Are There Easy Pest Solutions For The Garden?
There are many different methods of organic pest solutions that one can utilize in their organic gardens. Pest control is very important when organic gardening because the whole point of going organic is to not use pesticides and man-made fertilizers.
Companion Planting
This is a very popular and successful method of organic pest control.
The idea behind companion planting is to grow different plant species together or in close proximity of each other which will have a mutual benefit to both plants.
They help each other, by either repelling or confusing harmful pests or attracting beneficial insects. A great example of a powerful companion plant is the marigold.
The marigold puts off a strong smell, and this deters many pests, some vegetables that you can pair the marigold with are the asparagus, which the marigold will deter beetles.
Marigolds can also be paired with eggplants which the marigold will deter harmful nematodes.
Attracting Beneficial Insects
This one is another great method of organic pest control, as these insects prey on the harmful pests in your garden.
You can attract these beneficial insects by providing safe places for them to live and by using attractants like some companion plants.
An example of a beneficial insect is the humble ladybug. Ladybugs feed on a large menu of garden pests like aphids, thrips, different beetle larvae and many more.
If you want to attract ladybugs to your garden, plant flowers that have tiny white blossoms, an example of a herb that attracts ladybugs is cilantro.
Gardening With Raised Beds
This too is another popular and successful method. If you have a problem with moles or other rodents that attack your plant roots, then a great solution is to use raised beds.
As long as you make sure the raised bed is deep enough for your plants’ root systems. you can add a bottom to the bed. This cuts off any way for the rodents to get at your plant roots and root crops.
Biological Effects:
- The organic mulch serves as a food for many microorganisms found in the soil.
- It also helps to maintain a constant temperature for the activity of the microorganisms.
- Sometimes, the mulch can introduce unwanted organisms to the soil, such as fungi, bacteria and nematodes.
- It is important that during the rainy season, mulch is removed to prevent plant diseases and pests.
Natural Pesticides
Like the other methods above, we will cover them in more detail in another post. Natural pesticides work by using natural ingredients to either target and kill off specific insect types, or they are used to repel the harmful insects away.
An example of a natural pesticide would be the following spray which is made from garlic. Organic garden pest control can be easily accomplished with some planning ahead and a bit of knowledge of the pests that are attracted to your plants.
