Start with “Clean” Soil
Good soil can actually deter garden insect pests. But it takes time to prepare. Here’s a method that works great for me:
First till in organic matter like compost when the growing season begins. This will keep your soil clean by adding natural elements and compounds that help keep pests away.
After tilling, cover your garden with black plastic or cardboard for 6 months. The heat that builds up underneath it will kill most garden pests and their eggs, weeds, parasites and a host of other harmful microorganisms.
After removing the plastic, lightly cultivate the soil. Now you’re ready for planting.
Buy Disease and Pest-Resistant Seeds
It’s easier to prevent diseases and pests than it is to get rid of them after they arrive in your garden. When you look at seeds in a catalog, look for letters like V, F, N or T after the name of a seed; they indicate the problems to which the seed is most resistant. V and F stand for verticillium and fusarium, respectively-two diseases that affect tomatoes; N is for nematodes; and T is for tobacco mosaic virus, which causes leaves to wilt and yellow and damages the plant’s roots.
Water Plants in the Early Morning
Why? Well, plants primarily need water to help with photosynthesis, which occurs during the day. Also, if you water later in the day, the leaves will be damp during the cooler nighttime—an ideal condition for promoting fungus and other diseases. When you do water, soak the roots rather than getting the foliage wet. Soaker or drip hoses are a good investment.
Control Weeds
Weeds compete with your plants for valuable resources such as water, nutrients and light. And they often harbor garden insect pests and parasites, too. Be sure to pull weeds and their roots completely out of the ground.
Keep your Garden Clean
Removing faded blooms, fallen leaves and weeds is important because decaying plant matter is a prime breeding ground for fungus, garden bugs and diseases. Carry a small pail or bucket with you every time you enter your garden and use it to collect garden litter.
Use Insect Traps
Yellow “sticky” cards are available at most garden centers. When placed on the ground and in between the shoots or branches of plants, they’ll catch many garden bugs that are traveling through your garden. Contact your local garden center or county extension agent for help in identifying the good garden bugs versus the bad ones.
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