Consider Other Options Before Using Pesticides in Your Vegetable Garden

Pests are notorious for causing a loss of plants every year, however, that loss can be minimized with good pest control practices. Did you know that plants that are properly watered, cultivated and fertilize can actually resist pests more than plants that aren't? First you'll want to choose plants for your garden that have a natural resistance to pests.

There are many plants that are resistant to disease, but it is much harder to find insect resistant ones. Do not ever keep your own seeds to utilize in your next garden, in case you grow plants from seeds. It may seem like a natural re-cycling process, however many of the diseases that plague gardens today are seed-borne. If you purchase new seed each year from reputable dealers that sell high-quality, pest-free seeds, you will give your garden a fresh, new start each year. When you are transplanting young plants, take the time to choose seedling that are currently in excellent health. Transplanting can be a shock to any plant, and choosing those that are already weak can leave them highly susceptible to some pests.

Crop rotation is another great way to make your garden more effective and will help to control soil or seed-borne diseases. A good strategy along this line is alternate corn and other crops in the garden. You can also choose an ongoing four year rotation where corn is followed by cole crops, including cabbage, broccoli and greens. These can then by followed by the solanaceous tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. The final year would see legumes being planted.

Keeping your garden free of weeds and volunteer plants and removing any dead plants or plant debris also reduces the risks of disease or other pests. Many pests thrive and survive in the plant residues from vegetables, so it is never a good idea to use these as mulch. Straw, leaves, and other non garden materials are great choices of things to mulch with. However, there are some drawbacks that come with using mulch that you definitely want to consider before using it. Permitting them to get to your plants as you can not first spot them, mulch offers shelter and disguise to a variety of insects.

Viruses among plants can also be prevented with the proper sanitation. You always need to wash any tools, including your hands, before handling transplants or closely cultivating the plant. Tobacco is notorious for housing plant viruses, including the tobacco mosaic. If you are harvesting tobacco, extra care should be taken to avoid this.

Weeding is also an essential part of good gardening as many pests will attack and survive on the weeds. Your garden zone should be entirely clear of weeds in any part of it, because some types of weeds can actually attract pests to them. Some of the pests you could find in the weeds that will cause damage to your garden are beetles, leafhoppers, aphids, several other insect species, mites, and nematodes. Keep your garden well weeded and make sure to clear away any Johnson Grass, it is a perennial weed which can often hide harmful pests.

A good tool to use to keep the pests at bay in the garden is moisture control. If you want to keep disease to a minimum, water early in the day. Watering in the morning prevents the growth of fungus, eliminating the need to use a fungicide. When you water at night, the moisture will remain on the exterior of the plant all night which gives unwanted fungi plenty of time to move in and take over.

You can erect a barrier around newly transplanted members of your garden to protect from insects. There are many different household materials you can use for this like milk jugs, cardboard or even extra shingles which you can put a few inches into the earth to protect the plant. Those barriers will protect the young plants from grubs, cutworms, wireworms, and other destructive insects that feed at or below the surface of the soil. There are biological means for keeping insects away from the garden like having their natural predators, but there are ethical concerns about doing this artificially. However, there are helpful predators that you should learn to recognize. This will allow you to leave them alone if you see some in your garden. These include the praying mantis, ladybugs, lacewings, ground beetles, spiders and syrphid flies.

If, despite all of your best efforts, these natural methods aren't keeping pests away you may consider a pesticide, but leave it as a last resort. If you do use pesticides, you need to take care to follow the instructions for use to the letter. When the directions tell you to wait a period of time before you respray your garden again, then you need to make sure to wait this time, because if you overdo it you can damage your plants.

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