The concept of organic gardening pest control isn’t new; actually, it’s as old as farming itself. Man-made pesticides have substituted organic ones since World War II in civilized countries and these pesticides are harmful to the environment as well as the population who eat the plants sprayed with the synthetic pesticides. Today people are returning to organic gardening pest control and choosing to reject, or at least restrict, the use of man-made pesticides. There are varying beliefs on the use of these products, with some people opposing their use only on food crops, whereas others simply try to reduce their use as much as possible.
There are a variety of sensible reasons that appeal to logic for using organic gardening pest control methods. One of the most important is that because insect pests are left alone genetically because of the absence of pesticides, they are not in a position to become resistant “super bugs”. Organic methods tend to be less polluting and blend into the ecosystem around it instead of disrupting it. In addition, because many of the pesticides that are available are derivatives of petrochemicals, their costs are higher, thus making alternatives more attractive. Whatever the reasons may be for avoiding their use, the organic gardener has to be prepared to work in order to make up for the loss of those chemical products that he chooses to abstain from using.
Natural gardeners have a number of valuable, non-chemical methods that they can use to manage garden vermin. Using a method known as varietal selection, where pest and disease resistant seeds are used, is one of the easiest ways to avoid pest problems. The cultural control method of organic gardening pest control involves changing your gardening methods in order to reduce the hospitality that your garden offers to pests. This may mean removing or burning diseased plant material and destroying weeds and plan debris that provide hiding places for insects. Using stakes to keep fruits off the ground as well as pruning to remove diseased limbs, removing sickly plants, proper building of the soil, and making sure the plants are in raised areas in rainy seasons also help control diseases and pests. Crop rotation can also help in the prevention of disease and in pest control.
Although it takes longer to eradicate pests with these methods, in the long run they are safer and even prevent pests from attacking other crops in the area as well. Organic gardening pest control might entail a lengthier process, however, all the effort is repaid.
