aquaponic organic

First, if you have a garden, you will have pests. There is always some little critter looking for a free meal, and your luscious garden produce looks a lot like a buffet to many insects.

Pest control

Pest management can be broken down into 2 parts, the first of which is, or at least should be, pest prevention. The second is pest control. Prevention is always better than dealing with the aftermath. Control is what you do when you failed to prevent. We understand this with auto accidents, and disease, but often forget when it comes to our homes and gardens.

Pest prevention

Pest prevention in gardens is really a matter of keeping your plants healthy. This can be accomplished by:

• Choosing the right varieties
• Grouping plants according to elemental needs
• Attention to the plants internal calender
• Soil structure
• Soil fertility
• Soil moisture

If these factors are balanced, your garden plants will be healthier, and more disease and pest resistant, thus preventing the majority of pest problems. Failing this, or if other factors have conspired to bring on a pest invasion, or if some pests just managed to get through the prevention barrier, it may be necessary to resort to pest control.

Pest control types

Organic pest management methods are separated into 3 types, biological, and botanical and physical.

Biological

Biological pest control is one method suitable to organic gardening. Biological pest controls include lady bugs, spiders, praying mantis, and other bugs that feed on the insects feeding on your garden.

Botanical

Botanical pest management agents are made from plant oils and naturally occurring pyrethrins. There are products available to target and safely kill unwanted pests, but like most commercial insecticides, they will kill beneficial insects as well, so caution should be exercised.

Physical

Physical pest control is the removal of pests by hand. This is often done with a stream of water, a net, or by picking the bugs from the plant using the fingers. This method is often slow and tedious, but can be effective in many situations.