Although not all of the growing at Bartlett’s is done organically, we are conscientious and cautious with respect to pesticide use.
We take the health of our employees, our customers and the environment very seriously. Sustainability and the well-being of this small island are important to us!
Since 1990, we have incorporated the use of beneficial insects for the control of pests in both edible and ornamental greenhouse crops. For example, we release Lacewing larvae to control aphids on the greenhouse cut lilies. No insecticides are ever used on this crop. Several types of beneficials are used in the organic greens production and the greenhouse tomatoes. Encarsia formosa is a beneficial insect whose sole purpose is to parasitize whitefly eggs – a troublesome insect that carries plant viruses and destroys plant tissue. Aphidiledes is another type of beneficial insect that attacks aphids that can damage foliage and inhibit flowering on ornamental plants.
Many of the sprays used in the greenhouses are derived from either botanical or biological sources. Most of these are safe for food crops and some are certified for organic use. Many are available in the garden center in ready-to-use form for your vegetable and flower gardens.