Welcome to the first edition of Pest Busters.
So many people get freaked out when they see a critter or bug
nibbling on their plants. There really is no need to panic.
The first thing you need to do is identify the pest that is doing the
damage. Sometimes this is hard to figure out. You will need to look
the plant over carefully. Sometimes the pests stay under the leaves or
bury themselves in the stems. Sometimes it's not a bug, but a larger
animal like a rabbit nibbling on tender new growth. Sometimes the
damage occurs at dawn, dusk or at night, so you may find yourself
out stalking your pray with a flashlight. The reason it's so important to
figure out what is causing the damage, is because you want to be able
to apply the pest control that is most likely going to work. What is the
point of spraying something if you don't know if it's going to work,
right?
So many people get freaked out when they see a critter or bug
nibbling on their plants. There really is no need to panic.
The first thing you need to do is identify the pest that is doing the
damage. Sometimes this is hard to figure out. You will need to look
the plant over carefully. Sometimes the pests stay under the leaves or
bury themselves in the stems. Sometimes it's not a bug, but a larger
animal like a rabbit nibbling on tender new growth. Sometimes the
damage occurs at dawn, dusk or at night, so you may find yourself
out stalking your pray with a flashlight. The reason it's so important to
figure out what is causing the damage, is because you want to be able
to apply the pest control that is most likely going to work. What is the
point of spraying something if you don't know if it's going to work,
right?
| Last Updated on March 6, 2010 |
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| Pest Busters - Introduction |
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first. Handpicking them and dunking them in soapy hot water is another very effective method. I can't tell you how satisfying this
can be, especially with japanese beetles.
So why do pests attack plants? It could be because you have forced nice tender shoots for them to munch on by over fertilizing.
High nitrogen fertilizers force lush green growth on your plants, but at what consequence? Your plants will grow just fine with
compost. They may grow a little more slowly, but that means less tender new growth to attract critters.
Many pests attack plants that are already stressed. They could be stressed due to lack of water or because the soil does not have
the proper nutrients or organic matter, or maybe it's not planted in the right location (too much light or not the right type of soil).
You can solve a lot of problems by adding compost to your soil every year. It's very simple to do. Once a year cover the soil with
a 1" layer of compost and work it in lightly with a rake. You can add mulch on top of that to make it look more finished, but as my
gardens fill out more, you see less of the exposed soil and mulch, so I find I use less mulch as the years go by.
A healthy soil is full of micro-organisms that help defend your plants from all kinds of pests and diseases and adding organic
matter in the form of compost is the best way to encourage their growth and well-being. Well made compost also contains all the
nutrients most plants need to survive and grow well. The key is that the nutrients in organic fertilizers and compost are released
slowly and don't cause spikes in the plant's growth.
Other ways to add organic matter include using an organic mulch like shredded leaves, untreated grass clippings or shredded pine
or cedar. As the mulch breaks down, it adds nutrients to the soil. Using several layers of black/white newspaper under your mulch
will help your mulch to work better. The paper blocks the sun so weed seeds can't germinate. You can also use less mulch this
way. As the paper breaks down, it attracts earthworms, which is very beneficial to your soil. Worms aerate the soil and also leave
castings which enrich the soil. You would need to put down newspaper every year or two depending on your climate, but that is a
small price to pay for nearly a season's worth of not having to weed the gardens. You are recycling and adding organic matter at
the same time....can't get better than that.
can be, especially with japanese beetles.
So why do pests attack plants? It could be because you have forced nice tender shoots for them to munch on by over fertilizing.
High nitrogen fertilizers force lush green growth on your plants, but at what consequence? Your plants will grow just fine with
compost. They may grow a little more slowly, but that means less tender new growth to attract critters.
Many pests attack plants that are already stressed. They could be stressed due to lack of water or because the soil does not have
the proper nutrients or organic matter, or maybe it's not planted in the right location (too much light or not the right type of soil).
You can solve a lot of problems by adding compost to your soil every year. It's very simple to do. Once a year cover the soil with
a 1" layer of compost and work it in lightly with a rake. You can add mulch on top of that to make it look more finished, but as my
gardens fill out more, you see less of the exposed soil and mulch, so I find I use less mulch as the years go by.
A healthy soil is full of micro-organisms that help defend your plants from all kinds of pests and diseases and adding organic
matter in the form of compost is the best way to encourage their growth and well-being. Well made compost also contains all the
nutrients most plants need to survive and grow well. The key is that the nutrients in organic fertilizers and compost are released
slowly and don't cause spikes in the plant's growth.
Other ways to add organic matter include using an organic mulch like shredded leaves, untreated grass clippings or shredded pine
or cedar. As the mulch breaks down, it adds nutrients to the soil. Using several layers of black/white newspaper under your mulch
will help your mulch to work better. The paper blocks the sun so weed seeds can't germinate. You can also use less mulch this
way. As the paper breaks down, it attracts earthworms, which is very beneficial to your soil. Worms aerate the soil and also leave
castings which enrich the soil. You would need to put down newspaper every year or two depending on your climate, but that is a
small price to pay for nearly a season's worth of not having to weed the gardens. You are recycling and adding organic matter at
the same time....can't get better than that.
Proper watering is also essential for creating healthy plants. It is usually
much more beneficial to plants and grasses if they are watered less
frequently, but with more water at those times. This ensures that the
water goes down deep into the soil. When the top few inches of the soil
begin to dry out, the roots of your plants will grow down deeper into
the soil to reach for water. A strong healthy root system means that
your plants can withstand drought conditions for longer periods of time.
always be wet and the roots of your plants never need to go below that
to find water. Then all of a sudden, you don't water for a day or two.
What are the plants to do? They are so used to finding water readily at
the surface, that they have not grown long roots that go deep into the
soil surface and therefore become stressed and susceptible to pest
attacks and could even die.
much more beneficial to plants and grasses if they are watered less
frequently, but with more water at those times. This ensures that the
water goes down deep into the soil. When the top few inches of the soil
begin to dry out, the roots of your plants will grow down deeper into
the soil to reach for water. A strong healthy root system means that
your plants can withstand drought conditions for longer periods of time.
always be wet and the roots of your plants never need to go below that
to find water. Then all of a sudden, you don't water for a day or two.
What are the plants to do? They are so used to finding water readily at
the surface, that they have not grown long roots that go deep into the
soil surface and therefore become stressed and susceptible to pest
attacks and could even die.
Now there is always an exception to this rule. Some plants just don't grow roots real deep in the soil, such as lettuce or astilbe, so
it's important to educate yourself on the kind of plants that you have and the conditions they prefer, but in general it's much better
to water for 1-2 hours once or twice a week than to water every day for 20 minutes each time.
So now you know what it takes to keep plants healthy and less attractive to pests. Thought it was going to be more difficult than
that? Well it's not. Simple is usually better (my new philosophy).
Find more gardening tips here
it's important to educate yourself on the kind of plants that you have and the conditions they prefer, but in general it's much better
to water for 1-2 hours once or twice a week than to water every day for 20 minutes each time.
So now you know what it takes to keep plants healthy and less attractive to pests. Thought it was going to be more difficult than
that? Well it's not. Simple is usually better (my new philosophy).
Find more gardening tips here
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