We got a great question today from The Thrifty Mama a fellow blogger who is wanted to know about organic gardening and using Safer® Brand pesticides. She wrote her question as a comment on a previous post “Yard Debris is Not Garbage! Make it into New Soil by Composting”:
“Are these Safer products that you all keep recommending really organic and okay for an organic garden (free of pesticides and chemicals)? I’ve been working on my garden, and am interested in ways to keep pests out naturally. Last year my garden was invaded by ants, and I did deal with a few other pests. But wanting to stay away from chemicals, I’ve not really found a product that I am willing to try or recommend to my readers.”
I responded to the post and talked about how our products are OMRI Listed® and what that means… But what really caught my attention about this question was “(free of pesticides and chemicals)”. This is not an uncommon question so I’m taking a few moments to talk about Safer Brand Pesticides because they are different and here’s why:
Safer Brand products kill bugs by using active ingredients and inert ingredients that are derived from organic sources. Many “natural brands” use petroleum distillates (PBO) to keep their active ingredients mixed properly. The problem with that is the PBO’s stay in the soil and don’t break down for a long time. These products do not have the OMRI Listed seal on their label like Safer Brand products do. OMRI has a materials list of active and inert ingredients on their site that was made in conjunction with the USDA’s National Organic Program. This list is the ingredients that can be used for organic gardening and Safer Brand products use only those materials in order to gain OMRI Listed status.
Safer Brand active ingredients are formulated to be effective then break down to their natural elements within typically about 7-10 days so your organic garden stays organic.
Safer Brand products work! The insects are dead. The plant that was infested can be revived.
If you are a gardener who uses beneficial insects to help control your insect problems, Safer Brand Insecticidal soap products won’t harm those beneficial insects (when used as directed) and will kill those soft-bodied insects that live on plants like aphids and whiteflies. But if you need something a little stronger to get rid of your beetles, ants and other hard-bodied insects, try our insecticidal soap and pyrethrin products to kill those insects on contact.
Visit www.saferbrand.com for lots more tips about gardening and pest control.
For more information about our organic gardening commitment go to:
www.saferbrand.com/advice/organic-gardening/organic-vs-natural
To learn more about the organization called OMRI® go to their website: OMRI.org.
If you’ve got a specific pest problem and you’re not sure what it is or how to solve it check out our Garden Insect Library
For more blog posts from Thrifty Mama about organic gardening check out her website:
