4 Simple Secrets for Vegetable Garden Pest Control
An abundant vegetable garden is a beautiful thing. Keeping garden pests at bay can be a real challenge for gardeners. The clever gardener knows producing great vegetables is part art and part science. Here we look at a few ways you can make your vegetable garden pest control and the envy of your neighbourhood.
No one method works in isolation. Rather, you should think of these hints as a suite of measures you can take to help keep your garden pest-free. To begin with, the position is key. Find a patch of earth that's well-drained and sunny. Lots of fungal infections and pests like moisture and damp. Keeping your garden well-drained, dry and ventilated is a great first step.
Think about what you are going to plant. Tomatoes will thrive in Florida's warmth but do less well in New Jersey. Equally, if stink bugs are common in your part of the world, your tomatoes may suffer.
While there are some chemical sprays and baits that will deter most pests, most gardeners prefer a holistic approach that incorporates both chemical and natural pest control methods.
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4 Simple Secrets for Vegetable Garden Pest Control
1. Practice Good Garden Hygiene
Compost is fabulous on gardens but do not toss food scraps straight onto your garden to break down there. Food attracts pests, from small insects to rodents to larger animals. Make your compost elsewhere and use it in the garden when it has properly broken down.
Lots of people prefer to water their gardens at dusk. But all that moisture and the onset of darkness attracts slugs and snails. Water your garden earlier in the day to help keep these two pests at bay.
And when you water, try to direct it towards the base of the vegetable plant. Not always easy, but this does help reduce mould, spores and fungal growth.
Speaking of snails and slugs - they hate sawdust. Having a narrow row of sawdust around your garden bed also helps keep these two pests away. You can also use baits but before doing so you should consult a specialist pest control FL business near you.
2. You Can Also Use Natural Traps And Baits
Both slugs and snails enjoy a beer. Half fill a couple of bottles with beer and then almost bury those bottles in your garden, but still allowing easy access into the cavity. Snails and slugs will crawl in and drown in a boozy bliss. It's a waste of beer I know, but needs must.
On the other hand, frogs are great in gardens. They eat pests like mosquitoes and grasshoppers. But frogs need somewhere to live. If you have a few broken tiles or flat rocks you can place around your garden bed, that will give frogs hidey holes and help attract them.
Ladybugs are another garden-friendly inhabitant that will help keep other pests under control. Ladybugs love mites, whiteflies, and scale insects like aphids. Aphids are the bane of many a gardener. They thrive by sucking the nutrient-rich juices from plants. Pollen-rich plants attract ladybugs. Planting pollen-rich vegetables and herbs like dill, fennel, zucchini and tomatoes will all draw ladybugs in and they will help keep other pests at bay.
3. Spiders Can Be Your Best Friend In The Garden
While you might not be thrilled about the idea of spiders in your garden, your average spider eats lots of insects. Indeed, maligned spiders are estimated to eat 400-800 million metric tons of insects each year. And when you think about it, a nice spider web in your garden in the morning light can add a lot of razzle-dazzle to your garden. Besides insects to feast on, spiders need moisture and like plants big enough to support webs.
When you think about calling in the pest control experts, you generally think chemicals. While there can be a situation where chemicals are called for, most pest controllers can advise on a range of non-chemical methods to keep vegetable garden pests under control.
If your baby lettuce and micro herbs are been visited by rabbits at night, they can advise on fencing and netting. They might also tell you that if you soak red peppers and garlic in water overnight, remove the debris the next day, and mix that with a gentle soapy liquid, and spray it on your vegetables, that should deter small animals like rabbits.
4. Don't Be Afraid To Call For Help
Controlling pests in your vegetable garden depends on your willingness to use a range of methods. It also means calling for advice when you see a problem emerging, rather than waiting for it to get out of control. It's no good complaining about the little pests that ate your eggplants afterwards. Address the problem as soon as you see it and you'll soon be well on your way to a spectacular pest-free vegetable garden.
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