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Habitat-Friendly Pest Control

 The presence of an insect on a damaged plant does not necessarily point to the culprit. Most insects are beneficial and those that aren’t can usually be controlled by natural predators.

The goal of organic gardening is to mimic natural conditions with the least environmental damage. The following steps should help your garden thrive without pesticides.

1. Identify the Problem

In the vast majority of cases, what looks like a pest or disease is actually the result of a plant requiring a different soil or needing a change in light or moisture conditions. If a plant is unhealthy, don’t assume you have a pest. First, check your plant’s conditions and make the necessary changes.

2. What’s Bugging You?

Your pest control method must be specific to the pest. If proper growing conditions are met, your problem may be an insect pest or a disease. To identify which, observe the damage first, then identify the culprit. Books published by Rodale are a good resource.

3. Is it Serious?

Keep in mind that few problems are life-threatening to the plant. Most damage is in the range of not-quite-perfect to ugly. Consider the degree of damage before you take action and decide what your aesthetic threshold is.

4. Insect Pests: Handpick or Use Traps

Your first line of defense is to simply remove the pest. Beer traps are great for slugs. Newspapers under your shrubs can help you find weevils. Cut off the tents of caterpillars. Hose off insects, like aphids, with a jet of cold water.

5. Diseased Plants: Remove Affected Leaves or Branches

Make sure you clean your pruning tools to avoid the spread of disease.

6. Wait and Give Predators a Chance

Birds, frogs and insects are very skilled predators and are necessary to keep a natural balance in your garden. Learn to recognize beneficial insects such as rove beetles, spined soldier beetles, tachnid flies, parasitic wasps, ladybugs and their larvae, ground beetles and lacewings.

7. What About Weeds?

Did you ever think that weeds might have a beneficial role in the garden? Some, such as thistles, provide food and habitat for native wildlife. However, be aware of plants that spread quickly and take over your garden. Prevent their spread by applying a 2-3” layer of organic mulch, such as compost, over the surface. Keep on top of weeds and remove them by hand before they go to seed.

8. Use Barriers

If your crops are threatened, prevent damage by using barriers. Remay row covers are great for protecting vegetables from damage by cabbage moth or carrot rust flies. Crushed eggshells, wood ashes, or diatomaceous earth are barriers against slugs. Tanglefoot barriers on tree trunks prevent moth larvae from climbing up to the leaves.

9. Use Least Toxic Remedies

If problems persist, try less toxic chemical controls like soapy water or Safer’s Insecticidal Soap. Remember that any control, biological or chemical, will kill beneficial insects along with pests. A good general-purpose insecticide you can make at home is a garlic spray. Per litre of water add:

• 2 T garlic powder

• 2 T onion powder

• Dash tabasco or cayenne

10. Do you Really Want That Plant?

If you try all of the above recommendations and problems persist, consider replacing troublesome plants with varieties that are easier to grow and maintain.