Plagues exist, and they compete with us for survival. Each one with its universe, insects, mites, fungi, worms, amphibians, arachnids, or mollusks. Depending on where you live, they can be of different or particular types. Many times we don’t see them directly, but they end up leaving marks that are characterized and help us to discover what is happening to our plants.
To control, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of life of these pests: look, study, experiment.
The fact is that cleanliness and order work very well, and in general, when the pest persists, it is a sign of imbalance in the garden. Lack of sunshine and excess water bring fungus. Lack of fertilizer or poor soil favors the presence of insects.
To control the infestations, we must look around with critical and curious eyes: not only in your garden but around it and look for niches (places of proliferation). It is recommended to prevent pests by collecting garbage, for example. Always try to bury fruits and leaves fall from the garden or vegetable garden in organic compost (natural fertilizer made from organic waste such as fruit and vegetable peels and plant remains). This will prevent pest infestation because the temperature in the compost rises during the process of decomposition of the debris, killing eggs, fungi, and insects.
However, understand that compost is not just a mountain of garden waste. It should be a place prepared with alternating layers of soil, straw, organic waste, and manure, which allows decomposition by the action of microorganisms in less time than a pile of garbage in the yard.
Different elements can cause an imbalance in our garden. In coastal cities, the salt that comes with the sea can cover the leaves and rot them, as well as the sand, or in large cities, the pollution of the streets and avenues.
The climate can also hinder the proliferation of insects, thus influencing pest control. Therefore, when the temperature drops, it is time to persevere and keep the undesirable creatures under control. And since most of the time they are much smaller animals in size, but much more abundant than us, in the number of individuals, they survive with very little. And unfortunately, before you know it, the damage is already severe.
For each type of pest, there is a remedy, which can be used in multiple combinations. Anything goes! However, a warning: the secret is in the vigilance and persistence more than in the medicine, because in ten days plagues can triple its population.
In general, water and coconut soap kill insects (all animals with six legs, such as aphids and bedbugs), but do not finish with their eggs. So biological control can help.
To kill aphids, an excellent tip is to put ladybirds in the pot. They will exterminate the enemy for you!
Another tip is to plant natural repellents like garlic, onion, rosemary, lavender, and red pepper. Very well known and easy to find, they have a strong aroma that scares off insects and pests. Alcohol tinctures of the leaves and roots of these plants can be used to spray their pots and thus ward off unwanted enemies. Spraying can be done every ten days.
Also widely used for natural combat are a smoke extract or neem (also known as neem, is a tree of Asian origin). Sold in garden homes, work very well, provided they regularly.
As you can see, in nature, there are no limits. With it, we are free to investigate and create new paths. Trying and making mistakes will never be in vain, as long as you review the steps. Share your experiences. To cultivate is also to experience.
