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Earth
Friendly Pest Control
Unfortunately,
garden pests are a fact of life. You will never be able to
eliminate all pests from a thriving garden, but there are
ways to keep them under control. Listed are a few earth-friendly
options:
EARLY
PREVENTION
Eliminate
problems as you see them forming, by checking your plants
regularly for signs of pest or disease damage. Use that evening
stroll in the garden as a ‘scouting trip’ for
potential problems. Look carefully at your plants, turning
over leaves and noting overall appearance. A garden journal
is useful for keeping records throughout the season.
HANDPICKING/PRUNING
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Large,
slow moving pests are the easiest to handpick. Caterpillars,
slugs and snails can be collected and dropped in a bucket
of soapy water. A strong jet of water from the garden
hose will dislodge aphids, while larger flying insects
such as Japanese beetles can be shaken off a plant onto
a dropcloth or into a bucket. Early morning is best
for this procedure, before beetles become active. |
Bagworm
cocoons, tent caterpillars and webworms can be pruned away
and disposed of. Disease problems such as rose canker and
fireblight can also be pruned out: dip your tools between
cuts in a 10% bleach solution.
TRAPS
& BARRIERS
Sticky
traps can be used for aphids, white fly and gypsy moth caterpillars.
A 2-inch barrier of diatomaceous earth can keep earwigs, slugs
and snails away from plants. Protect seedlings from damaging
cutworms by using cutworm collars.
NATURAL
PREDATORS
| Encourage
helpful bugs to move into your yard. Ladybugs, praying
mantids, assassin bugs and lacewings are some examples
of insects that actively consume pests such as aphids,
mites, caterpillars and thrips.
Birds
are among the most efficient insect predators, plus
frogs and toads love slugs, snails and cutworms. So,
you might want to attract a few of these creatures to
your garden. |
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GOOD
CULTURAL PRACTICES
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Healthy
plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases. Good
health starts with planting in a suitable locations.
Plants forced to live in conditions that don’t
suit their needs will never thrive. Rhododendrons and
azaleas, for example, are more prone to lacebug attack
when planted in a hot, sunny site, rather than shade.
Always
amend the soil with organic matter like compost, mushroom
compost or Bumper Crop before planting.
Also, fertilizing at the appropriate times and paying
careful attention to water needs are vital to maintain
healthy plants.
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