The War On Bugs!

My beautiful Black Tail watermelon is feeling a little under the weather. Within just a couple of weeks after planting it in May, it sprawled across the garden and sprouted about 20 little fruits. Of those, 3 took off and nearly doubled in size every day. I was thrilled to see their progress until for some reason they stopped just about as abruptly as they began. At the same time, all the little fruits turned yellow and withered away. I had hand-pollinated these blooms myself, so I knew they weren’t disappearing for lack of pollination. I thought perhaps it was a lack of water, and turned up their dripper. Today I noticed that a couple of sections of the vines were beginning to wither. Upon closer (I mean macro distance) inspection I found the culprit of my unhappy vine. Aphids.
I saw red! I dashed out for something to annihilate them with. I had to pick up some things from Home Depot anyway, so I thought I would arm myself with something I found there. I scoured the aisle for an organic solution, but found none- just a bottle of Ortho Max for flower, fruit, and vegetable. In my impatience for fast aphid genocide, I decided it would have to do. It didn’t look so bad, after all. Its healthy green packaging picturing pretty fruits and flowers and the bold print on the label reading, “Won’t harm plants or blooms” was comforting. I’d pick up something more earth/garden friendly the next time I wasn’t in a rush.
As soon as I drove away with it that annoying little voice in my head (it sounds surprisingly similar to Jimminy Cricket) piped up. “Why don’t you read the fine print? You’ve gone so far to keep your garden organic why ruin it now?” Convenience be damned. The fine print confirmed my nagging little fear. It read: “ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS Do not apply directly to water. Do not contaminate water when disposing of equipment washwater or rinsate. This pesticide is toxic to wildlife. This product is toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment. Do not apply this product while bees are actively visiting the treated area”. It went on to list dangers to humans and pets. Oops. My convenient weapon of choice was now something I didn’t want to expose my family or my home to, let alone spray it all over something I planned to eat!
Now quite disappointed in myself for not just doing the right thing the first time and saving myself the trouble, I headed for my local nursery. I alternate between Berridge and Baker's Nurseries here in Phoenix (I can't pick a favorite). Today I chose Berridge because they seem to have a larger inventory of chemicals and fertilizer. Upon arrival, helpful staff directed me to Yard & Garden Insect Killer, made by a company named Safer Brand. It’s OMRI Listed for organic gardening. For ORMI info, visit their website. It’s toxic to fish, and you shouldn’t spray it in your eyes. Other than that it’s safe. Phew. I can get back to my evil aphid assassination plans.
I guess this entry has a moral. Just check with that nagging little conscience of yours before you buy. Convenience is rarely ever good for the wallet or the garden.