Herb Garden Pests
Herbs find a use in every sphere of life. They are used as spices in cooking, as fragrance in aromatic oils, medicines and also to make drinks. It is easy to grow herbs in a garden. Just like any other plants, herbs are also quite commonly infected by a variety of bugs that include aphids, caterpillars and worms. However, most of these pests can be controlled by employing safe and effective preventive measures. |
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The most important factor is to keep a healthy soil for the purpose of growing plants. Healthy soil includes addition of organic fertilizers and manure to the soil that help in improving the soil texture and its nutrient composition. Organic manure can be developed through composting. Organic farming provides habitat for the growth of beneficial and symbiotic microorganisms useful in promoting the health of the plant. Chemical fertilizers should not be used in excess as they can destroy beneficial microorganisms in the soil. These fertilizers damage the soil texture and promote the growth of sap-sucking insects like aphids.
Plants should have proper sunlight, aeration, watering, moisture and drainage. Each of these factors has a role to play in the proper development of herbs. One should always look for herb varieties that are well adapted to the existing conditions and are pest-resistant. While native plants are highly pest-resistant, exotic varieties tend to get infected easily. One should avoid the use of chemical pesticides to control insects. Biological pesticides made of neem or pyrethrin can be used as an alternative.
Another important preventive measure is to grow different varieties of plants so as to attract a wide variety of beneficial insects such as dragonflies, damselflies, lacewings and ladybugs. These beneficial insects act as predators or parasites and regulate the population of herb garden pests.
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