Re: [gardeners]Cabbage Loopers [was: Seeds]
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 16 Jan 1998 12:17:35
At 12:45 PM 1/16/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Marianne Lepa <mlepa@adan.kingston.net> wrote:
>
>> A commercial organic grower of my aquaintance has experimented with all
>> sorts of repellants for brassica pests. According to him, unless there is
>> some sort of a trap crop available, then scents simply won't be strong
>> enough to keep the moths away. He says the only surefire way to keep the
>> pests out of the brassicas is row covers. He special orders a 400 count
>> muslin to use for row covers because the spun ones contain plastic! (And I
>> thought I was pure...)
>
>Just when I think I know what is meant by organic someone or
>other comes along and surprises me. This is also what concerns
>the hell out of me about the Federal Organic Certification
>Program (as opposed to state certifications).
>
>I have to ask: what is the problem with using some plastic in
>the spun row covers?
>
>Frankly, I can't imagine what other effects that density of
>muslin would have, like shading the plants and blocking air
>circulation.
>
>I am using standard row covers and so far, the state organic
>cert folks haven't complained about it.
>
>Jaime
>jknoble@warwick.net
>
You're just not "pure" enough to know. If the Feds set up their cert
program the way they do everything else you will have to have blood and
urine tests to be certain you are growing the "proper" herbs. Not to
mention a monthly physical to ensure your body is pure enough to be
involved in certified organic growing. Just see what the FDA and the Ag
Dept has done to everything from soup to nuts to ensure that absolutely no
one will ever catch anything.
George