Organic Gardening Pest Control Ckecklist
by John Yazo
Searching for a cause of a problems in your garden is not always an easy task. There are generally three main types of plant problems and each have there own causes. These problems can be causes from diseases, pests or even physical plant problems.
Diagnosing a pest problem in your garden is easiest if you can catch whatever it is in action. This is not always a easy task, because the insect that is causing the problem may only feed at night or it may be one that is underground, and a lot of times the damage may even overlooked as a disease or a nutrient deficiency. In reaching a conclusion to the cause takes a lot of patience and some careful observation.
The first step is to examine the entire plant, note the range of the damage or symptoms. Is the entire plant affected by this condition, or just a portion of it. If it happens to be only a part of the plant, then note what part. Are the symptoms on the new growth of the plant, the old growth or just on a single branch or stem. Check to see if just a single plant is affected or if there are more plants in your garden with the same symptoms. If the problem is singled out to just one plant, the chances are it is not an infectious disease and can be a cause of just a nutrient deficiency problem in as little as a small area of soil.
The next thing to do is make a good examination of the portion of the plant that is affected. To do a good through examination a magnifying glass can be a very useful tool. Inspect the plants leaves, top and bottom sides, branches, stems and flowers. Check for signs of damage, like borer holes or chewing damage. The plants root system may even need to be inspected, if so don't pull the plant out, dig the plant out so you avoid any damage to the root system and carefully wash the soil away from the roots.
A poor soil structure will affect the health of your plants and many signs can look like your plants is diseased or being attacked by pests. A good healthy organic soil structure is one that retains the moisture and nutrients that a plant needs to thrive, along with being a soil that drains well or releases the excess moisture so a plants root system isn't standing in water. Soil is the key to a healthy and happy plant.
If you would like to comment on this website or have any suggestions please feel free to contact us
