Out of Ireland (5)

Fully Loaded- with Pesticides

In my last posting I mentioned that conventionally grown vegetables mostly retain more pesticides than organically grown counterparts. Here is a list of the top 10 foods containing the most pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C.

These 10 are considered high-pesticide foods: strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, Mexican cantaloupes, celery, apples, apricots, and green beans. For more information and possible substitutes that contain less pesticides but make for tasty alternatives check out this website:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-top-10-foods-to-eat-organically.html#

Whether you base your planting decisions on this list undoubtedly depends on the planting area available to you and the climate you are in. At the least, it may influence your produce purchasing decisions. If you can´t buy everything organic because it is too expensive, this list helps to set priorities.

If you have room enough, want to experiment a bit, and are ready to learn what works best for you, give them all a shot. For the cantaloupe, apricots, bell peppers and peaches, in Ireland, you would certainly need a greenhouse or at least a poly tunnel. Green beans are easy to grow and prolific - so much so that you may curse the day you have to tip the ends of your crop. Cherries are always a gamble, because birds like them too. No matter what deterrent you employ (a scarecrow, aluminum foil strips, a blasting radio in the tree, or even the occasional gunshot), they always were for the birds. We tried all methods- to no avail. No wonder they are expensive in the shops! Netting is utterly useless if the trees surpass 5 feet. Strawberries don't like wet feet, they like a thick layer of straw under them.