Green Thumb awards taps winners
Last week we talked about the five new plant varieties that have won the 2015 Green Thumb Awards presented by the Direct Gardening Association. This week we look at the tools category where most of the winners are organic pesticides. The winning products are judged on uniqueness, technological innovation, ability to solve a gardening problem or provide a gardening opportunity and potential appeal to gardeners.
The first winner helps gardeners transition away from using plastic pots for indoor seed starting and transplanting vegetables to the garden. Paperboard Pots from Botanical Interests are made entirely from food-grade paperboard using low-water and low-energy techniques. The pots last for weeks until the plants are ready to be moved outdoors into the garden, where they can be easily removed without damaging plant roots or left on to rot away in the garden.
Many gardeners know that pollinating insects and native bee populations are declining, but what can the individual do about it? Prairie Moon Nursery has put together a
three-part kit. First, there is a book from the Xerces Society. It is written for gardeners, farmers and land owners. Next is the PollinatorPalooza Seed Mix that covers 1,000 square feet with short prairie plants that bloom from spring to fall. Last is a Native Bee Nesting Shelter. The shelter includes a pine box made in Illinois and 175 paper nesting tubes made in Michigan.
The last three winners all provide relieve from some kind of pest or disease problem in an eco-friendly way. First, we have grubHALT! from Gardens Alive! Tests from five universities showed it worked as well or better than top chemical insecticides for grub control. The bacterial strain in this product kills the grub stage of at least eight species of beetles that damage lawn roots. It needs to be applied to the lawn once per season and is safe for children, pets and beneficial insects that use the lawn during summer.
Gardens Alive! also uses the same bacteria strain in beetleJUS! to kill adult Asiatic garden beetles, green June beetles, Japanese beetles, root weevils, oak borers and other harmful insects on ornamental and vegetable plants.
University tests have shown bee- tleJUS! worked better at controlling adult and larval beetles on roses than imidacloprid and permethrin while being harmless to bees and other beneficial insects. BeetleJUS! can be used in organic gardens. It is a dry granular product that mixes with water and is sprayed onto the plant. Find both of these insect controls at the Gardens Alive! website.
Downy mildew, phytophthora and pythium are three of the worst disease problems caused by fungi. They have been estimated to cause two-thirds of all crop losses due to disease. Zonix Biofungicide can be used on organic crops, lawns and ornamental plants to stop these diseases. It should be stocked at your local garden centers.
Gardeners can expect to see more biofungicides sold as their own product and as ingredients in other products such as potting soil mixes. Biofungicides are usually a mix of microorganisms and naturally occurring chemicals that control disease organisms. They are not a cure all, but should be used with cultural methods, such as proper watering, crop rotation and other processes.
Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@ greenerview.com.