Video:How to Prevent Pests Naturally
with Geri LauferThere are ways to prevent garden pests without resorting to potentially harmful chemicals. Here's a video with tips on the best methods of natural pest prevention.
Transcript:How to Prevent Pests Naturally
Today, we're going to be talking about pest prevention naturally.
Identify Pests and Use Organic Material for Prevention
First, you must identify the type of pests you have. There are insects, there are chewing insects that munch on the leaves and there are sucking insects. Then there are mites that need to be treated differently. Then you have your diseases which can be bacterial, fungal or viral. All of them can uniformly be kept at bay if your soil is improved. The soils are the key to plant health. So you want to maintain your soil with a good deal of organic matter. My favorite is rich, dark compost that you've made with your own garden compost. Or manure, Mr. Natural or other garden compost.
Adjust Soil pH for Pest Prevention
Then you want to maintain a proper pH. This depends on what you want to grow. Azaleas, blueberries and dogwoods like the soil more acidic. Whereas herbs like lavender and rosemary appreciate more alkaline soil. It helps to maintain plant health by matching plant requirements. If you plan to spot treat with a chemical, make sure you have the pest identified so you can target the small area where the plant is available. The insecticides can kill the beneficial insects, too, so you don't want to broadcast spray those.
We have been talking about the importance of keeping your soil healthy and stopping those pests before they start. For more information, visit About.com.