Natural Pest Control
Natural Pest Control
Vegetable gardening doesn't end with planting a seedling in a garden plot. It is just the beginning of a journey towards a great harvest. In between the start and the final destination of this journey is a task that involves maintaining a suitable condition for plant growth.
In vegetable gardening, maintenance involves pest control, which can be done in various ways such as the use of chemicals. However, many experienced gardeners recommend non-chemical pest controls to avoid any allergic reaction to the chemicals.
One easy and natural way of controlling pests is the use of vegetable varieties that are genetically modified to resist diseases. When you go to a store to get some of the seed packets, look for the letters V, F, N and T beside the name. These letters indicate that the variety is resistant to diseases. The letters V and F denotes verticillium and fusarium. Verticillium and fusarium are responsible for the yellowing, wilting and death of tomato plants. N, on the other hand, is an indication of resistance to nematodes, which are responsible for the appearance of knots on the stems and roots. Meanwhile, T indicates a resistance to tobacco mosaic virus.
Another way of controlling pests without the use of chemicals is watering early. Plants that hold more moisture during night time are more susceptible to diseases. Leaves become breeding grounds for fungi. So, it is best to water your vegetables early in the day in order to have ample time for drying before the sun sets.
Crop rotation is another effective means of controlling vegetable pests. When you plant the same crop at the same plot every year, fungi and other microorganisms responsible for plant disease get a chance to build resistance to any natural defense that the plant holds. So, make sure that you rotate your crops to different plots in your garden.
The use of beneficial insects takes the last spot on the list of various means of controlling pests. There are insects that were found to be beneficial by feeding on bugs or other insects that poses a threat to your crops. Some of these are ladybugs, lacewing flies and praying mantises.
Maintaining your own vegetable garden involves controlling organisms that may bring about plant diseases to your crops. Other gardeners make use of chemicals such as insecticides. However, research has found that these chemicals bring about allergic reactions to the people who consume the vegetables. So, it is recommended to use non-chemical and organic means of controlling pests.