Growing A Greener World®

Sustainable Living and Organic Gardening PBS Series

Saying Goodbye to Pests

By Joe Lamp'l

Plant early and use row covers to thwart pest infestations

Keeping pests out of your garden can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Whether it be hornworms on you tomatoes or aphids on your beans, getting rid of the bugs that feast on your veggies doesn’t have to be a laborious task.

Plant early

To help rid your garden of uninvited pests, try planting early in the season. Many of the worst pests aren’t out until early summer, and by then, many of your plants will be past their most vulnerable stages and will be tough enough to withstand some moderate invasions. Some pests have a preference for the young, tender plants, so by the time they get into your garden, the plants are well past this stage.

Keep them covered

Using floating row covers are another way to battle bugs. The covers are made of a lightweight fabric and can be used to physically cover the young plants like a blanket. Row covers allow sunlight, air and water to reach the plant but keep most pests out. Be sure to remove the covers for several days around the time of flowering so that pollinating insects have access to flowers for pollination.

About 

Joe Lamp'l is the Host and Executive Producer of the award winning PBS television series Growing A Greener World. Off camera, Joe dedicates his time to promoting sustainability through his popular books, blog, podcast series, and nationally syndicated newspaper columns. Follow Joe on Twitter

Comments

  1. Myrtle Christopher says

    I love your program! However, I am considering moving to the Caribbean and would love to start a fruit and vegetable garden there, any suggestions or hints for that particular area of the World?

    • Joe Lamp'l says

      Thanks Myrtle. Although I grew up in Miami, the Caribbean is yet another world with many edible options that we don’t or can’t grow here. I’m not well versed on the choices, but, we did do an episode on the Caribbean island of Dominica. You might pick up some tips and ideas from what we covered there. Here’s the link to the video you can watch: https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/episode211/

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