© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Connecticut Garden Journal
Connecticut Garden Journal is a weekly program hosted by horticulturalist Charlie Nardozzi. Each week, Charlie focuses on a topic relevant to both new and experienced gardeners, including pruning lilac bushes, growing blight-free tomatoes, groundcovers, sunflowers, bulbs, pests, and more.

Planning Your Spring Garden? Avoid the Pesticides, Connecticut Garden Experts Say

U.S. Department of Agriculture
/
Creative Commons
Echinacea Bee.

With spring just around the corner, gardeners across Connecticut are preparing to defend their gardens from unwanted insects, animals, and plants. But gardening experts said pesticides might not be the first thing to turn to as a deterrent. 

Joining WNPR'SWhere We Live, gardening writer and speaker Charlie Nardozzi reminded listeners to avoid spraying pesticides as a first line of defense, regardless of how environmentally friendly the product is marketed. 

"We have this misnomer that because it's an organic spray, then it's safe," Nardozzi said. "And that's true to a large extent. But it's still a pesticide, and it still kills things, and you still have to be careful how you use it." 

Donna Ellis, a plant science educator, reminded pesticide users that with the declining population of pollinators, the best way to restore their numbers is to avoid chemicals and plan for long-term flowering in gardens. She said this will keep agriculture thriving, and minimize the extinction of different species.

In addition to planting various flowers that bloom from early spring through late fall, Nardozzi said residents should select different heirlooms and heritages of plants, such as veracious perennials. 

"Those have a better nectar and pollen content to them for the bees and for a lot of the native insects, versus some of the more modern hybrids," Nardozzi said. "As they've hybridized them for different colors or different characteristics, they get some sterile seed in there, and the pollen is not the highest quality for those bees."

Invasive species aren't anything new to Connecticut gardeners -- there are 97 on the official state list. Ellis said many originated in home gardens, were tended to, and then naturalized without residents noticing. Now, she said, their growth is unmeasured as they continue to spread through various landscapes. 

"The big picture -- and why we're most concerned with it -- is that they out-compete our native species, and that reduces the value and quality of wildlife habitat," Ellis said. 

Karelyn Kuczenski is an intern at WNPR.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content