Pest Control Tips for Organic Gardeners

This time of year garden pests can start to drive you crazy. How dare those little destructive pests think that the plants you worked so hard to get into the ground and tend are theirs too? The good news is that there’s a way to control those little pests without upsetting the balance of nature or harming anything. Organic gardening pest control is a necessary part of maintaining a sustainable and healthy organic garden.

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Organic gardening pest control begins before the plants even go into the soil. Preparing the soil properly will help repel pests and give your plants a good, healthy start so that they’re less susceptible to attacks from destroying insects and fungi.

Natural biological control consists of many items that you might already have around your house. Garlic, fish, rhubarb and tobacco are among the odoriferous things that you can use to repel pests. Others include oils such as vegetable and mineral oils, vegetable-based soaps and detergents and heat from chilies.

It’s good to remember that you should only use what you need to rid your plants of pests and infestations. Using sprays, even if they’re natural and environmentally safe, can sometimes harm the plants. Never spray your plants during sunny days. It might cause the leaves to burn and turn brown.

Your eyes are also good deterrents to keeping pests from harming your plants. If you see a caterpillar on a cabbage, simply pluck it off. Notice what’s around your plants. For example, if you see butterflies or moths flying around them, use an organic gardening pest control mixture that targets just those types of insects.

Insect pests love to find a wide swath of plants in one area of a garden, so practice diversity by inserting other types of plants in between. Your organic garden doesn’t have to be symmetrical and adhere to neat little “rows.” Crop rotation can also help confuse bugs by relocating their favorite plants to a different spot than they were last year, so hopefully they won't be able to find them.

Green Lacewing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Certain insects can also be your organic gardening friends. Use lacewings, bees, ladybugs and other friendly insects to keep detrimental pests out of your garden. It really works. Encourage tachanid wasps, which lay eggs on tomato horn worms. There are many friendly insects that can help you control pests naturally in your garden.

Experiment to see what works best for your organic garden. For example, if you mix a spray and use it only to find that the pests you were trying to target are returning, make it a bit stronger the next time.

Mildew, mold and fungus present a whole new set of problems than insects. Some plants are more prone to these conditions than others. For example, zucchini, cucumber and peas are very susceptible to mildew, but the problem can be eradicated with a cream milk spray - or choose varieties that are resistant to these problems.

Observe your organic garden carefully and don’t panic if you notice a problem with pests. Organic gardening pest control has come a long way and you can find many helpful suggestions online or from books and other resources.

Helpful Natural Pest Control Resources: