Mention the word pesticide to any person vaguely concerned about the environment, and chances are their lips will purse. Perhaps they’ll even tut. And for good reason.
For starters, pesticides do not discriminate. They kill whatever comes into contact with them, some of which are not pests. The good insects, the ones you want and need in your garden, disappear. More than this, these insects are food for other creatures, and if they’re gone, there’s nothing to eat. Pesticides can thus create a chain reaction, throwing whole eco systems off balance.
But what is most terrifying about pesticides is that some are not biodegradable. So if you must use a pesticide, opt for an organic product.
Go a step further – forget the pesticide and rotate your vegetables instead. Plant different seedlings every year, and change their location. If not, pests will become familiar with the location of the produce, flocking to that spot time and time again.
A vegetable garden is just that – vegetables in your garden. There is no truck trekking the country transporting produce from the wholesale market to the supermarket. And that means less carbon dioxide emissions. How many times do you run back and forth to the supermarket? If you have an array of home-grown vegetables in your fridge, it will save you at least one trip.
Planting a vegetable patch is a lovely way to spend quality time with the kids. Pop into the nursery, let them choose two or three packets of seedlings, and spend the afternoon getting your hands dirty. Watching those seedlings grow into big ripe vegetables is satisfying; it instills a sense of pride and encourages following through on a project. Children will be more inclined to eat a vegetable they nurtured and grew themselves. Radishes and cherry tomatoes are good options as they grow quickly.
The next time you’re in the car, bypass the supermarket and head to your nearest garden centre and pick up some seeds. It’s gratifying, healthy and environmentally responsible.
Ester Goede is a budding horticulturalist and gardening enthusiast.
