HOW TO KEEP YOUR PLANTS HEALTHY IN SUSTAINABLE WAYS
Attempt to grow a garden for just one season and you will likely find yourself saying, "what are these little bugs
eating my ______, and how do I make them stop?!" I, too, have found myself asking that question many times over
during my short gardening career. This led me to do some research on ways to keep my plants healthy while
avoiding things like insecticides. Here are a few things I plan on trying in my garden (spoiler alert: i am still a new
gardener! So take everything below with a grain of salt...):
-Garden Fabric--Last year I had a ton of cabbage worms (little green caterpillars that turn into white moths)
snacking on my kale, so this year I'm going to use garden fabric/row cover (that white gauzy fabric you might have
seen on some gardens) to cover my kale. Apparently it allows sunlight and water through, but prevents the
cabbage moths from landing and laying eggs on your brassicas. It can also be used on other plants, but if using on
plants that need to be pollinated to produce fruit, be sure to uncover when plants are flowering to allow
pollinators to get in and do their thing.
-Traps--When I have planted seeds or young seedlings in my plot, I often have problems with rollie pollies/pill bugs
chewing on the young plant, sometimes killing it by eating through the stem at ground level. Rollie pollies typically
just eat decaying matter, but if the population is large enough, they will start eating new growth too. To try and
control the population, you can set a trap (I used potatoes sliced in half) to lure the bugs away from your new plant
and towards their new food source (the potato). Every few days, pick up the trap/potato, scoop the dirt under it to
snag the excess rollie pollies, and relocate them away from your plants. This actually seemed to work for me this
spring!
-Inspect your plants--check your plants early and often (including under the leaves!) so you can be aware of any
potential issues and take action if needed before any pest population gets out of control. Pick off critters you know
to be "bad".
-Keep plants happy--pests and disease are attracted to stressed out plants. Make sure your plants are getting
watered regularly, fed with compost, and prune any sketchy-looking leaves so potential diseases are less likely to
spread.
-Plant flowers! I have always shied away from planting flowers because, well, you don't get a ton of sustenance out
of them...but it turns out that in addition to attracting pollinators (and some plants need to be pollinated in order
to grow veggies), they can also attract beneficial predatory insects that will eat your insect "pests" and keep your
garden ecosystem in a healthy balance.
-Recognize that bugs are normal and natural, and it is inevitable that they will eat some of your garden. I aim to not
share TOO much of my garden with them, but coming to terms with the fact that they WILL eat part of my garden
has made them feel less terrorizing. If you arere fighting a constant battle on a particular plant, maybe just pull it out
and try planting something else there.
-Focus on ALL the benefits you get from your garden, not just the actual harvest. Take a deep breath of fresh air,
feel your muscles working from hauling water across the garden, stop for a chat with a neighbor gardener...it
sounds cliche, but the act of gardening can bring many more intangible benefits. Attempting to focus on those
when a little critter is happily munching on your veggies might lessen the sting.
Attempt to grow a garden for just one season and you will likely find yourself saying, "what are these little bugs
eating my ______, and how do I make them stop?!" I, too, have found myself asking that question many times over
during my short gardening career. This led me to do some research on ways to keep my plants healthy while
avoiding things like insecticides. Here are a few things I plan on trying in my garden (spoiler alert: i am still a new
gardener! So take everything below with a grain of salt...):
-Garden Fabric--Last year I had a ton of cabbage worms (little green caterpillars that turn into white moths)
snacking on my kale, so this year I'm going to use garden fabric/row cover (that white gauzy fabric you might have
seen on some gardens) to cover my kale. Apparently it allows sunlight and water through, but prevents the
cabbage moths from landing and laying eggs on your brassicas. It can also be used on other plants, but if using on
plants that need to be pollinated to produce fruit, be sure to uncover when plants are flowering to allow
pollinators to get in and do their thing.
-Traps--When I have planted seeds or young seedlings in my plot, I often have problems with rollie pollies/pill bugs
chewing on the young plant, sometimes killing it by eating through the stem at ground level. Rollie pollies typically
just eat decaying matter, but if the population is large enough, they will start eating new growth too. To try and
control the population, you can set a trap (I used potatoes sliced in half) to lure the bugs away from your new plant
and towards their new food source (the potato). Every few days, pick up the trap/potato, scoop the dirt under it to
snag the excess rollie pollies, and relocate them away from your plants. This actually seemed to work for me this
spring!
-Inspect your plants--check your plants early and often (including under the leaves!) so you can be aware of any
potential issues and take action if needed before any pest population gets out of control. Pick off critters you know
to be "bad".
-Keep plants happy--pests and disease are attracted to stressed out plants. Make sure your plants are getting
watered regularly, fed with compost, and prune any sketchy-looking leaves so potential diseases are less likely to
spread.
-Plant flowers! I have always shied away from planting flowers because, well, you don't get a ton of sustenance out
of them...but it turns out that in addition to attracting pollinators (and some plants need to be pollinated in order
to grow veggies), they can also attract beneficial predatory insects that will eat your insect "pests" and keep your
garden ecosystem in a healthy balance.
-Recognize that bugs are normal and natural, and it is inevitable that they will eat some of your garden. I aim to not
share TOO much of my garden with them, but coming to terms with the fact that they WILL eat part of my garden
has made them feel less terrorizing. If you arere fighting a constant battle on a particular plant, maybe just pull it out
and try planting something else there.
-Focus on ALL the benefits you get from your garden, not just the actual harvest. Take a deep breath of fresh air,
feel your muscles working from hauling water across the garden, stop for a chat with a neighbor gardener...it
sounds cliche, but the act of gardening can bring many more intangible benefits. Attempting to focus on those
when a little critter is happily munching on your veggies might lessen the sting.