Tag: Ants

Pests in Organic Gardening? No need to worry

If youre into organic gardening, there are a number of things that you need to consider and one of them is a very interesting one: if you see a bug, its not the end of the world, or in this case your garden, as you know it. A bug doesnt mean you have a problem. A pest in organic gardening is only normal. But there are times that one bug becomes a pair, and then more bugs join in forming a small group, and then eventually the population of the insects will grow beyond your control. Only at this point, you are allowed to panic and be paranoid. Im just kidding you on that last statement. You should follow the opposite. Be calm, carefully observe the insects, look at the damage they cause, and then properly consider your course of action.

Among the most common pests that will bug your garden are ants, aphids, armyworms, cabbageworms, grasshoppers, slugs and snails, pillbugs, spider mites, whitefly, thrips, and all sorts of beetles.

Controlling your pests the organic way has a number of benefits. First, the use of chemical pesticides can cause a number of diseases and other health problems including but not limited to infertility, birth defects, cancer, allergies, encephalitis and even lymphoma. Aside from that, chemical based pesticides can damage the water, soil, air, and other animals as well.

Not to mention, that pesticides can be quite hefty to your wallet. There are cheaper alternatives which you can easily get from your kitchen.

You can manage your organic garden by paying particular attention to your plants itself. Try and understand how specific insects affect different plants. The asparagus beetle for instance can be quite damaging to your cultivated asparagus vegetables so you need to watch out for those earlier on.

Also, a tip that most organic farmers give is to plant native varieties as much as possible. Native plant species usually have their own systems to repel common pests. By planting local varieties, you will have a bigger success rate when harvest time comes to an end.

It is a good thing to mix plants species among other varieties. Each plant has their own unique abilities to protect themselves from the onslaught of pests. By placing them in the same area, they will be able to help each other out when pests start invading their town.

A healthy soil is important as well. It has been found out that healthy soils attract fewer pests. You can achieve and maintain a healthy soil by crop rotation, adding of composts or other animal or plant based fertilizers like manure.

You can also time your planting season to avoid the weeks or months where bugs are at their peak.

Be aware that there are friendly bugs out there that will help you control other pests. Ladybugs and ground beetles are some insects that are very helpful in control pests. If you use chemical fertilizers, the good bugs will also get caught in the crossfire.

Again a pest in organic gardening is a natural phenomenon that cannot be totally avoided. You will eventually come across pests and therefore should be prepared to address the situation with a clear mind and a serious disposition. Be prepared to do the dirty jobs as well. If you see one bug, just pick it off your plant. Its crude, I know, but it still remains an effective means to eliminate pests in your garden.

Organic Gardening Magazine, A Resource of Wealth

Green thumbs really do come into play when going about organic gardening. But it is not always about the greenness of one’s thumb but rather the knowledge of that person about the subject that will make them successful in the venture. And where is the right venue to look for such resources but through the organic gardening magazines.

Basic Facts about Organic Gardening
The simplest definition for organic gardening may be that it is the type of gardening wherein the farmer is at one with nature. In such type that may also be called organic horticulture, the gardener doesn’t use commercial fertilizers or even pesticides on their plants.

Organic is the Way to Go
Is it really possible to grow plants without the help of artificial fertilizers and the vast range of pesticides available in the market? Name the pests, may it be ants, rodents, insects, at this time and age, you’d find the suitable chemical to ward these pests off.

But this is not the case with organic gardening, because in this, the farmer uses whatever is available and is suitable for their type of plants, just within the environment. So in this case, the person who is into such type of gardening looks into nature, studies the plants and works on cultivating those without using anything synthetic.

Organic Gardening Magazine
The concept may appeal hard at first especially with people who are so well-versed with commercially available gardening resources. This is where organic gardening magazines will be of great help.

Wherever you are, it will not be hard to find a magazine which talks about such procedure. The Net also has various online magazines about organic gardening. All one needs to do is look for it.

What to Look For
If you are really interested in starting such or already are into one but want to broaden your knowledge about it, here are some more things you might want to consider browsing about.

Horticulture has five parts of study. You may want to look for articles on magazines and other resources based on what types of plants you want to grow or are already growing.

Floriculture is the organic way of growing floral plants. It also explains marketing of such and maintenance.

Landscape horticulture is all about producing and marketing landscape ornaments. This may be a good business venture if handled the right way.

Vegetable production, meanwhile, is part of Olericulture. This also involves maintenance and the right marketing techniques for producers of such.

Pomology is about fruits. This will explain growing such, producing and marketing the products.

Lastly, Postharvest Physiology tackles ways to produce quality products with this type of gardening while avoiding spoilage of the produce.

Going Holistic
Gardening is still a trial and error approach however you want to do it. But organic uses the holistic approach that has been tested through time and cultivated through the years. One’s basic knowledge of the environment and the plants they plan to harvest is all they need to go about this.

These are the basic facts you might want to look out for when searching at the organic gardening magazine or other resources for such topic. The most important thing here is to know your environment so that you won’t have any trouble when choosing the plants that you would want to place in it, thus, the more chances of having great output.