From Guest Blogger Lillian Conners: What Makes Organic Gardening Truly Effective

Ask any experienced organic gardener and they’ll tell you – there’s a natural control for every kind of pest. The specific approach to pests is one of the main principles of organic agriculture – it’s all about taking a long view. You should be ready to allow for an acceptable level of pest damage and learn how to control beneficial microorganisms, insects, etc. Listed below are several ideas for natural pest control that will make your organic gardening truly effective.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Organic or not, in gardening – prevention is the best cure. Instead of trying to combat harmful insects, you should make sure they don’t come to your garden or field in the first place. Your garden should be healthy above all so get rid of any weak plants. They’re probably weak because they are already infected so you don’t really want them to be among other plants.

Healthy, organic soil is a must for a healthy garden so use natural compost, mulch and fertilize naturally. Regularly clean weeds and debris – that way you’ll minimize the insects’ habitat. Water your crops early in the day so the foliage will be dry during the rest of the day. Nothing attracts insects or fungi as wet foliage.

On the other hand, drip irrigation system gets the water directly into the soil where the plants need it the most, without wetting the surface, so you might want to consider that as an option for your organic garden. Also, planting companion crops to divert or discourage pests is a good solution, as well as using row covers to protect the crops during the migration period of pests.

Trust in the natural remedies

We all know how harmful standard chemical pesticides are for our food, health and the environment. Luckily, there are various homemade substitutes to help you get rid of the unwanted guests in your garden. For instance, diatomaceous earth sprinkled over plants is deadly for snails and other soft-bodied creatures. Since it’s a mechanical killer, not chemical – the snails can’t get immune to it.

Baking soda mixed with water can do wonders in battle against fungal diseases – just put it in an efficient boom sprayer and spread it across the infected areas. Use Himalayan salt to fight spider mites, cayenne pepper for ants, eucalyptus oil for bees, wasps, and flies, and so on.

Get by with a little help from our friends

When we say friends, we mean insects. Not all insects are a threat for your garden so you better learn to cooperate. Organic pest control is all about understanding the pest life cycle and encouraging predators among insects to be your ally in this battle. Ladybugs may look harmless, but in fact, they feed on mites, whiteflies, and scale so you want them in your garden. Plant some daisies to attract them and let them do their job.

The same goes for praying mantises. They look fierce and they act accordingly since they eat most of the garden pests. Nematodes or roundworms are effective against cutworms but harmless for people or pets. Simply put their eggs into the soil and they’ll do the rest of the work. If they get to the surface of the soil, wash them away. You can attract various beneficial insects by planting specific plants, so consider making your own garden insectary.

If you want a truly organic garden, then your pest control must be all natural and organic as well. Luckily for you, there are many different ways to protect your garden without having to use harmful chemicals or expensive devices. All it takes is a little planning ahead and using the nature’s resources cleverly.