Top 5 Organic Pest Control Methods
Organic pest control can be difficult when growing on a commercial scale but for the average backyard gardener, you shouldn’t have too many problems. If you practice the five pest control methods listed below, your fruit, vegetables, and other plants should be fairly pest and disease free.
1. Choose the Right Variety
A significant factor in the success of an organic garden is choosing the right plants to grow. Not everything grows well everywhere. Planting varieties which are known to be pest and disease resistant is the simplest method for avoiding pests and diseases. Choose plants which are suited to your climate and soil as these will be much stronger and healthier than other plants which will enable them to fight off most attacks by pests.
2. Plant a Wide Variety of Plants
Mono cropping creates the perfect environment for pests and diseases. In this environment, pests will have virtually unlimited food, no predators, and any diseases will spread quickly. Obviously most gardeners won’t grow just one plant variety in their garden but the more varieties the better. Different plants will attract different pests and different predators and if you find yourself with a few diseased plants, it won’t matter too much because you’ll have many other plants which will survive.
3. Make Regular Inspections
Many pests and diseases can be controlled by hand picking pests and removing diseased leaves and branches. If you make daily inspections of your plants you’ll be able to control any problems before they get out of hand. This is one of the most effective organic pest control methods.
4. Grow Healthy Plants
Strong, healthy plants are naturally more pest and disease resistant. Keep your plants healthy by building up your soil with lots of organic matter, using organic fertilisers such as animal manure, worm compost, and potash, and by keeping plants well watered.
5. Companion Planting
As well as planting a wide variety of plants you might consider which plants work well together and plant them near each other. Companion plants can deter pests due to their scent, attracting predators or by acting as sacrificial plants.
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