How to Keep Pests out of your Garden
Keeping pests out of the garden is an ongoing process. Depending on the type of pest, they can learn quickly that a garden is undesirable or they may keep testing the garden to see if the rewards are worth any deterrents. Choose the best repellents for the type of pest affecting your garden and check them regularly. Look for holes in fences, reapply sprays and remove ripe produce as soon as it's ready to keep pests away. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Remove any debris from the garden, particularly any piles of sticks or old logs, which animals love to take shelter in. Cover or contain an unsealed compost pit to keep animals from digging in it and eating the refuse.
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Install a fence around the garden. Use a temporary wire fence to deter small animals like rabbits. Pound metal fence stakes into the ground and unroll the wire, attaching it to each stake with zip ties. Remove this fencing at the end of the season, if desired. Use a taller fence -- at least 6 feet -- to keep out larger animals like deer.
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Lay wire, such as chicken wire, across the garden before planting. Secure the wire around the garden edges with rocks or stakes, cover with dirt and plant in between the holes. This stops animals from digging in the garden, as they don't like the feel of the wire on their feet. It is particularly useful if you have dogs or cats digging in the garden.
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Spray a commercially or home-prepared deterrent around the garden. Use either a chemical or organic deterrent, and reapply it after rain or a heavy watering. Choose a deterrent specifically designed for the pest you want to repel. Consider capsaicin spray, which repels many animals.
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Grow companion plants in the garden to keep insect pests away. For example, plant catnip to repel bugs like aphids and beetles. Mice often stay away from catnip as well.
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References
- Farmers' Almanac; How to Keep Pests out of Your Garden Naturally; May 2009
- Home and Garden Site; Companion Planting; January 2009
- University of Vermont Extension; Controlling Animal Pests in the Flower Garden; Leonard Perry
- University of Illinois Extension; Wildlife in the Garden; Nancy Pollad; May 2011
- Photo Credit Medioimages/Photodisc/Valueline/Getty Images
