If you don’t want to use pesticides to keep pests away from your fruits and vegetables, there are natural ways to keep pests away from your garden. The best way to keep pests away from your garden is to stop them before it’s too late. So if you haven’t started already, here is how to keep pests away from your garden.
Bring in the good insects
The good insects will actually eat the destructive ones. Some of these beneficial insects include ladybugs, lacewings, minute pirate bugs, parasitic wasps, and damsel bugs. To attract them to your yard there needs to be pests for them to eat as well as some plants that provide them with the nectar they need. Some native plants you can use to draw these insects are yarrow and arrowleaf buckwheat.
Choose pest resistance plants
There are some plant varieties that are more pest resistant than others. Based on what is growing in your garden, find the varieties of those plants that will bring in the least amount of pests.
Put up some barriers
A physical barrier between your plants and the pesky insects is very effective. Use a floating row cover, which is a light fabric help up by wire hoops, to protect your plants. Remove the cover when the plants are flowering to allow pollination.
Try integrating different plant types
While this is still being researched, mixing up your where your plants are located can confuse pests. So instead of planting a row of lettuce all next to each other, place plants at random. The theory is that an insect will land on a type of plant they like, move over to the one next to it, which they may not like, and get confused, making it harder for the insect to know what it wants to eat.
Make sure your plants are healthy
Healthy plants actually have natural defense mechanisms against pests. So if your plants are healthy, they’ll help you fight off the pests. Feed your soil with organic matter and make sure your plants are receiving the right amount of shade and sun.