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5/8/2009
By Meleah Maynard A half-dozen or so slimy, brown slugs are gathered in the center of a paper plate. Slowly, they begin to fan out, their feelers stretching and retracting with every lurching movement. If they ever want to see the moist, rich soil in Jeff Gillman’s backyard gardens again, they’re going to have to make it through the sharp bits of crushed eggshell that ring the perimeter of the plate. Would the slugs rather wither on the plate than risk painful cuts by crawling over broken eggshells? Not a chance: Those slugs didn’t pay the eggshells any mind.? The breach of the eggshell barrier came as a surprise to Gillman, an associate professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Horticultural Science and the Extension Service. According to numerous gardening sources, crushed eggshells are supposed to be a good slug deterrent because the soft-bodied creatures allegedly are reluctant to crawl over the sharp edges of the shells. On this day, however, the slugs—and Gillman—proved that theory wrong. Running home-grown experiments is nothing new for Gillman. In the first of his three books on horticultural topics, The Truth about Garden Remedies: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why (Timber Press, 2006), Gillman offers readers a straightforward, and often offbeat, account of the tests he and his students have run on more 100 gardening practices. When a remedy or practice, such as playing music to help your plants grow, is touted over and over by experts and the media, most people believe it without question. Being a horticulturist, though, Gillman is better equipped to weed out ideas that sound suspicious or just plain wrong. What worries him most about these false claims is not the lack of good science, but the fact that some of these commonly held beliefs can actually be dangerous, particularly recommendations for using pesticides and insecticides. With an average of 70 million U.S. households doing some level of lawn and garden care, according to the National Gardening Association, and a victory garden craze getting under way, the need for accurate and safe gardening information is critical. Gillman’s other titles include The Truth about Organic Gardening: Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Bottom Line (2008); How Trees Die: The Past, Present, and Future of Our Forests (May 2009); and a fourth in the works, The Truth about Environmental Policy. What he’s found through conducting experiments and researching existing literature for his books is that much of what’s been passed along for eons as tried and true is hogwash. Of course, he has also learned that many commonly held beliefs are credible. Yes, beer does help get rid of slugs. Mouthwash does fight plant disease. And garlic does repel pests like aphids and whiteflies. But if the thought of arming themselves with beer, mouthwash, and garlic when they head out to the garden leaves people shaking their heads in disbelief, good—that’s the way Gillman wants it. He doesn’t tell people what to do. He wants to give them good information. And he encourages people to think critically and question everything they’re told, including what he tells them. “My main message is: Don’t settle for unexplained recommendations,” he says. “Look further—don’t take my word for it. Read. Do your own tests. Find out the ‘why’ behind what you’re doing for your plants.” | ||||||||||||||||
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