The other aspect of all of this is what we need to restrain within the environment. So we need to assess when to use Pesticides and Herbicides. For this we need to use the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) “is the careful consideration of all available pest control techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage pest population development. IPM combines biological, chemical, physical, and cultural management strategies to grow healthy crops while minimizing pesticide use and reducing risks to human health and the environment”Food Safety Institute… So we need to be able to identify the problem and recognize the threshold that requires treatment. Then we look at what physical practices can prevent/eliminate this species? What natural bio practices can control the pests? And finally what is your personal tolerance for recommended pesticide?”
In terms of herbicides we need to take a similar approach. What is the invasive/weed that needs to be controlled? What is a reasonable threshold level of the species? What is the best practice for removal of the species? What is the least amount of herbicide that will effectively control the species? And in the end what is your personal tolerance vs. Need and best practices?
When we look at all of these issues, we have to weigh the advantages of practices vs our personal concerns vs what we need our gardens to provide for us. A garden, especially a thoughtful one will always be an improvement over the monoculture of lawn. We should not default to our worst practices but we should also not surrender our intention to blind obedience. We weigh our personal needs that invite us to spend time in the natural world with our goals to help the environment.
