How to Deal with Pests in your Organic Garden

June 11, 2008

Organic gardening has many rewards but it also comes with special challenges. The fact that you have chosen not to use chemical pesticides means that you will be rewarded with healthier vegetables come harvest time. But during the growing season, it means that you will have to find some alternative means to deal with pests that will try to make a meal of your garden. Here are a few of the most popular and effective ways organic gardeners protect their investment and ward off bugs.

Remove any Unnecessary Organic Material - The best way to deal with pests is by taking a preventative stance. A few dead leaves on the ground are an invitation to all unwanted pests. Keeping your garden tidy, including removing all unnecessary organic material, will give bugs less food to eat and therefore less reason to invade your garden.

Pick Them Off - Are caterpillars munching away at your leaves? With these and other large bugs you should simply pick them off by hand. Make sure to wear your gardening gloves so you don’t catch any diseases that these bugs might be harboring or get bitten.

Drench Your Plants - Some bugs may seem like they are a powerful presence in your garden, but many smaller bugs won’t even survive a good drenching. Aphids, in particular, are known to quickly die if you drench your plants in water. You may want to drench your plants regularly for a while after you discover an infestation to make sure you have thoroughly drowned the pests and prevent them from coming back.

Use a Citrus Based Pesticide - Not all pesticides are made using harsh, man-made chemicals. Citrus fruits such as oranges have their own, natural pest fighters built right into their skin. Some pest control products take advantage of this by using the pest fighting of citrus. They are designed to kill small pests by removing the wax coating of their respiratory system. Once sprayed on your plants, they can even act as a bug repellant.

Plate of Beer - If you are organic gardening in a traditional outdoor garden, a classic way to deal with snails and slugs is to place a plate of beer on the ground. They will be instinctively drawn to the beer, where they will promptly drown.

Biological Control - Nature has set up its own system of checks and balances. For every pest that can invade and destroy your garden, there is another bug designed to hunt and feed off of that pest. The most popular all purpose biological control agent in organic gardening is probably the ladybug. A single ladybug can eat up to sixty aphids per day and is also known to prey on other small insects such as mites and leafhoppers. Some infestations, however, might require the purchase of very specific biological control agents. If you are infested with whiteflies, for example, you will probably need to introduce the Ecarsia formosa species of wasp to your garden.

Advanced Nutrients

Written by Keith · Filed Under Pest Control