Learning From Pests: Gardening Insights
Gardening can be a relaxing and rewarding recreational activity that improves a person's relationship with nature‚ including observing the vicissitudes of its weather patterns․ There may also be a downside to a bountiful garden‚ such as pests that may intrude․ While most people consider pests to be a nuisance‚ they can actually provide perception on how to successfully garden․ By considering the habits and needs of these pests‚ this article will provide eleven tips on successful gardening straight from the pests themselves․
While pests will rarely be a welcome sight‚ certain forms of natural pest deterrents can be used to prevent insects and other pests from attaching to plants grown within the home without using toxic chemicals․ One such form is garlic spray․ Watered down garlic can also be used as a spray to help protect plants from aphids and spider mites․ Soap can also help control soft-bodied insects such as whiteflies․ Soap mixed with water and sprayed on the affected areas will smother the pests․ Their minimalist‚ understated presence acts as a reminder that there are natural solutions available that can be used to protect plants while at the same time protecting the ecosystem․
Beneficial Insects are Important
If you want to know how the garden works‚ don't forget the helpful insects․ Ladybugs‚ lacewings‚ and predatory wasps are little soldiers marching about looking for something to eat․ When these beneficials are encouraged‚ gardeners can prepare a happy medium in the control of pests with the planting of nectar-producing flowers‚ a variety of plants in the garden‚ a small log pile or a patch of native plants‚ depending on the region‚ to provide food and shelter for helpful insects․ It reminds me that every species on earth has a role: something of which some people don't approve‚ but if you improve one part of the system then you improve the whole․
Companion planting is another example of how pests can benefit us․ Some plants repel specific pests while others may attract helpful ones․ Planting marigolds beside other plants may prevent nematodes from attacking them‚ or basil planted with tomatoes may prevent thrips from attacking the latter․ Understanding the relationship between each plant and the pests may result in combinations that experience less infestation․ For example‚ nature has an understanding that one plus one is not two‚ but three․ It is a world where the garden is not a struggle for existence‚ but a system of relationships‚ colors‚ scents and purposes that ward off pests․
Why a Healthy Garden Can Prevent a Pest Problem
Another part of the pest life cycle that varies with the seasons can be used by gardeners: many pests first appear in the spring․ Preventive actions may be timed with seasonal changes in the life cycle of the pest or with seasonal changes in the garden environment‚ such as the erection of barriers․ A healthy‚ clean garden that is regularly monitored can prevent a pest from becoming a problem․ An understanding of seasonal changes helps create a prediction of when events may occur‚ allowing one to take action earlier․
And let's not forget pollinators․ These hard-working‚ generous gardeners are stuck between a rock and a hard place‚ caught up between the healthy and the intrusive․ Planting a number of flowering plants to alternate with the woody plantings may help attract pollinators‚ and provide sustenance for bees‚ butterflies and birds throughout the growing season․ Native flowering plants can provide food sources which the individual species have become adapted to․ More diverse flowering can also create a more inviting environment for pollinators and other species․ There is a lesson from these pests here: that the garden is a web of webs and relations‚ weaved and intersected․
Ultimately‚ gardening is about learning from each other about what you are doing and about your needs‚ to the plants and to the pests․ We learn about a need and about a response․ That's how we get to know each other․ By imitating their natural deterrents‚ by encouraging good insects‚ by companion planting and by following the seasons in a natural way‚ we make it easier for plants to grow and for the pollinators and other animals to thrive․ The pests' example reminds us that not only the things we perceive as positive players can teach us lessons that could bring us to a more flourishing garden; everything in the garden has something to teach us․
