Garden Tips

Garden Tips

1.          Attract ladybugs to your garden with nectar-producing plants such as parsley, dill and fennel.

2.        Rotate your crops each year to help reduce pest and disease problems, as well as correct nutrient deficiencies and excesses.

3.        Less than 2 percent of the insects in the world are harmful. Most are beneficial insects

4.        Mow your lawn high. The less it has to struggle through rapid re-growth the stronger it is and less susceptible to disease and pests. Click here for a guide to choosing and using environmentally friendly push reel mowers

5.        Keep birds away from your garden by hanging shiny objects that flap and sparkle in the wind, such as aluminum foil, at regular intervals.

6.        Botanical insecticides are derived from plants and can be more toxic than some chemicals. They are, however, better in the long run because they break down rapidly in the environment.

7.         A strong hose spray can aide in knocking soft-bodied pests off plants such as aphids, leafhoppers and spider mites.

8.        Vegetables that become over-ripe are an automatic lure for some garden pests. Remove them as quickly as possible to avoid detection.

9.        Avoid using railroad ties in or around your vegetable garden; the chemicals used to preserve the wood are now thought to be harmful.

10.  Earthworms are extremely beneficial to the soil and plants, increasing air space in the soil and leaving behind worm castings. Do everything you can to encourage worms in your soil.

11.    Earthworms are extremely beneficial to the soil and plants, increasing air space in the soil and leaving behind worm castings. Do everything you can to encourage worms in your soil.

12.  Pest management begins with healthy soil. It produces healthy plants, which are better able to withstand disease and insect damage.

13.   Companion planting is an excellent way to improve your garden. Some plants replenish nutrients lost by another one, and some combinations effectively keep pests away.

14.  Native trees and plants are low maintenance; they develop natural defenses against insects, disease and they rarely need pruning or feeding.

15.   Use barriers against pests instead of insecticides whenever possible. Some pest barriers include floating row covers, netting, copper slug tape, protective collars, and Tangle foot Pest Barrier.