Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
RECOGNIZING AND DEALING WITH PESTS AND
PLANT DISEASES
Now is the time to start teaching your gardeners how to inspect for signs of pests or disease. They
shouldn't encounter many, since the garden is new with fresh, healthy soil. If pests are found, it is no
cause for alarm or a reflection on the gardener's ability. Help folks resist the urge to grab a can of bug
spray.
There are many ways to organically manage pests and disease, including proper watering, providing
air circulation to plants (by trellising and pruning), using protective barriers (such as floating row cov-
ers), eliminating habitats where pests and disease can proliferate, removing diseased material before it
spreads, and crop rotation if you are gardening with a row method.
BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND HELPFUL PLANTS
The variety of crops grown in a community garden is a boon to diversity and helpful when attracting
beneficial insects. Specific herbs and flowers growing alongside vegetable crops will discourage certain
pests while also attracting beneficial insects. Collectively, your gardeners can decide to put in a plot, or
multiple plots, designed to attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
GOOD BUGS-BAD BUGS
Insects will bring up insecurity with your gardeners; let them know that not all bugs are bad. (Similarly,
if plants show signs of disease, don't let gardeners blame themselves; the problem is usually beyond
anyone's control.) In fact, many bugs improve the health of the garden ecosystem. Pollinators such as
bees and wasps help plants produce fruit, and ground-dwelling beetles and worms enrich the soil. Pred-
atory insects control unwanted pests by feeding on them—for example, ladybugs and lacewings have a
healthy appetite for aphids.
Simply put, a bug is bad if it's causing damage to the plant in any way that prevents gardeners
from being able to grow the plant to maturity or to eat the fruit. In many cases, pest insects have short
lifespans, or their damage is merely cosmetic. Remove them by hand and either squish them or drown
them in a bucket of soapy water. Gardeners can also prune affected leaves and fruit and discard them.
In the event of an infestation, spraying infested leaves with water will wash unwanted visitors away. As
a last resort, use the least toxic chemical controls available, such as homemade soap spray, horticultural
oils, or botanicals (but remember, these may kill the good bugs as well as the bad).
Search WWH ::




Custom Search