Did you know you can grow healthier food without poisoning the crop with toxic pesticides? Organic garden insect control is as effortless as 1-2-3 with sustainable methods like crop rotation and natural pesticides.
Crop Rotation
Crop rotation for organic garden insect control is simple; plant differing families yearly to inhibit a build-up of diseases or insects in the garden. Familiar plant families are allium, brassica, legumes, and nightshades; if planting allium family crops one year, choose plants from a different family for the next year's harvest.
Natural Pesticides
Organic garden pest control uses natural pesticides, homemade and non-toxic formulations to exterminate insects and control diseases. These systems of pest preventors are chemical or botanical depending on the substance used for the insecticide. Common brand names for organic pesticides are: Prenon, Red Arrow, Red Devil, and Natural Guard. The most common natural pesticide ingredients are: pyrethrum, sabadilla, rotenone, neem, and sulphur.
Sustainable Techniques
Practices such as mulching for weed control; proper plant spacing, destroying infected plants, and inspecting plants for damage are time-tested ways to practice organic garden insect control. Discernible insects are hand-picked and eliminated, and careful examinations of damaged plants are clues to the pests and the correct pesticides. Removing debris and weeds from the garden yearly and following sanitation protocols ensure a healthy disease-free start for the next crop.
Garden Tips
Start with hardy plants and soil; healthy plants resist bugs and diseases. Vital nutrient-rich soil yields increased healthier crops. Non-toxic means of pest control like bug traps, barriers, and calculated introduction of beneficial bugs lead to hearty harvests of savory fruits and vegetables without wreaking havoc on nature or humanity.
Beneficial garden insects like lady bugs and bees are advantageous and help plants pollinate and produce. How do you control the bad bugs without killing the good ones? Work with nature, not against her, by carrying out organic garden insect control. Some plants, like dill or basil, repel bugs while others attract helpful insects like butterflies. Herbs are great companion plants and supply a bonus – topnotch to eat and efficient at preventing pest invasions.
By learning and utilizing the principles of crop rotation, natural pesticides, and sustainable garden techniques, you can enjoy a healthy organic garden free from insects and diseases.
Sources:
http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4DMG/VegFruit/organic.htm
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/newsletters/hortupdate/may00/h7may00.html