Natural Pest Control: Easier Than You Think

When you are looking to garden organically, you need to put a lot of thought into what you are going to do should pests show up.  While of course you want to avoid pesticides, you may discover that you are not sure what to do should aphids or caterpillars attack.  Luckily, you will find that there are a number of different things that you can do to control the pests in your garden naturally, so keep a few things in mind.

1.Pull out the weak or dying plants
If you are in a situation where you are noticing that there are plants that look more sickly or as if they are doing less than their best, you will find that it is in your best interests to pull them out and compost them , or to wash them off and to boil them down for soup stock.  Weak plants attract pests and they can also infect healthier plants.

2.Rotate your crops
When you are planning your garden, take the time to figure out what you need to do in order to switch it up from year to year.  Pests are powerful when they are given the same food every year. When you switch it up, you are denying the pests from last year and you will have some time before the new pests are drawn by the scent of your garden.

3.Keep things clean
When you are looking to make sure that pests stay away from your garden, make sure that you don’t give them a place to go.  Keep the rows clear of debris and if you do some weeding, make sure that you pick it up right away and that you don’t let it sit there over time.  This encourages pests to lie in it and to preed.

4.Dry off!
If at all possible, make sure that you keep your plants as dry as possible. The best way to save water when watering plants is to use a watering can so that you can easily direct the spray.  If you have to water with a hose, make sure that you water early in the day so that the plants will be as dry as possible during the rest of the day.

5.Plant some marigolds
When you are looking to make sure that the beneficial insects are attracted to your garden while the less beneficial ones are kept away, think about planting lots of marigold.   While you have to make sure not to let it spread too widely, you will find that your garden is mostly pest free when you have a fair amount of marigold in the area.  Also be aware of calendula, which is known as pot marigold and serves in much the same capacity.

6.Plant locally
When you are looking to make sure that you keep the pests off, look to see what plants are great local growers.  Of course, one of the joys of growing organic means that you get a variety, but keep an eye out for the plants that grow the best in  your area.  These plants will be naturally resistant to local insects, fungi and mold