Pests in the garden can change your mood from calm to worried. Garden pests can vary in species, but they all have a common goal in turning your plants into their food. Some insects can extract plant sap and release honeydew. Despite sounding pretty, honeydew will sustain any existing mold in your garden and damage your plant.
Whether you are gardening for a hobby or a career, pests are something you’ll encounter around plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more. So what can you do to stop them?
Here are four organic gardening tips that help with pest control and garden management.
1. Pest Barriers
Setting up barriers can keep pests from reaching your plants. Some barricades were made to monitor pests from getting in or trapping them for future removal and release. Simple flypaper can be laid out strategically to weed out aphids, whiteflies, and other crawlers that try to get to your garden.
You can also invest in floating row covers. Row covers are thin gauze sheets that let sunlight and water go through to the garden bed while keeping any airborne pests out. This kind of pest barrier is best for guarding little seedlings.
2. Organic Pesticides
Synthetic and chemical pesticides may remove pests, but they will do more harm than good to the garden bed, especially if you have some fruits and vegetables you need to harvest. There are synthetic pesticides that may cause unfavorable effects on a person’s health. It’s better to skip any purchases of artificial pesticides and go organic.
Organic pesticides will only target and kill garden pests while leaving your plants unscathed. There are multiple DIY recipes for natural insecticides that you can browse online. One of the most effective bug sprays consists of sliced hot peppers, non-bleach dish soap, and water.
3. Healthy Loam Soil
If your soil appears crumbly, dry, and cracked, you might need to swap. Unhealthy plants in hard soil produce sugar and acids that attract pests in the garden. An initial step you can take for pest control is keeping the plants and soil healthy.
Loam soil is optimal for planting as it absorbs and drains water well compared to other soil types. Often the reason for fertile farms’ success, loam soil is excellent at supporting the plant roots and sustaining their growth. You can choose to buy commercial loam soil or curate your own mix. Loam is the perfect combination of sandy soil, silt soil, and clay soil.
4. Beneficial Insects
Not all insects are pests. One good example is the damsel bug, which can feed on pesky pests such as aphids and leafhoppers. Attract beneficial insects to your garden so they can feed on the tinier and more harmful pests while helping the pollination of your plants.
You can distinguish which bugs are beneficial and which ones aren’t through research and resources online. Try to keep a sharp eye as some insects may look alike while having various purposes. You can use a sweep net to catch specific insects or station a plant that would attract beneficial insects—for instance, plant coneflower or sweet alyssum to attract beneficial insects that like nectar.
Conclusion
Natural pest control is not only a great way of keeping your plants secure but also keeping your family safe. Keep the air fresh and the food on the table chemical-free. Going organic is a win-win situation.
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