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Gardens are diverse environments that depend on insects and other pests for healthy plant growth.
But unwanted pests can quickly ruin a garden.
Avoid overwatering by planting in well-draining soil, maintaining a watering schedule, and using a hose timer.
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Hose timers turn off the water at a pre-set time.
They’ll also turn on again when you want.
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“It is important to not aim to kill all bugs,” Keyzer says.
“Of all insect species commonly observed in gardens, 99-percent are beneficial.”
Ignoring Plant Diversity
Ignoring plant diversity is another garden mistake that invites unwanted pests, Bishop says.
“Gardens with minimal plant diversity can be problematic,” Bishop says.
Understand basiccompanion planting with chartsthat indicate popular garden crops and their recommended companion plants.
Not Removing Decaying Matter
Pests are attracted to decaying plant matter.
Gardens produce a significant amount of decaying matter.
Rotting fruit quickly attracts unwanted pests, so pick it up immediately.
Place decaying matter in the compost bin or a municipal yard waste bin.
But a poorly maintained compost bin will attract unwanted pests.
This allows you to target particular pests.
Someplants that repel insectsinclude:
Pet Food
Pests love food.
Besides incidental food around the gardenmainly, decaying plant matterthey’re attracted to food meant for other animals.
“Secure bird feeders and rotate the seed frequently,” Keyzer says.
Not Understanding Insects
With insects, Keyzer says, education is key.
Wasps are a good example.
“Is that wasp a pest or a friend?”
“Without proper identification, it would be impossible to tell.”
As it turns out, many species of wasp are parasitoid wasps.
In other words, these are wasps youwantin your garden, notwasps you want to repel.
Not Removing Excess Water
Overwatering your garden is one way of introducing too much moisture.
But water comes from any number of sources.
You should use pest repellents only if you need supplemental help.
Before using a pesticide, check its label for safe use.
What Gardeners Should Know About Pesticides.
Purdue University College of Agriculture.
