To
reduce the risk of plant problems, one must practice good garden
hygiene. Providing the right amount of water and maintaining the
right levels of nutrients in the soil will keep your plants growing,
healthy and strong; but to keep them growing that way, maintaining
your garden throughout the season is required. Annual or biannual
rotation of planting materials can lessen the buildup of pests and
diseases.
Controlling
weeds
Most
weeds produce seed, freely or reproduce from bits of roots left in
the ground, tubers, rhizomes. Controlling weeds requires the use of
hand pulling, hoeing, mulching, or planting specimens close enough
together to prevent weeds from growing. The use
of herbicides can be
tricky to use in a vegetable or prized flower garden and must be used
with great caution and is not really recommended. A far better way
would be the use of mulch, laying down a fresh layer every four
months, as a very effective way to keep weeds down; if you use
organic mulch you will be adding nutrients to the soil as it breaks
down.
Any
plant can become a weed, yes, even your most prized specimens. A
plant is considered a weed when it becomes invasive and starts taking
over your garden or area that you do not wish it to; there are
several very well known invasive plants that one would not consider a
weed in most cases; Norway maple, some varieties of honeysuckle,
purple loosestrife, ostrich fern, to name a few. These types of
invasive plants should be identified early on in the growing season
in order to prevent them from taking over any or all areas.
Pests
Pests
can devour any part and in some cases the entire plant. You have
your insect group, such as sowbugs, mites, millipedes, and nematodes.
In your larger animal group-rabbits, deers, raccoons, and squirrels.
Once again, prevention is the key. There are many organic controls
one can use to reduce the risk to plants. You can handpick eggs or
slugs from the soil, there are also sticky paper, collars and other
easily constructed organic traps. Remedies also include
biodegradable soaps, dormant oils, diatonaceous earth and
pepper-garlic solutions. Organic solutions for larger animals
include fencing off the area, don't plant any plant they would desire
or use automatic deterrents as solar powered water spray or sound
with a motion detector.
To
maintain a healthy garden always remove dead and/or diseased plants
and debris. It is important to evaluate any garden problems and
effectively take care of the problem in a timely manner. Whether you
use biological or chemical solutions always read the instructions
before using and always take all necessary precautions as per
instructions.
With winter coming fast upon us now is the time to get those
perennial plants, deciduous trees and shrubs in the ground for summer
and spring blooming. You can continue to plant as weather and time
permits, giving each plant a deep watering, applying and keeping two
to four inches of your choice of mulch; making sure you leave a space
of two to three inches between your plant and the mulch. If you live
in areas that receive harsh winters, or heavy #winter winds; it could
very well be worth your while to construct a windbreaker around any
sensitive plants to buffer any damaging effects. Continue to water
as necessary until the ground has frozen completely, then make sure
to add two to four inches of mulch of your choice to your perennial
borders and garden beds.
