No garden can be entirely pest-free but with the right care and timely attention, you can decrease the possibility of insects and diseases around your home garden. Maintain the health of your plants so that bugs and insects are kept away. By using fertilizers and removing weeds when they erupt, you can the assure safety of your plants. Here are some valuable tips that will help you protect your garden from insects:
SUNLIGHT– It is best to choose a location with at least 8-10 hours of sunlight on a daily basis. This helps in the growth of vegetable plants and also speeds up the evaporation process from the plant surface, thus reducing the risk of diseases.
SEEDS– Usually, gardeners prefer buying reputed seeds from a known seed dealer than saving their own seeds. Always opt for a variety that has a built-in resistance for diseases and certain insects and pests.
MATERIALS– It is best to use disease-free materials for gardening. All your planting material must be healthy and deprived of yellow or brown or black spots that might show poor development.
ROTATION OF CROPS – It is recommended that one should not plant the same group of vegetables in the same quantity for more than once in a span of three to four years. It is best to rotate your crops as certain diseases may survive winter on crop debris and build up over a span of time.
FERTILIZING– It is important not to under-fertilize or use too much fertilizers on the plants. You can determine how much nutrients will be required in your garden by testing the soil.
SOIL PH LEVELS – The soil pH levels must be properly maintained for a safe garden. An acidic to neutral soil is ideal to grow majority of the vegetables. Do a soil test and if the results tend to be more acidic than required, add some limestone as per the suggested amount. If the soil is alkaline, add some Sulphur.
PLANTING – When you are sowing seeds, wait till the soil gets warm as young plants tend to grow fast and can lead to infections. While planting, sow them with the right spacing so that the air and sun can dry off the lower foliage and reduce the humidity that can be generated around the plants.
SOILS – Plant in a well-drained soil condition. If you have heavy or poorly drained soils, make ridges, hills or raised beds to plant the seeds. You can add some organic matter to the soil so that it loosens the poorly drained soil.
WATERING – During summers when the rainfall is inadequate for plant growth, put one inch of water to your plants on a weekly basis. If plants are suffering from too much or too little water, they are more susceptible to pests and infections and therefore, it is necessary to have a set watering schedule for the garden.
Be aware of your plant growth and take quick action in case of any pests so that you can fight garden ailments and protect your home garden properly.
