Beginner Gardening Tips to Keep Harmful Bugs at Bay
Gardening is a wonderful hobby to have—but if you’re just starting out, it can be a bit overwhelming! If you aren’t sure what to plant, why not plant some beautiful things that will also keep annoying pests away without having to use pesticides? Keep reading for some awesome beginner gardening tips that will help keep bugs away!
Beginner Gardening Tips
#1: Buy Disease-Resistant Seeds
Just like humans, plants can become sick! Once they show signs of a disease, it can be really hard to get them healthy again. One way you can avoid diseases altogether is to buy disease-resistant seeds. While seed shopping, check the labels on the seed packets for these letters: V, F, N, or T. These letters will tell you what diseases that plant is most resistant to!
#2: Don’t Be Afraid to Prune
As a beginner gardener, it’s normal to hesitate when pruning. After all, you don’t want to prune too much and be left with an empty garden! But it’s important to be somewhat aggressive when pruning. Again, just like humans, plants can pass diseases onto each other. Getting rid of diseased plants and trimming dead shoots or branches will help your healthy plants breathe better and stay healthier.
#3: Get Rid of Pesky Weeds
Not only are weeds unattractive in your garden: They also steal water, nutrients, and sunlight away from your beautiful plants! They can attract garden insects, too. Make sure you’re thoroughly and regularly weeding your garden and helping to ensure your plants have room to grow.
#4: Leave Helpful Insects Be
This may come as a surprise, but some insects in your garden are actually helpful! Knowing the difference between these bugs and bugs that will harm your garden will make for some powerful all-natural pest control. Take ladybugs for example! Not only are they cute, but they eat things like aphids, mites, and larvae eggs—all of which can damage your garden.
#5: Rotate Your Plants Each Year
Insects are actually pretty smart, and if they enjoy snacking on your plants one year, they’ll return to that same spot for another snack the next! Rotating your flowers and crops each year is a great way to deter returning visitors. Crop rotation is also great for the health of your soil! Certain plants put things into the soil, and take certain things out. Rotating your plants makes sure the soil’s nutrients aren’t depleted year after year.
Keep Your Garden Pest-Free this Year
If you’re interested in gardening this year, don’t let the Alabama bugs deter you! At Vulcan Termite & Pest Control, we don’t just treat houses. We can help keep your yard or garden pest-free with effective, environmentally-conscious pest control. Give us a call today to get started!