Garden Clean-up Tips to Reduce Pests
Every gardener wants to keep their crops safe and out of pests and diseases. Proper care of gardens is the best way to achieve a pest-free place and provide your vegetables a healthy environment. If you want to make your planting easier this spring, you need to do a little cleanup before the new season has began.
Learn how to keep diseases and insects under control with the tips we have provided below.
Many gardeners recommend sanitizing your garden as the best way to keep pests away. This is also economical and easy.
#1 Some of the steps involve the immediate removal of plants once the production stops. When you notice that the plant has stopped producing vegetable, you need to pull it up immediately. Else, insects will keep living there and those that still haven’t managed to mature will eventually do.
#2 If you tend to make compost, be sure to use plant debris that are not disease-affected. If there are insects on the plant, it can be used for compost. However, all disease-affected plants ought to be thrown away or burned.
Insects that feed on a plant will die soon after it is removed simply because there will be no food for them.
#3 Remaining plant debris affected by diseases that tend to survive the winter season and reemerge in spring can be devastating to your garden. To remove them use a solution of nine parts water and one part bleach.
#4 Garden experts claim that washing stakes is an important step to having a disease-free garden next spring. What’s more, if you use wooden stakes, this step is mandatory! Why? Because diseases and insects can live inside the wood fibers until spring.
Once you have removed all the stakes and plants you need to spread mulch to cover the soil. Before you do that take a soil sample. Apart from spreading mulch you can also use a cover crop. For example, you can plant clover or vetch. This will help conserve moisture and reduce weeds. No matter which way you choose to go, both options are great. As a result, soil’s organic matter will improve.
Furthermore, experts recommend taking a soil test at least every three years. This will measure the amount of nutrients that are present in the soil and will help you determine how much fertilizer you need to apply. Take a sample from the soil and send it for testing. If you make it a habit to keep a garden journal yearly, you may improve your yields. Schedule written plans so that you don’t miss doing something very important. You have no idea how much work you can reduce by keeping a written plan. For example, you need to know what crops you want to plant and where. You probably are aware that placing plants too close to each other prevents sunlight and airflow as a result of which disease problems can occur.
As it is hard to memorize everything that worked and didn’t in your garden, as well as plant rotation, you should keep a journal where you will write every piece of information you find relevant.
#5 Last but not least, remember to take care of your garden tools. Before you store them away, don’t forget to clean them well. If you use them all the time, even during winter months you may not have to do this step. However, if you plan to store them, you should provide them with a proper clean. Apart from removing the soil you also may apply motor oil. Oils can protect your garden tools from rusting.