack in sidewalk, etc.).

• Boiling water

• Pour boiling water on weeds you wish to eliminate

Steps to Take

1. Plant more trees on your property using native species such as oak, cherry or willow: Mass.gov and Wild Seed Project.

2. Add native plantings to your garden to utilize less water, sequester more carbon, and absorb stormwater.

3. Adopt a traffic island and create a native plant oasis using town guidelines.

4. Select the right tree. ArborDay Foundation's Choosing the Right Tree online tool. Or consult, Planting for Resilience: Selecting Urban Trees in Massachusetts. Looking for a detailed guide? The US Forest Service's Urban Watershed Forestry Manual, Part 3: Urban Tree Planting Guide, has extensive information. And additional information is available from Mass DCR's 2 page information sheet.

5. Select the right spot. There's no better tool for determining where to plant your tree than iTree Landscape.

6. Use proper planting technique. The Tree Owner's Manual (yes, an owner's manual!) provides extensive instructions. Massachusetts' DCR has a 2 page  Tree Planting Guide.

7. Let us know how it went! Write a testimonial.