Organic Garden Pest Control is Strictly Business....

Nothing Personal

Organic garden pest control requires little intelligence, tactics and conspiracy.

That’s right; it may be funny to hear, but……You’ve got to plot to keep pests under control without using harmful pesticides and herbicides. If you don’t, then your garden could be overrun by…...

• Insects
• Birds
• Weeds
• and even Humans

But guess what…

Since conspirators don’t work alone, we’re going to be right here guiding you along. So let’s begin with one of our favorite ploys which is…

Deceiving Pest with Scents

Insect pests are attracted to the scent of your vegetables and will come unless…... You disguise the scent. So, how can you do this?

Well while planning and designing, leave room for an organic herb garden . Click on the link to learn how herbs in the vegetable garden can become a defense mechanism.

Luring pest away from the Vegetables

Lure birds away from the garden with water. That’s right…water.

Water is more precious than food. And a pool or a bird bath situated away from the vegetables is a method of organic garden pest control. Also… why not plant some berries, cherries and other fruit next to the pool or bird bath. Think about it…

What business will birds have in your garden if they’re able to feed, drink and bath at another location?

Click here to share some of your best organic garden pest control strategies!

Drowning Snails and Slugs in beer

Or

Making life difficult for them

Did you know that the scent of fermenting beer attracts snails and slugs? So use this to your advantage.

Why not dig a hole in the garden and place a container in it. Ensure that the rim of the container is level to the ground around it.

Next…pour some beer into the container until the container is full. And there you have it, a trap for the snails and slugs. The scent is going to attract these pests and once in the container they won’t be able to get out. They’ll eventually drown. And problem solved.

Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? But remember, like I’ve mentioned before, it’s just business.

However, if you don’t like the idea of killing these creatures, you have other options of organic garden pest control methods for preventing them from climbing up plants or moving freely though the garden.

You can do this with…

1. Copper Tape: Snails especially are allergic to copper and would avoid it.
   

   So wrap some around the stalks of vegetable so that the snails can’t reach the leaves.



2. Dry Gritty Material: Spread some dry gritty material (like saw dust or cocoa shells for instance) around the crops. These materials make life difficult for snails. Snails hate crawling over them and so they’ll eventually find another garden to pester.

Here’s a video that shows exactly what we’re talking about…

Eliminating the Leatherjackets on Lawns

Leatherjackets are serious pests. They stunt the growth of vegetables by feeding on their roots. They also feed off of the roots of lawn grass.

So, remember…

If your garden site was previously lawn, or the pathways between the vegetable beds are lawns, then be on the lookout for leatherjackets. Click here for tips on how to maintain your organic lawn and fight the leatherjacket.

It’s also a good idea to place the bird bath on the lawns. Birds love the leatherjackets and will feast on them.

Controlling Weeds with Mulches

Weeds are also pests. And they too affect the growth and success of your garden. So it’s wise to discourage their presence in the garden as well.

You see…

Weeds are plants in the wrong place at the wrong time. And they compete directly with your vegetables for space, water, nutrients and even sunlight.

Some weeds (like vines for instance) are even parasitic. They’ll feed directly off of your crops; stunting growth and reducing produce in the process.

And that’s not good news…

Check out this link for more information on controlling weeds.

Using Cardboard Squares to Prevent Cabbage Root Flies

Cabbage root flies lay eggs in the soil close to the stems of vegetables. Thus when these eggs hatch…the larvae can begin feeding on the roots of the crops.

So prevent the flies from laying eggs close to the plant. Get 5” squares of cardboard and cut a slot in each to make a collar.

Then fit these around the stems of your vegetables.

Now you’ve secured the ground around your crops from the flies and you’re good to go.

Rotating Crops for Pest Control

After one crop season ends don’t re-grow the same vegetable (or one that is closely related) at the same site or else…

…You’re going to spend a lot of time fighting pests. And that defeats the whole purpose, doesn’t it?

Pests live near their food source. They even hibernate and breed there. So...when winter is over or eggs hatch these pests immediately begin feeding.

But what happens if you rotate the crop? It confuses them and that’s the best thing to do. The vegetables they encounter are totally different to those they’re accustomed to. So some pests starve while others migrate to another garden.

Either way…you’ll win using this organic garden pest control method.

Planting Crops Early or Late Avoids the Onslaught of Pests

Although vegetables that are grown in season are the healthiest…

You can benefit from sowing early or late. Your vegetables will be missing the heaviest attack by pests and diseases. Thus making this a highly effective method of organic garden pest control

For instance…

Sowing potatoes early indicates that they’re reaped before blight becomes a problem. Likewise carrots that are sown early or late avoid the eggs of root flies.

Dealing with the worst pest of all….Humans

Humans are the most difficult pest to deal with. And that’s simply because they don’t act on instincts. They have the ability to think.

So we would have to resort to fences to keep them out. However, you can further fortify you garden by growing stinging nettle around the fences. The nettles will not only prevent persons from entering…

But also encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs.

Organic garden pest control is not rocket science; it requires little intelligence as well as craftiness. It feels good to know that you can easily win the battle against pests.

The good thing is that using these methods is less costly. You don’t have to purchase pesticides and herbicides. Organic garden pest control methods are also quite effective and cause no threat to the environment.

Remember to always take control and/or preventative measures against pests in your garden. After all, keeping your garden healthy is definitely a must.

For More Information and Further Reference

Take a look at the best way to grow organic vegetables.

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