One of the keys to keeping your garden alive and thriving is to keep the pests out of it. But that task may be easier said than done. There are of course lots of concerns about what kind of pest controlling agents to use in the garden, striking the right balance between effectiveness of the pest controlling method and the safety of the method for the garden and the people and animals around it. Then there is the cost to consider. Pest controlling methods can get to be extremely expensive if you aren’t a careful shopper. The good news, however, is that there are tools you can use to keep your garden pest free in a way that is safe and budget friendly.
Before you choose a pest control method, you should understand the difference between the different options out there. There are many pest control products on the market that do the same thing – say, repel snails – but only some are designed to protect plants. If you want to protect the plants in your garden, you will need to use some version of a pesticide. A pesticide can do things like stop weed growth, repel insects and other animals, and add hormones to your plant roots. The difference between a pesticide that keeps spiders away and another product that keeps spiders away from a house is that the pesticide has been specifically designed to work in a garden with plants – never use a non-pesticide repellant in your garden as it may kill your plants.
The problem many people have with pesticides is that they are made from chemicals. Although you may apply these chemicals strictly to your garden, it is nearly impossible to keep them there. Spray pesticides by nature disperse into the air and are carried away from your garden and after a good rain, the pesticides from your garden will run into your neighbors’ yards, or even potentially into streams and waterways. These is concern over the long term effects of this kind of pesticide run off and there is also concern about the safety of long term exposure to pesticides on humans by eating foods grown in gardens using pesticides.
While the jury is still out on whether pesticides are good or bad (most evidence points to the fact that some are safe and necessary while some are harmful and unnecessary), there are some other methods you can use for pest control if you want to play it completely safe. These methods are called organic pest control methods. These organic methods can be as simple as removing the pests yourself. Weed your garden regularly instead of treating your entire garden when one wild flower grows. Instead of laying poison to kill slugs, snails and other creepy crawlies, wait for them to come out and take them out of your garden by hand. You can also build a barrier around your garden, use raised garden beds, or use salt to kill them. Some plants naturally repel pests that eat other plants, so add some of these to your garden (your local gardening center will help you choose the best ones for your needs). You can also use topsoil and fertilizer that attracts insects that kill other insects that eat plants – let nature do the job for you and get rid of the pests that plague your plants.
If saving money is on your mind, these natural methods of pest control for your plants can be just the ticket. They cost next to nothing, and some of them are free. For your pocketbook, and for the earth, protecting your garden using organic methods can be your best bet.
