Control Garden Pest
In every garden, pests and insects are very common. They damage the aesthetics of the plants, plus they feed on the edibles. In just a matter of several hours, a months-of-work garden is destroyed. Nothing can be as heartbreaking as seeing one?s precious plants consumed almost entirely by pests.
No wonder, many gardeners find ways to effectively control garden pests , if not to totally eradicate them.
Some gardeners are satisfied with the performance of insect sprays or pesticides, as they call it. There are insecticides that do a great job in controlling a few insects or pests.
But that is just it.
Many of the pesticides do not work on all insects or pests that in today?s generation have become so many in species. In most cases, different pests attack one garden. Controlling them can be daunting.
On the other hand, there are gardeners who for some reasons, prefer to employ the natural way of repelling pests. A few of them use organic means like liquid copper or liquid sulfur, and garden dust. Many gardeners believe that the best methods to control garden pest is prevention.
Thus, they make necessary actions to protect their garden, such as building healthy and organic soil, using seaweed mulch or spray, disinfecting the infested plants, and inter-planting and rotating plants.
2 other ways to an effective garden pest control are attracting beneficial insects and using the companion planting theory In both approaches, planting particular plants is the underlying principle.
Beneficial insects. Ladybugs consume aphids, mites, whiteflies, and scales. They can be attracted to one?s garden by planting tansy or yarrow and any members of the daisy family. Lacewings, too, have aphids and their larvae as their favorite food. To attract them, planting composite flowers like goldenrod, yarrow, asters, and black-eyed Susan?s is effective.Praying mantis have a large appetite for most garden pests. Chalcids, Ichneumon Wasps and Brachonids destroy leaf-eating caterpillars. They can be attracted to the garden by planting celery, carrots, parsley, and Caraway.In companion planting, the objective is not solely concentrated on pest repellent; it has many benefits such as pollination, enhancing nutrient uptake and increasing crop productivity.
For example, in trap cropping principle of companion planting, Nasturtium is planted in a garden where lettuce or vegetables are cultivated, to attract caterpillars.
To help plants attacked by aphids, marigold is planted to deter the pest with the plant?s strong odor. Marigold also attracts hoverflies.
Garden pest control can be fun-filled especially if one?s knowledge has become vast. If the natural approach is chosen, it is not only beneficial to the environment; it also makes the garden eco-system- balanced.
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