Organic Pest Control

Organic Pest Control

Organic pest control using botanical sprays and dusts should be the last line of defense after the methods of preventing infestations have failed. Garden insects hide, hibernate and multiply in trash, discarded dead and diseased plant material, in weeds and in the top several inches of soil in the garden.

Maintenance

Organic pest control begins with maintaining a clean environment and tilling, plowing or turning over the soil in the spring or fall to expose the eggs, larvae, and pupae of pestiferous insects so that they die. Keeping the garden weed free will help prevent harboring of pestiferous insects as well as eliminate a source of disease migration.

Beneficial Bugs Garden Pack

Vigilance

Another preventative method of organic pest control is to be ever vigilant by inspecting the plants, especially the underside of the leaves. This should be done often in order to detect the presence of insect and eggs before they become an infestation. Some insects and eggs can be removed by hand, some can be removed by a soapy water spray, and others by using a swab soaked in alcohol.

Interplanting

At least partial organic pest control can be achieved by interplanting like plant families with unlike plant families, since insects normally feed on a related family of plants, such as broccoli, cabbage and kale. By interplanting each of these with unrelated crops that the insects reject, or which repel them, population growth is minimized.

Shifted Planting Dates

Insects go through cycles of growth and heavy feeding. By observing these cycles and planting either before or after the cycles (within practical limits), you will have implemented another form of preventative organic pest control.

Crop Rotation

Another method of preventative organic pest control is to not plant the same crop in the same location each season. Since many insects lay eggs or hibernate on their host plants, they will over winter if the plants are not removed completely or if they are tilled under as a green manure.

Resistant Varieties

Yet another method of preventative organic pest control is choosing plant varieties which are resistant to certain pestiferous insects or are able to withstand more injury than other varieties when attacked by these insects. Experiment to see which of the resistant varieties grow best in your garden.

Physical Barriers

The last method of prevention that we will mention is the use of physical barriers. An example would be placing collars, often cardboard, around the base of certain plants when they are transplanted to the garden to prevent cut worms from attacking the tender stalk. Another example would be using adhesives to catch moths and flies.

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Sprays and Dusts

All of the above methods, even taken collectively, will not eliminate all pestiferous insects. Luckily, healthy plants can sustain considerable insect damage and still remain viable and productive. It is inevitable, however, that pestiferous insects will sometimes get out of control, prevention notwithstanding.

When spraying or dusting for organic pest control becomes the choice of last resort, try dissolving everyday harmless ingredients in water which are known to repel insects. These include Fels-Naphtha soap, buttermilk, herbal infusions, garlic tea, brewed cedar chips and dormant sprays, as well as others. Should stronger organic pest control measures be required, there are stronger naturally occurring insecticides and bacteria which can be used. Although not poisonous like chemical sprays, they are still toxic to the environment and should be used with restraint.

Organic Insect Control

There is not space in this format to probe the many aspects of organic pest control, but a minimum of research will reveal a wealth of knowledge on the subject.