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 insects away from the plants. Another preventive method is to grow plants bred for resistance to insect pests.
Some insects can be kept in check by introducing beneficial bacteria or insects to the garden. This method exploits the natural ecological relationships between garden pests and other organisms. Ladybugs, for instance, eat aphids, one of the more notorious garden insect pests, and certain types of bacteria kill insect larva. Another method to help control insects in vegetable and flower gardens is to rotate crops instead of growing the same type of plant in the same place every year. Many insects have a life cycle that depends on the presence of a certain type of plant. By removing the plant for at least two years, the life cycle can be interrupted, thus controlling the pest. Both organic and synthetic insect-killing materials, called insecticides, also are available to control insect pests (see Pest Control).
Diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses also can damage plants (see Diseases of Plants). In most cases, once a plant has a disease it cannot be saved, though some fungal diseases can be controlled with a fungicide. The best approach to disease prevention is to provide plants with optimum soil, nutrients, light, and water so they can fight off disease, and to grow plants that have been bred for disease resistance or have natural resistance.
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 insects away from the plants. Another preventive method is to grow plants bred for resistance to insect pests.
Some insects can be kept in check by introducing beneficial bacteria or insects to the garden. This method exploits the natural ecological relationships between garden pests and other organisms. Ladybugs, for instance, eat aphids, one of the more notorious garden insect pests, and certain types of bacteria kill insect larva. Another method to help control insects in vegetable and flower gardens is to rotate crops instead of growing the same type of plant in the same place every year. Many insects have a life cycle that depends on the presence of a certain type of plant. By removing the plant for at least two years, the life cycle can be interrupted, thus controlling the pest. Both organic and synthetic insect-killing materials, called insecticides, also are available to control insect pests (see Pest Control).
Diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses also can damage plants (see Diseases of Plants). In most cases, once a plant has a disease it cannot be saved, though some fungal diseases can be controlled with a fungicide. The best approach to disease prevention is to provide plants with optimum soil, nutrients, light, and water so they can fight off disease, and to grow plants that have been bred for disease resistance or have natural resistance.
