I would like you to tell me if i need to do any preventive treatments of organic pesticides No. Treatments, even organic ones, can kill just as many beneficial insects as they kill pests. The beneficial insects outnumber the pests 9:1. So you never spray until you know for sure that you have a pest problem and what the specific pest is. There is no blanket treatment for ALL pests so the guidelines are first ID the pest and second, use the pesticide that is specifically recommended for that pest. Should i use stimulators like propolis and strength mixtures? No. Those have no role. Why would you use those in a vegetable garden? Dave

I'll second everyone: cabbage worm poop. The paperwasp is your friend. Last year, I ended up very sick and stopped handpicking my broccoli, cole crops. When I finally made it out to the garden, I was overrun with cabbageworms. Dejected, I went back to the house (still sick) and decided to try handpicking again in a few days. Three days later, I couldn't find a single cabbageworm. The paperwasps had moved in and collected every one. This year, I have not had to hand pick at all. So far, the wasps have completely kept up with the cabbageworms. My kale remains beautiful and hole free. So, protect your wasps! Don't knock down their nests and don't use pesticides. I also wouldn't worry about them stinging you. I've been in the middle of them for two years and they've never, ever gotten nasty with me. There's an old saying that a farmer who knocks down his wasp nest will get no cabbage crop. Now I know why. Bellatrix

You are reaching here! Rotonone biodegrades very quickly and the likelyhood of rainwater run off contamination is about nil, unless you spray in the rain or happen to have a garden on the banks of a lake or stream. This isn't even an issue. The nitrogen from manure is much more likely to cause lake or stream pollution by run off that Rotonone is. Do you also propose to stop using manure in the garden. A garden is not a perfect, natural environment that grows untouched and is in a perfectly natural state. When we create a garden, we create an altered environment, and that brings with it problems such as soil depleation, insect population changes, weeds, etc. As gardeners, we need to intervene in the most harmless way possible to correct problems caused by imbalances we create. Anything we do or add to correct imbalances has the potential to cause problems, which is why common sense and good judgement is essential. If you have a sever problem with harmful insects because of imbalances, you have a choice to make. Do nothing, and lose the crop, or intervene using the safest organic remedys available. Of course, you can introduce beneficial insects to eat the bad bugs, which by the way, causes another imbalance. You can hand pick the little critters too. But chances are you will lose the crop, and the problem will remain. Or us can use a safe, organic remedy like Rotonone sparingly, and then try to lessen the imbalance that cause the problem in the first place. Ron The Garden Guy http://www.TheGardenGuy.org

I have had mixed results growing winter brassicas organically in a 7 climate . The City garden , which is regularly patrolled by a flock of habituated tiny birds , does not get aphids etc any more except on the bottom leaves where the birds don't land . The Island garden has seen the leaves eaten down to the very STALKS by crickets . I have personally never tried growing them under cover except in the very earliest spring when I dig and plant lettuce and broccoli seeds right after the first frost and cover with remay to keep birds off and provide a bit of insulation against harsh weather . My kale and broccoli , gorgeous blue cabbage and brussels sprouts and leeks seem to do JUST FINE coverless over the winter . As soon as the increased sunlight hits in Febuary I can start harvesting tender new leaves and even flowers .