You spend hours tending your garden and want to ensure that you can harvest all of those lovely vegetables and flowers throughout the season. Only one thing stands in your way: Pests who want to feast on your flowers, berries, and veggies. The good news is that there are a few easy tips you can follow if you want to pest-proof your garden.
Here are our three top tips to help you manage your plants and keep them pest-free:
Choose Plants Wisely
Perhaps the easiest way to pest-proof your garden is to choose plants wisely. First, you want to opt for varieties that are known to be more resistant to insect attacks; they may have stronger defenses like a bitter taste that insects and other pests aren’t wanting to eat. When you shop through the seed catalog, consider which ones say they are resistant to insect attacks.
The second way to think about this is to choose plants that keep insects away, such as onions and garlic. While you may not have a desire to eat these foods, the smell keeps some types of pests from feasting in your garden. Try not to overdo it with these plants, though, as the smell can often repulse helpful insects as well.
Give Plants What They Need
Give your plants everything they need to be as healthy as possible. This means maintaining the soil so that their roots can grow strong and secure. Make sure that they have the right amount of sunlight, nutrients, and water. Keeping your plants healthy allows them to have better resistance to the infestation of pests.
Rotate Crops Yearly
Insects are often smarter than we give them credit for. They remember where those tasty flowers and vegetables were last summer. One way to confuse insects and keep them from dining in your garden year after year is to rotate crops. Switch things up and keep yourself from planting the same items in the same spot for at least two to three years in a row.
Of course, you also have to balance this with making sure that plants get everything they need, such as the right amount of sunlight. If you can’t find anything to plant during your rotation, you may want to consider using a cover crop for a season or two.
Handle Infestations Early
If you notice that your garden is becoming overrun with pests, it’s important to treat them as quickly as possible. While you may have to remove affected plants to keep the infestation from spreading, you can also benefit from calling a local and experienced pest control company.
Gilles Lambert Pest Control in Winnipeg can help you figure out what to do to get your garden back to a healthy state. When you notice an infestation in your plant beds, give us a call right away to learn more about how we can help you maintain a healthier garden!