How to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden

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Keeping your own garden is an exciting and fulfilling adventure. There are a number of organic challenges associated with keeping a garden, and the most dreaded one to deal with is pests. Here are tips for keeping pests out of your garden.

Prevent pests

Prevent pests
As is the case with most situations, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take measure to prevent pests from getting into your garden in the first place. One of the best measures you can take is during the actual flower or vegetable selection phase: take care to pick flowers or vegetables that aren’t as prone to pests. Even though you may want to pick out flowers based solely on visual appeal, and which ones are the prettiest, be sure to ask the sales associate a few questions before diving in, or you could be choosing an open invitation for pests to come into your garden.

However, there are some plants that actually attract “good pests” – beneficial insects for your garden. For example, bugs like ladybugs, bees, parasitic wasps, damsel bugs and minute pirate bugs all naturally help keep down the number of other pests by eating them. You can encourage these types of bugs in your garden by planting flowers that specifically attract them. Some flowers that attract these good types of insects are: Rudbeckia Species (Black-Eyed Susans), Eriogonum Species (Native Buckwheat), Coreopsis Species (Tickseed), AmmiMajus (Laceflower), ZiziaAurea (Golden Alexanders), and Spirea Alba (Meadowsweet).

Futhermore, many pests are seasonal, meaning they only appear in the spring or summer. Once you select your garden plants, do your research on which types of pests you will need to be prepared for, and during which seasons they strike. Isolating the potential issues can help them feel less daunting, and encourage you to take prevention steps.

Cover your garden

Cover your garden
Once you go through the process of planting your garden, you can help keep it protected and safe from pests by covering it. Although this isn’t the most aesthetically-pleasing option, it’s truly one of the best ways to keep your plants protected from pests. There are many types of floating row covers you can purchase from home stores to protect your garden. These covers contain a lightweight fabric that covers your plants, leaving little room for pests to enter. You can even take the extra step of pinning down the sides to ensure sturdiness. If you use plant covers, once the plants start to flower, you’ll need to remove them so they can be pollinated.

Get some help

There’s no shame in getting some professional help for your garden. Especially if you’re at your wits end with pest control, there’s no need to go at it alone. Get in touch with pest specialists, like powerpestcontrol, and get their assistance in diagnosing and remedying your pest problems. Plus, once you get a professional opinion the first time, you’ll be equipped with more knowledge and strategies to help you repeat the protection and defense tactics down the road.

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