• Avoid Weak Plants - Find a local planting calendar by doing an internet search on the county in questions name and the words “planting calendar”. Make sure to only plant annuals during their proper planting season. This will help to assure healthy plants that can better combat minor infestation. Remove plants that clearly are doing poorly; they may already be infected. If not, they will attract pests. Pull the weak plants and dispose of them away from the garden area, and do not attempt to compost them.

• Build Healthy, Organic Soil - Natural composting methods, mulching and top-dressing your soil with compost or natural fertilizer is the best way to develop strong, vigorous plants. Get an inexpensive soil testing kit and follow the instructions to amend soil pH and other problems as necessary.

• Use Seaweed and Fish Fertilizer - Seaweed contains trace elements such as iron, zinc, barium, calcium, sulfur and magnesium, and fish emulsion contains primary nutrients which promote healthy development in plants. Seaweed and Fish fertilizer are a great organic alternative and will enhance growth and give plants the strength to better withstand disease.

• Clean Gardening Practices - Clean the garden area of debris and weeds which are breeding places for insects. Buy quality mulch and keep a thin layer on top of the soil. The mulch will discourage weeds, keep plant leaves out of the soil and hold in moisture.

• Interplant and Rotate Crops - Insect pests are often plant specific. When plantings are mixed, pests are less likely to spread throughout a crop. It also helps to plant aromatic flowers like marigolds between vegetables to discourage insects and inhibit their spread. Rotating crops each year is a common method to avoid re-infestation of pests which have over-wintered in the ground. In some cases where soil bound pests are abundant it may be necessary to undertake off-season soil sterilization procedures.

• Keep Foliage Dry - Water early so foliage will be dry for most of the day. Wet foliage encourages insect and fungal damage. Trim lower leaves so they are not on the ground and keep mulch around the base of all plants.

• Keep Tools Clean - It is a good idea to clean tools before moving from one garden area to another. This will reduce the speed of invading insects. Clean tools with warm soapy water every couple weeks during the growing season.

Diligent application of these clean gardening practices is the first line of defense. Another beneficial practice for natural pest control is the planting of host plants to attract beneficial insects. Beneficial insects are insects which can be attracted to the garden, or bought from catalogues, which prey on harmful insects or their larvae. These are the most common: Nematodes; Ladybugs; Lacewings; Hover-Flies; Praying Mantis; Brachonids; Chalcids; and Ichneumon Wasps. The following are plants that can be helpful in attracting beneficial insects: Carrots; Celery; Parsley; Caraway; Queen Anne\\\'s lace; Daisies; Tansy; Yarrow; Goldenrod; Black-Eyed Susans; and Asters. By creating a great host environment some beneficial insects will show up, but to help Mother Nature they are also available from online sources like www.naturescontrol.com.

When beneficial insects are being used to combat pests in the garden, even natural pesticides should be used sparingly and only on infected plants because they will have an adverse impact on the beneficial insects as well as the unwanted ones. Many natural sprays for a variety of pest problems can be made at home and complete lists of various recipes for different problems can be found online. One great source can be found at the following link: www.realmama.org/archives-spring-2006/kitchentogarden.php

Although, some homemade sprays work quite well on particular pests, some natural commercial sprays that are now on the market offer perhaps a more comprehensive and convenient solution. One such recent product introduction is Ed Rosenthal’s Zero Tolerance Herbal Pesticide-Fungicide. It is refreshing to find a natural product that actually does what it says and smells great as well. Zero Tolerance is made of pure food ingredients and is bio-degradable and environmentally safe. It is effective at controlling spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, thrips, ants, caterpillars, gnats, root aphids, mealy bugs, and scale, as well as powdery mildew, and gray and white mold. Information on Zero Tolerance can be found at http://www.z-tolerance.com

By applying these natural pest control techniques it is possible to stay one step ahead of the pests and be ready for them when they arrive.

Dr. Christopher J. Kline is a master gardener and writer living in Paradise Valley Arizona. He is an editor for The Ultimate Sunflower Site http://www.SunflowerOcity.com, a columnist for Garden and Greenhouse Magazine http://www.gardenandgreenhouse.net and an owner of Greenhouse and Garden Supply http://greenhouseandgardensupply.com/.
You can reach Chris at CKline72@Cox.net

This article was originally published in Garden & Greenhouse Magazine. Garden & Greenhouse is written for small commercial growers, hobby greenhouse owners and indoor/outdoor gardeners and is free to qualified readers. For more information visit http://www.GardenAndGreenhouse.net.

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