Pest control advice to protect your organic garden

Keeping pests out of your organic garden can be a challenge. But with this advice, you can take back your garden without resorting to chemicals.

• In a well-balanced garden with healthy plants, sacrificing a few leaves to a controlled, minimum population of plant-eating insects may be necessary.
• Crop rotation and companion planting, combined with regular maintenance and care, should keep any pest and disease problems to a minimum.
• When watering or weeding, examine plants for signs of problems. Most obvious infections or infestations can be dealt with easily if detected during the early stages.

• Observation is the way to maintain proper garden hygiene.
• If you notice that fruit is falling from a tree, dispose of it immediately. This will prevent fruit flies from coming and laying eggs.
• Clean cultivation is vital in the chain of pest prevention for organic gardeners.

• Insects have a way of working to balance your garden's ecosystem: one type preys on another to keep the numbers under control.
• A garden free of chemical sprays and manufactured fertilizers will be a haven for all sorts of insect-eating creatures, such as birds, frogs and lizards that are all part of the seasonal cycle.
• If an imbalance happens and insect numbers are out of control, use baits to trap snails and slugs.
• Pyrethrum-based sprays and organic fruit-fly traps are also viable choices.

Successful organic gardeners can generally avoid pesticides and fungicides by working on prevention rather than cure. Keep your eyes peeled and deal with problems as they arise. This will help you cultivate a healthy and productive organic garden.