HANDLING PESTS IN THE GARDEN

A successful garden depends upon encouraging healthy plants and soil by creating an environment that welcomes good insects to prey on the bad ones. Vigilance is imperative to ensure insect problems are dealt with before they have an opportunity to worsen or spread. A healthy plant makes them more resistant to disease. The healthier your soil and plants, the better they will resist pesky organisms that cause major problems.

Maintain Soil Health

A healthy, nutrient-rich soil will help grow strong, disease resistant plants. Add a well-draining soil with organic matter, such as Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil to your existing beds. Use a lighter organic soil mix,like Miracle-Gro Organic™ Outdoor Potting Mix for your containers.

Practice Natural Pest Control

Insect pests signal plant stress. Start with a hands-on approach: blast insects with a strong stream of water or pick them off manually. First try horticultural oils and soaps; they’re less toxic than some sprays, easy to work with, and effective. 

Attract Beneficial Insects

It can be effective to include a diverse array of plants with different kinds of flowers and bloom times. They provide food and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, including some that will be predators of insect pets.

Rotate crops

When you grow edibles, rotate planting locations annually. This prevents roots from leeching excessive nutrients out of the soil and discourages the buildup of plant-specific pest populations.

Don’t overcrowd 

Give your plants plenty of space to grow. Good plant spacing provides better air circulation which helps keep leaves dry and prevents fungal diseases. It also slows the spread of both disease and some insect pests between plants.”

Stay on top of weeds

Hoe weeds on sunny days and uproots weeds while they’re still small enough to dry out and die on the soil’s surface. Then mulch with organic material to discourage new weed growth until plants are big enough to cover the ground. Apply a layer of mulch to any exposed soil to smother weeds and make it easier to pull out weeds that do emerge. I like Miracle-Gro Organic™ All Natural Mulch.