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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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