STIHL’s 2021 British Garden Census revealed that Brits spent over £16 billion on gardening that year. Brits are undoubtedly green-fingered, so pests problems are a standard concern for many individuals seeking to grow lovely gardens. Pests are a standard problem in any garden, but they shouldn’t gain the upper hand and ruin your efforts. Luckily, there are many ways to control these uninvited guests and prevent them from damaging your garden. Here are some top tips to keep garden pests away.
- Lure in the natural enemies of pests
All pests have natural enemies that can help you get rid of them, so keep this in mind. Consequently, it is prudent to attract the natural enemies of common garden pests to ensure that your garden remains pest-free. For example, frogs and toads are well-known animals that feast on insects. Therefore, you can put out a toad house or place bowls of water around your garden to lure them in. Bad insect activity in your garden will undoubtedly reduce dramatically with frogs and toads present. Similarly, you can create birdhouses as a fun DIY garden project to attract birds to your garden since they also prey on harmful insects. Finally, consider growing flowers like sweet alyssum and cosmos to bring more helpful bugs into your garden.
- Use barriers
Pests will always ravage a garden they can easily access. Therefore, it is prudent to prevent unbridled pest access to your garden by using physical barriers. A fine net is one of the best barriers you can use to stop pests from attacking your flowers, fruits, and vegetables. You can simply position the net over your garden plants to keep pests out. However, remember to leave enough room to accommodate natural plant growth. Additionally, you can use cardboard collars around plant stems to stop cutworms and other burrowing insects from accessing plants through the soil. A greenhouse with a polycarbonate roofing sheet is also worth considering to keep pests away from your plants.
- Stay on top of harvesting
Vegetable gardens are nice, but they are a prime target for pests during harvest season. Therefore, it is prudent to ensure you never fall behind on your harvest since overripe fruits and vegetables will fall to the ground and easily attract insects and other pests. Additionally, overripe produce weakens plants, making them easy targets for pests. To avoid this, be sure to monitor your crops and harvest at the right time to prevent opportunistic pests from making their moves. Finally, clean up after harvesting to remove fallen produce that will eventually invite pests.
- Water in the morning
Experts recommend watering your garden in the morning to keep them hydrated, especially when the day is hot. This way, your plants will not wilt or become stressed, making them less appealing to insects that feast on stressed plants. Early morning watering is beneficial because the leaves will have ample time to dry before evening. Damp plants are ideal for numerous garden pests like earwigs and slugs, so preventing dampness before the evening is crucial.
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