Hungry bugs can quickly cause problems in your garden. Aphids, mites, and whiteflies are just a few pests that infest gardens. Early preventative measures can help your plants stay healthy. Check out a few tips to keep your garden safe from spring pests.
Clean Gardening Supplies
Keeping your gardening supplies clean can help protect your plants. Before using shears or your garden trowel, wash them. You’ll also want to clean pots or containers before placing a new plant in it. This will help to prevent the spread of pests and plant diseases.
Check for Pests
One of the best ways to prevent a garden infestation is to check your plants for pests. Doing this daily will help you catch a problem early. Examine the stem and leaves for pests or signs of pests. This could include holes, discoloration, or the presence of honeydew.
Use Row Covers
Row covers are a physical barrier that keeps pests away from your plants. They are designed to allow light and water to reach the plants but keep pests out. When your plants begin blooming, you’ll need to uncover them so they can be pollinated.
Attract Beneficial Insects
Some bugs can actually help protect your plants. Beneficial insects, like ladybugs and lacewings, eat harmful plant pests. Certain plants attract these helpful bugs. Try adding yarrow, sweet alyssum, and dill to your garden.
Set Your Plants up for Success
Rotate Crops
Garden pests want a quick and easy food source. When you place plants in the same spot in your garden each year, bugs know where they have to go. Rotating your crops yearly confuses pests. Don’t replant in the same spot, especially if you dealt with an infestation the previous year. You’ll also want to mix your plants so that different ones are next to each other.
Plant Bug-Repelling Plants
While bugs love to munch on plants, there are some plants they try to avoid. Adding bug-repelling plants to your garden can help keep hungry pests away. Mint, chives, marigold, rosemary, and chrysanthemums are a few plants that help to repel garden pests. Place these near your other plants to help deter pest activity.
Use a Plant-Based Insecticide Spray
Spraying your plants with a plant-based insecticide spray can help deter pest activity. Our 3-in-1 Garden Spray kills pests on contact and has repellent properties. This residual repellency will help to prevent pests from snacking on your plants. It also helps to fight fungal diseases.
You put a lot of work into your garden, so keeping pests away is a necessity. If hungry bugs are giving you a fit, we’re here to help! For a more environmentally and family-friendly solution, check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products.