A healthy garden is an oasis in an urban setting, or even if it is in the middle of nature, but pests and plant diseases can be a real challenge to keep it in optimal condition. Throughout this article we will offer effective and environmentally friendly strategies to combat these problems and ensure that the garden looks perfect.
What are the most common pests?
A pest is a massive appearance of living organisms that cause serious damage to other animals or plants. To effectively deal with pests and diseases in plants, pest control is necessary, whenever possible, to identify them in time. However, if it has not been done and is detected for the first time, these are the most common ones that may appear:
- Aphids. These are small insects that eat the green pigment and sap of leaves and stems, leaving them yellowish.
- Red spider. Tiny in size, they cause yellow spots on leaves.
- Mildew. It causes yellow spots on leaves.
- Trips. They are a series of insects that affect flower petals such as orchids.
- Larvae or worms. Butterflies lay eggs on the leaves and feed on them.
- Floury louse. They take the sap from the plant and leave mounds in it similar to fluff or flour residues.
- Powdery mildew. Fungus that looks like a white powder that accumulates on leaves and shoots.
How to combat pests and diseases in plants?
One of the biggest challenges we can face is to know which is the best method to combat plant pests and diseases. Unfortunately, there are many that are exposed to this type of problem, so there are some solutions against insects that will cause their disappearance:
- Polyvalent insecticides. These are considered a product of wide range of affectation, so it is effective for many types of insects that affect plants, eliminating not only pests through spraying, but also serve to prevent the appearance of these.
- Specific insecticides. They are used for more specific insects, including citrolin oil, to treat mealybugs and aphids, as well as others such as epik, which acts on whiteflies and leafminers.
- Acaricides. Mites are included in insect treatments, among them urtica, to repel them, or clofentezin, to attack eggs and larvae.
- Fungicides. They are used to alleviate the damage caused by fungi. The most prominent are wettable sulfur, which dissolves to kill powdery mildew and red spider mite, and equisetum, which kills fungal diseases such as rot.
- Natural alternatives. With ecological solutions it is possible to get them to eat the larvae or even the insects found in the silver or tree itself. In this way, the use of conventional insecticides, which are currently widely used, is avoided.
How to prevent the appearance of pests?
Pest prevention is the most important thing to keep the garden free of mosquitoes and diseases. Some of the most popular methods to prevent them are:
- Crop rotation. It consists of changing the plants from place to place in each season. This prevents plant-specific pests and diseases from accumulating in the soil.
- Use of compost and organic fertilizers. This not only provides essential nutrients to plants, but also improves soil structure and its ability to retain water.
- Maintain the hygiene of the garden. Regular cleaning of the garden is essential, removing fallen leaves, plant debris and decaying organic materials that serve as a refuge for pests or fungi.
Maintaining a healthy garden requires constant attention and care. By maintaining a regular inspection routine and, therefore, pest control, any problems can be detected before they become a major threat to those plants. Therefore, a well-tended garden is resistant to pests and diseases, but also provides great health throughout the year. Thus, it is necessary to pay attention to early signs and act immediately to maintain a healthy garden.
