Chemicals in The Garden - Do We Really Need Them?
When We Should and Should Not Use Them
🌿 Garden Talk| by Guy Saldiveri | May 14, 2026
Mention that you have a particular pest on your tomatoes, roses, fruit trees, or just about anything else in the yard, and you'll get plenty of replies. The advice usually ranges from “leave them alone” to “get out the flamethrower.”
You asked an honest question. You got honest answers. And you probably still don’t know what to do.
I’m not an organic gardener, and I’m not someone who believes every chemical is automatically evil. At the same time, I’m also not a fan of spraying everything at the first sign of trouble.
After years of gardening, I’ve found that chemicals do have a place — but usually a much smaller one than many people think.
I’m not here to tell you what to use. I’m here to share how I think through these decisions and what’s worked for me season after season.
Here are my golden rules:
- Start with the least toxic method — you can always scale up, but you can’t undo a treatment once it’s applied.
- Think before you spray — the who, what, where, how, and why of things BEFORE you apply any chemicals. This means: Who will be affected? What are you treating? Where will it spread? How does it work? Why is it necessary?
When Chemicals Make Sense
There are times you really don't have a choice. You might have an infestation that's out of control. You've exhausted all non-chemical means of eradication or there is something that's going on that requires a systemic approach. Maybe you have bark scale on your crepe myrtles or the Emerald Ash Borer is turning your beautiful tree into Swiss cheese. Yes, there are times you need a chemical to just get in there and do the dirty work.
If you have a large vegetable garden and you notice a fungal blight that threatens to wipe out the entire harvest, a preventative treatment can be the difference between a full pantry and a total loss.
When Restraint Matters
I try to look at the overall impact of everything going on. Is the pest or infection bad enough to warrant the use of chemicals that will have some undesirable effects? That's one I find people tend to forget about.
Any chemical — regardless of whether it’s labeled organic, safe, or something much stronger — will usually have effects beyond the specific target you’re trying to eliminate. Most insecticides are broad-spectrum. They target large families or groups of insects. They may remove the pest you're dealing with, but they can also kill beneficial insects at the same time.
A good example of this is Spinosad. It’s often listed as a safe and organic way to control many common garden pests. However, if it’s sprayed at the wrong time, it also has the potential to harm pollinators like bees and butterflies, along with other beneficial insects. Even birds can be indirectly affected when food sources disappear.
One of the biggest things on my mind when I use chemicals is the effect they may have on me and my family. I pay attention to whether something is systemic — meaning it’s absorbed through the roots and tissues of the plant — and what kind of residual effects it may leave behind.
A non-systemic chemical that kills fire ants on contact may be useful, but if it remains active in the soil for two or three months afterward, it can also pose risks to people and pets during that time.
I always wear gloves and wash thoroughly after working around treated areas. And if I’ve recently applied something with lingering effects, I certainly won’t let my grandchild out in the garden around it.
What To Pay Attention To
Correctly identify the pest or infection. Knowing exactly what you are dealing with gives you the course of action you need to take care of it.
Take a look at what the overall damage actually is. Is it a little bit of black spot on some roses after a good rain? Do you have leaf-miners creating some trails in a few leaves? Aphids on your beans that can be blown off quickly with a strong stream of water?
These types of issues are extremely common, and while your first instinct might be to grab a bottle of something to kill off the infection or the bug, just cutting off a few leaves or waiting things out often allows the issue to resolve itself.
If using chemicals, pay attention to dosage, timing, residual effects, and Pre-Harvest Intervals (PHI). The PHI is probably one of the biggest reasons I stopped using many chemicals. It dictates how long you have to wait from treatment to harvest and it's dependent on the chemical and the actual vegetable you are treating.
I found I needed to keep a log of everything I sprayed, when I sprayed it, and when I could eat it. That was turning my enjoyable gardening into a full-time job. Planting three or four extra plants solved the problem as far as harvest amount and negated the need for spraying and logging.
Read labels carefully. Pay special attention to whether the chemical is systemic or not, how long the residual effects last, and what the overall harm potential is to the beneficial insects and pollinators we want in the garden.
Key Takeaway
Most people garden for fun, but also because they want to know how their food was grown and what was used on it. If you don't want to purchase chemically treated veggies, why would you grow them?
Remember this — a healthy garden takes care of itself. It won't be perfect, but it will survive and provide you with everything you need. Good soil, proper watering, sun/shade balance, proper airflow, and crop rotation all go a long way towards keeping a garden healthy, vibrant, and pest-free all on its own.
Chemicals are sometimes necessary tools, but many times a little patience and a few extra plants take care of the problems just as well.
Just my take on things — it’s not a perfect system, but it’s one that’s served me well season after season.
Happy Gardening 🌱
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