Prevent Insect Damage in the Organic Garden

Have you ever wondered what garden bugs do when they’re not feeding on your plants? All insect pests have a life cycle that can vary from one species to another, but a significant part of their lives may be spent reproducing or hibernating in parts of the garden. If a gardener disrupts the bugs’ habitat or kills insects before they begin to feed on garden flowers and vegetables, he can prevent plant damage and even stop the spread of insect-borne diseases.

The Importance of Fall Cleanup

When the garden season winds down, many gardeners find it prudent to leave seed heads on their flowers to provide nourishment to wild birds. However, gardeners are wise to clean up leaf litter, decaying fruit, and spent vegetable plants from the garden. Garden debris is a rich habitat for over wintering insects like stink bugs, Mexican bean beetles, and conifer sawflies. Infected fruit that falls to the ground can allow pests like the plum curculio to enter the soil to pupate.

Firewood Safety

Firewood isn’t part of the garden, so gardeners may overlook the potential of the woodpile to introduce pests and diseases into the landscape. Gardeners who have trees cut down due to death from oak wilt or pine wilt nematode should ask the arborist to remove the tree, not cut it up and leave it on the premises for firewood. Storing wood from infected trees increases the chances of the pest spreading to other trees in the landscape or neighborhood.

Gardeners shouldn’t buy more wood than they can use in one season, to minimize the chances of dormant insects emerging from bark in the spring. If the firewood source is suspect, gardeners can remove the bark from the wood to deny pests like the American bark beetle, which carries Dutch elm disease, a hiding place.

Keep the Garden Weed Free

Weeds do more than compete with flowers and vegetables for nutrients and space. Weeds can also provide a habitat for garden pests like grasshoppers and thrips. Keep in mind that pulling weeds in the garden may not be enough to make an inhospitable environment for insect pests. Nearby fence rows and weedy ditches can be a breeding ground for garden pests. If it’s impossible to eliminate the source of the weeds, gardeners may plant a trap crop between the weeds and the garden.

Pros and Cons of Mulch

A 3-inch layer of organic mulch helps the garden soil retain moisture, keeps roots cool, and suppresses weeds. Mulch can also attract slugs and snails, which need a cool, moist retreat from the afternoon sun. Rather than get rid of a beneficial mulch layer, gardeners can place boards, wet cardboard, or watermelon rinds in a shady part of the garden to lure slugs. Check these traps daily, and discard the pests.