“Organic” is a term applied to natural gardening techniques that don’t rely on chemicals to maintain a garden. The organic gardening movement both looks to historic methods of pest control that have worked for millennia as well as new innovations. You’ll have the most success in creating your wildlife habitat garden if you rely on organic practices.
Avoid Harmful Chemicals
According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, American homeowners use up to ten times more chemical pesticides per acre on their lawns than farmers use on crops.
Pesticides and fertilizers harm wildlife so you should avoid using them when you create a wildlife-friendly garden. Whether it’s insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or rodenticides, pesticides are designed to kill living things. Fertilizers can harm soil health and run off causing nutrient pollution in local streams to large bodies of water.
If you want to create a thriving wildlife habitat garden, avoid these harmful chemicals. Synthetic pesticides can persist in the environment long after you apply them. Systemic pesticides are absorbed into every part of the plant from roots to leaves to nectar and pollen, harming any wildlife that use the plant. Even plant-based, botanical products can be harmful (remember, these products are made from the chemicals produced by plants – but they’re still chemicals).
With that in mind, the most wildlife-friendly option is to avoid these products altogether and focus on tried-and-true organic gardening techniques. This will ensure that your garden is a healthy, safe place for wildlife as well as your pets and family.
What’s Actually a Pest?
Insects are not the enemy in the garden. In fact, they can be the key in keeping populations of pests down. By planting native plants, you attract populations of insects such as ladybugs and other carnivorous beetles, dragonflies, parasitic wasps, and praying mantises that keep balance in the garden by feeding on harmful plant pests.
Avoid Pests in the First Place
Plant Native – Native plants have co-evolved with native wildlife and it’s normal and natural for insects and other creatures to feed on them. Because of this relationship, native plants are adapted to survive this use by wildlife, and sometimes require it to thrive.
Right Plant, Right Place – Keep in mind that different plant species have different requirements for soil, sunlight, and water needs. If you plant things in the wrong place, it will result in weaker plants more prone to pests.
Build the Soil – Healthy soil means healthier plants that are less prone to pests. For most garden plants, soils that aren’t compacted, that have organic material in them, that provide nutrients, and that have lots of invertebrates living in them will result in strong plants that can resist pests.
Fertilize Naturally – Synthetic fertilizers can deter or kill soil microorganisms that actually make the soil healthy and can run off and pollute our waterways. Use natural compost when it’s necessary to fertilize. Make your own using kitchen scraps, grass clipping, and other yard waste or just leave fallen leaves in your beds as natural mulch, which will also fertilize the soil as the leaves naturally compost in place.
Attract Predators and Parasites - A natural, wildlife-friendly garden rarely has pest problems because of the abundance of natural pest predators and parasites, and because a diversely planted garden is less likely to support an infestation of a particular pest species. Spiders, toads, bats and even songbirds are voracious predators of pests, too. Creating a diversely planted garden that attracts an array of wildlife is a much better way to control pests than spraying toxic pesticides.
Less Harmful Ways to Manage Pests
Use Your Hands – In cases where a plant is being overrun by pests (which are typically non-native species), simply handpick them off and drop them in a bucket of soapy water rather than spray pesticides. Hand-dig weeds or use a hoe whenever possible.
Add Physical Barriers – Use fencing or mesh covers over plants to prevent them from being eaten. Smother weeds or unwanted lawn areas with tarps or layers of wet cardboard topped with compost or other mulch.
Be Targeted – If you must resort to chemicals on tough cases such as the removal of invasive plants or some other infestation, avoid broad-spectrum or systemic pesticides that will kill anything that comes in contact with it. Instead, use a product that targets specific pests that won’t harm other life forms. Opt for something that breaks down quickly in the environment (this is where plant-based products are often better than synthetic ones). Always read and follow the labels exactly – more isn’t always better. Look for regulated organic pest control and fertilizer products that bear the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) seal.
For more information, read our blog posts Restricting Problem Insecticides and Four Questions About Neonicotinoid Pesticides.
Resolutions
Every year, the National Wildlife Federation and its 52 state and territorial affiliates vote on policy resolutions that guide decision-making within the Federation family. For several decades, affiliates have taken actions in the reduction of chemical use on wildlife.
