Kids Research Express

Controlling Garden Pests Three types of pests can plague gardens: weeds , insects, and diseases. A weed is any plant that grows where the gardener does not want it. Weeds are undesirable because they compete with garden plants for light, water, and nutrients. Common methods for controlling weeds include pulling them up by hand; digging them out; and cutting them off using a hoe or mower. One way to slow the growth of weeds is to cover the soil with a layer of mulch, which blocks out the light and air that weeds need to grow. Weeds also can be controlled by treating them with a weed killer, or herbicide. Like fertilizers, weed killers can be organic or synthetic (see See also Weed Control ). Insects damage plants by chewing leaves or other plant parts by sucking the liquid from the plant, or in some cases, by transmitting viruses. Another method for preventing insect damage is to cover young plants with a floating row cover, which is a very thin, white, gauzy blanket that keeps many ins...

Gardening Gardening, growing and caring for plants as an enjoyable leisure activity, to produce food, or to create beautiful landscapes with artfully arranged flowers, shrubs, and trees. For some, gardening is a form of exercise, a way to save money on food, or a way to ensure that fruits and vegetables are free from pesticides or other chemicals. For others, gardening is a profession: landscape gardeners design, install, and maintain gardens for a living. Unlike farmers, who typically produces large quantities of crops using complex equipment, such as tractors and combines, gardeners usually produce plants in smaller quantities, relying on manual tools, such as spades, rakes, and hoes, and small power tools, such as mowers and tillers. See also: selecting plants ; understanding soil ; fertilizing ; planting and transplanting ; watering ; controlling garden pests ; harvesting and pruning related topics: Botanical Garden Diseases of Plants Floriculture Horticulture Plant Breeding Agri...

Square Foot Gardening is a type of intensive gardening based on the idea that the wide rows in conventional home gardening are a waste of time and space, and that more quality vegetables can be grown in less space with less effort.. For more information about the topic Square foot gardening, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles: Wildlife gardening — Wildlife gardening is a school of gardening that is aimed at creating an environment that is attractive to various forms of wildlife such as birds, ... > read more Organic gardening — Organic gardening is a form of gardening that uses substantial diversity in pest control to reduce the use of pesticides and tries to provide as much ... > read more Heirloom plant — An heirloom plant is an open-pollinated cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern ... > read more Mulch — In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover...