Everything You Need To Know About Vegetable Garden Pest Control

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Vegetable Garden Pest Control

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a widely accepted practice for controlling vegetable-eating pests in your garden. The integrated part of IPM is a combination of historically proven methodologies with more common impediments such as botanical and chemical applications. The key is to learn the life cycles and habits of pests first. Good gardeners know their insects. Second, choose the best and most effective application to eliminate the problem from your garden. This approach, along with some basic good gardening practices, will help you increase your production and enjoy the food you grow.

There is no way to keep all of nature out of your garden. The best a gardener can do is find the balance of nature, and the balance is much easier to maintain than it is to regain. That's the beauty of IPM, a combination of knowing when and why a problem may occur, taking steps to avoid the problem in the first place, being on the lookout for changes, and using inexpensive, low-risk control methods, if necessary.

What Is Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management is a technical term used to use common sense and foresight in your garden to avoid most problems and detect and control those that arise as quickly as possible EPA defines integrated pest management pest damage, such as information on pests and the environment with available pest management methods to avoid unacceptable levels of pest damage by the cheapest means and with the least possible risk to people, property, and the environment.

IPM was originally developed for commercial farmers, in response to the high cost of using synthetic pesticides. Home gardeners have adapted the principles of IPM and can be used effectively against pests in home gardens without the use of synthetic pesticides.

IPM is not a single control, it is a process or system that integrates with the seasons of the year in a garden. Pests and garden problems come and go. What gardeners should be aware of about IPM is:

• Prevention
• Surveillance
• Analyzing
• To control

Prevention

How do you prevent problems from arising? Maintain a healthy garden and plant varieties suitable for your location. Find out which insects and diseases are common in your area and which varieties are resistant to plants.

Organize your garden well by staking plants to keep them out of the ground and drying and planting interspersed vegetables to curb the potential spread of problems. Use crop traps and line covers to exclude and stop garden pests. Encourage beneficial insects.

Once the garden is planted, water regularly so the plants are not stressed due to drought. Apply mulch to prevent soil spills and plant pathogens and to remove and dispose of infected or infested plants. Rotate crops to avoid hibernation problems. Remove all plant debris in the fall so there is no shelter for winter garden pests and spores.

Monitoring

Is it really a problem or just an isolated incident? Find out what you're dealing with by regularly monitoring your plants. Watch for the first signs of garden pests, such as skeletonized leaves, damaged, wilted fruit, cobwebs, and color changes. Check the underside of the leaves.

Identify the problem before solving it. Is it a disease, an insect, a nutrient deficiency, rabbit damage, or something else? Once you have correctly identified the problem, you can determine the most successful solution.

Will, it spread or will it be temporary? Some problems are seasonal. The drills mature and leave the garden in midsummer. Cucumber beetles spread the disease throughout the crop.

Analyzing

How much damage am I willing to tolerate? Do not overdo it. A caterpillar should not send you to the hangar for the sprayer. Consider these questions:

• Does the insect make the leaves ugly, but harm the plant?
• Will the problem go away before real damage occurs?
• Is this an isolated problem that will go away when the weather changes or the insect moves?
• Am I willing to sacrifice the dill for swallowtail butterflies?

Control

How can you stop it before the damage spreads? When the problem doesn't go away on its own, start with the least toxic solution.

Capturing garden pests with bypass crops, baits, or duct tape is helpful in reducing pest populations and controlling the severity of the problem.

Taking your hands off is easier if you start early. Remove the infected or infested plant before it has time to spread. You can watch for parasite egg masses on the underside of the leaves and crush or remove the eggs before they become a problem. Many beetles move slowly, especially when they mate, and you can toss them off the plants into a pitcher of soapy water. Often the borers can be cut from the affected part of the plant without killing it.

The use of pesticides may be necessary. There are dozens of organic and botanical pesticides available for use on edible crops, such as vegetables. Start with the least toxic and the most effective.

Warning

Just because a product is organic does not mean it is harmless. Some can be toxic to humans and others are toxic to nearby animals, insects, and plants. A less toxic pesticide that must be used repeatedly can end up causing more harm than using a stronger pesticide once. In contrast, a strong pesticide sprayed on an insect resistant to it is pointless. If you must use a toxic spray, apply it at the end of the day. This will reduce exposure to beneficial pollinators that are not active after dark.

Why Bother Using IPM

IPM is useful because if you can keep your garden in balance, you will have fewer problems in the long run. For example, you won't lose entire vegetable crops to a single infestation. Your yard will be a safe place for children and pets to visit.

Using a combination of environmental, cultural, and low-toxicity solutions will allow the "right" insect population to survive. You need these insects to control pests and pollinate your plants. Your soil will remain healthy and fertile, which will make your vegetables that much more nutritious.

Enjoy This Video Tutorial About 10 Organic Ways to Control Pests in the Garden

Source: Self Sufficient Me

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