I thought about calling a series of instructional garden movies i made "The Naked Gardener". Real catchy name....but nobody thinks about the kazillions of tiny bugs that end up covering ones body when prancing around with your doo das dingling. For a garden of Super Life to grow many variables are required, but generally nature and the universe has a way of providing all. The adage "if you build it they will come" seems to hold true so the more life forms (bugs) you have, the better your chances for a good eco system to flourish. I have found the good bugs win in all cases. I have helped with hand picking caterpillars off plants and spraying water on aphid colonies on the occasion, but never had to go to war against anything for long. If you merely use your eyes to see whats going on its pretty cool. Caterpillars early in the season were mowing down my chives so i found they come out at dusk and were easy to pick off. Ants create aphid colonies high up on plants by transporting aphid queens and eggs. Ants just love sucking the bum juice from the aphids and carry colonies away from low crawling beetles and earwigs that eat them. Spraying off with water is extremely easy with a fan nozzle. Grow a few sunflower plants in key areas, give the ants a place that is easy to spray off. Broccoli blossoms get quite tall and host aphids as well. Much harder to keep clear, as well as some other tall kales. And when the big white butterflies land get ready to check under broad leaves for egg clusters which will turn into caterpillars if not squished. Or squish the caterpillars later...
Work harmoniously with the bugs - watch them and understand them - never fight them.
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