Gardening is one of those few hobbies that can work all year round. With spring right around the corner, it seems quite tempting to get into the art straight away. But hold up. Before you plant your azaleas and marigolds, are you aware that gardening is a tough job, filled to the brim with annoying pests and fungi?
Of course, when a bunch of aphids and weevils begin to eat your precious cabbages and watercress, steps need to be taken. Here’s the best effective ways:
Get Rid Of Aphids:
Aphids are a family of green, black, brown, or pink critters that can look cute but be as irritating as your neighbor’s dog. They can be found infesting nearly all types of garden plants, including ornamentals and even some succulents. Aphids can be quite the pests, sucking the sap out of plants, leaving them dead and lifeless.
Getting rid of this pest is simple but a patient task. To begin with, spray the plants with water every day. You can kill aphids naturally by promoting the growth of aphid predators such as lacewings and pirate bugs may also help control their growth.
Get Rid Of Whiteflies:
Whiteflies are minute flies that are mostly a bright white. They can be found infesting most types of plants, and are usually as small as aphids or ticks. Typically, whiteflies infest the underside of leaves and branches, so be sure to check under there. Spotting whiteflies shouldn’t be hard. While they can be ridiculously small, they are commonly found in colonies.
The easiest way to rid your garden of these flies is to vacuum them away. But this will obviously leave room for more to come. Your next best chance is to either cut off the infected branch or sub-branch, or to introduce natural predators such as lady beetles, ladybugs, and lacewings.
Get Rid Of Caterpillars:
While they do grow up to extremely beautiful, caterpillars are certainly invasive. They love to feast upon leaves and vegetables, and even some fruits. A few here and there shouldn’t be a problem. But when they grow into an entire colony, that’s when you act.
Insecticides and pesticides can be great options. But if you wish to use a more natural method, consider introducing natural predators such as lacewings and the like. Or cover your plants with floating rows.
Get Rid Of Cutworms:
Cutworms are typically wide and long (as long as 1 inch) and have dark brownish or reddish patterns. These are usually found curled under stems or feasting upon early vegetables and flowers.
Since cutworms are relatively larger, they can easily be picked up and thrown away or transferred to already dying or dead plants. Other than that, consider floating row covers.
Conclusion:
Gardening can be quite fun yet daunting, and just when you think it couldn’t get worse, caterpillars and beetles decide to drop by. But don’t worry. These can be pretty easy to get rid of.
So happy gardening!
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