How to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden (Explained)

If you have a garden, you probably frequently notice different insects consuming your produce. You might find this upsetting and annoying. However, that does not mean you cannot control these pests. Given that chemicals also impact beneficial bugs, you don’t need to use them.

Continue reading our blog post for some advice on how to keep pests out of your garden.

How to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden

To get rid of these annoyances, many commercial insecticides and repellents are used, but using them near flowers and vegetables is dangerous. They may also be harmful to people, animals, and helpful insects.

Fortunately, eliminating garden bugs can be accomplished in a few simple, low-cost, and natural ways.

Here are some all-natural and non-chemical methods to maintain a healthy and bug-free garden:

You Can Use Physical Barriers

Covering your crops to prevent pests from getting to them is the easiest way to prevent pest problems. That being said, it is a temporary fix.

Vulnerable plants can be shielded from pests by row covers, which are made of mesh or lightweight fabric. While preventing insects from getting close to the plants, these covers let light, air, and water through. Flying insects like carrot flies and cabbage moths are successfully warded off from crops by row covers.

To further prevent birds, insects, and other animals from eating the fruits, you can place netting or tiny mesh screens around berry bushes and fruit trees.

You Can Utilize Companion Planting

One of the best ways to keep bugs away from your favorite flowers or vegetables is to plant companion plants. It’s an ancient custom of growing specific plants together to optimize their advantages and keep pests away. This works because beneficial insects are attracted to certain plants and bugs are naturally repelled by others.

Following are some examples of common companion plants along with suggestions for how to use them:

• Dill plants: These, together with fennel flowers, are highly attractive to a variety of beneficial bugs.
• Marigolds: They repel harmful insects, especially aphids. Even the damaging nematodes in the soil are eliminated by French marigolds. Plant them close to plants that might attract aphids, such as potatoes and root vegetables. Additionally, the vibrant colors of marigold flowers draw pollinators like butterflies and bees, which enhances the general health of the garden. It is ideal to position them in the center of very large beds as well as at the ends.
• Alliums: The strong smell of onions, garlic, and chives keeps most insects away. Plant them around crops and high-value flowers to deter pests.
• Herbs: Strongly scented herbs such as basil, oregano, and rosemary deter mosquitoes, flies, aphids, tomato hornworms, and spider mites from entering your garden.
• Mint: The powerful scent that catnip, spearmint, peppermint, and other mint plants release keeps flies, beetles, ants, mealybugs, and other pests away.
• Lavender: This plant is well-known for keeping mosquitoes and fleas away because of its potent scent.
  

  

You Can Attract Beneficial Bugs

While many bugs are to be avoided, others should be welcomed. Sometimes we throw all of these animals into one category and wish we could live without them. However, if you are looking for a long-term, organic way to manage pest populations in your garden, you should attract beneficial insects to live there.

Although ladybugs do not pose a threat to your vegetable garden, they are fierce protectors of your garden against pests. Up to 50–60 aphids can be consumed by them each day. They’ll consume mites, mealybugs, leafhoppers, and other soft-bodied insects along with their larvae in addition to aphids.

Furthermore, predator insects, such as spiders, wasps, dragonflies, lacewings, and praying mantises, are among the many helpful insects that can help fight off insects that damage plants.

You can grow plants that produce nectar and pollen, such as fennel, dill, cosmos, sunflower, and so on, to draw these helpful allies. Additionally, local nurseries usually have ladybug larvae and praying mantis eggs available.

You Can Use Organic Sprays

Another simple and all-natural way to keep bugs out of your garden is to use homemade bug sprays. However, you should always conduct a patch test before using any pesticides on your plants, as they may have unintended effects and affect non-target species.

Apply a small amount to a few plant leaves, then watch the plants for a full day to see if any damage develops.

Here are a few examples of DIY organic bug repellents:

• Soap Spray: Water, liquid soap, and cayenne pepper are the ingredients of homemade insecticidal soap, a popular bug repellent. Many common pests are repelled by the cayenne pepper, and the soap serves as a surfactant to aid in the mixture’s adhesion to the insects and eventual suffocation.
• Garlic Spray: Another natural pesticide is garlic spray. Garlic cloves and water combined, followed by a sifting process, can be used to create an efficient repellent for soft-bodied insects such as aphids and mites.
• Vinegar Spray: One of the best DIY bug repellents is vinegar spray. It works as a natural weed killer and insect repellent. In a spray bottle, combine one part vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar) with three parts water. Then, add one teaspoon of dish soap. Once the ingredients are well combined, mist the plants. Another way to keep bugs out of your garden bed is to spray around its perimeter.

You should refrain from using any kind of pesticide during the day when other helpful insects are present. Hold off till dusk or the evening, when pollinating insects and other helpful insects are less likely to be present. If possible, spray on a calm evening to prevent it from blowing around, and be as specific as you can to ensure that you’re not just spraying aimlessly.

Importance of Proper Garden Maintenance

Keeping your garden tidy and thriving is crucial for effective natural pest control. Clear spaces where insects can hide by removing weeds, leaves that have fallen, and other debris. These places of concealment may act as insect breeding grounds.

A nice breeze is essential for the regular circulation of air in your garden. Insects that feed on plants close together are drawn to them because they provide protection from the sun and predators. They’ll eat their way out of there while raising their families. Thus, if you must plant closely, you’ll need to check for pests often.

Importance of Proper Watering Practices

Overwatering can create a soggy environment that draws pests like fungus gnats, snails, and slugs. Although you can water deeply, you should let the soil dry out in between applications.

Furthermore, if possible, you should always water in the morning. A few benefits of watering in the morning include improved hydration and allowing plants time to dry out before dusk.

Which Pests Affect Plants the Most Often?

Aphids are the most common garden pests, followed by scale, mealybugs, spider mites, and leaf miners.

Which Kind of Pest Control is Ideal for Gardens?

The best long-term pest control solutions are those that are natural and organic. By allowing natural predators such as birds, amphibians, and carnivorous insects to prey on harmful insects, they maintain a healthy ecosystem. Even though chemical pesticides are more potent, they can kill pollinators that are beneficial to the environment and introduce toxins.

Balance is Important

Never forget that beneficial bugs and insects are part of a healthy garden ecosystem. Achieving a balance between minimizing pest damage and preserving the biodiversity of your garden is crucial.

By following these natural tips on how to keep pests out of your garden, you can reduce your reliance on chemical solutions. This will create a more environmentally friendly garden and help you grow healthy plants.