Gardening Vivian | 07 Apr 2011 09:13 pm
Want to Get Rid of Garden Pests From Your Plants? Just Try These Natural Methods
Ornamental gardens are one of the easiest types of garden to plant and maintain if you use the right plants. By planting many different types of ornamental flowers in your garden, it will be healthier and the mixture of the flowers will help to keep insects away. There are many types of ornamental vegetables that can be grown that are quite beautiful. By mixing these in with the flowers as well as a few herbs, you will you can keep insects away. This makes it harder for them to find their favorite plants as the array of smells and colors will totally confuse them.
Controlling and Eliminating Pests
There are many pests that only feed on one particular type of plant. If you mix up the plants this will help to keep your garden from becoming overrun with these types of insects. There are plants that will repel insects and those that attract insects that are good for them. One way of using the good plants to your advantage is to grow them in pots and move them to different areas of the garden to keep the pests under control.
Weevils
The rhododendron is one species of plant that many people use in their ornamental gardens for the beauty they provide. However, this plant can attract several types of weevils. The weevil is not just specific to the rhododendron. They will attack many plants and cause havoc in your garden. Many different types exist and usually are referred to as root weevils. They are about one quarter of an inch to one half inch long. The color may vary from a gray to dark brown and many have either white or yellow spots on their back.
Mimosa Webworm
This is a pest that attacks the mimosa as well as the honey locust. The latter is their favorite. They are about a half of an inch long and are gray or brown with white stripes extending from the top of the worm to the bottom. Their heads are dark and often the body has a faint pink color.
Cankerworms
This type of worm is also called the inchworm or looper. The worms are most active in the spring as the female deposits eggs on the plants. The females will travel up the plant and lay eggs on the leaves and as soon as the young begin to hatch they will eat the leaves of the plant.
Galls
There are many insects that are the source of galls. Wasps, aphids, beetles and midges can form this pest. They are also produced by bacteria and virus. The leaf galls will show up as the edges of the leaves curl up or it will shrivel. There may growths that appear on the leaves that resemble a wart. They can be smooth or spiky.
In addition there are many other pests that can infest your ornamental garden. A few of the most common are:
* white fly
* mites
* cutworms
* slugs
* caterpillars
* flea beetles
Controlling the Pests
There are several methods for controlling the onset of the pests that can work quite effectively. The removal of any of the plant that dies off will help to eliminate pests. Weeding will help as an abundance of weeds makes it easier for these pests to hide as they are waiting to gain access to your plants. Inspect the plants before you buy them to make sure they are not already infested. The soil you buy should be of a good quality so that you can be sure it is not infested either.
Make sure your garden stays healthy by fertilizing your plants and ensuring they have the proper drainage when you water them. There are some instances where you will have no choice but to use chemicals to rid your ornamental garden of pests. Pyrethrins work on many types of pests and you will normally find this is sold mixed with botanical insecticides.
Lady beetles are a great way to help rid your ornamental garden of other insects. They work particularly well for aphids. If they clear everything out of the garden they will leave to find other insects on which to feed. Predatory nematodes are another option for ground boring pests. They do not harm plants and are helpful in keeping pests from damaging the roots of your plants. Learning a little about ornamental gardens before planting will help to keep your plants healthy and beautiful throughout the season.