Green Pest Control in Your Food Services Establishment

Most gardeners are environmentally friendly because of their working so close to nature. And, concomitant to that, most gardeners aim for organically efficient garden pest control, and this is generally achievable, though there always seem to be some that require containment with chemical.

Whatever is your preference, efficient pest control is an important part of garden management.

Safer Solutions
Healthy soil and healthy plants are basically the best defence against disease and pests as nature provides plants with many defence mechanisms which good soil and plant care will help become optimised.

Additionally, choosing plants that are best suited for your hardiness zone - climate and growing conditions then will match them better - there are often problems when you start to grow plants not optimally suited for that zone, for example, my growing roses in the tropics was always fraught with fungal disease. (I persisted though - but it was more work and vigilance).

Plants from outside your zone may be more susceptible to disease because they have no natural resistance.

While initially it may mean more work, you can achieve a healthy garden without resorting to chemicals. Compost enriched and well-nourished soil, good mulching and growing the correct plants for the spot normally will reduce a large amount of common garden problems.

An ounce of prevention saves pounds of work.
Vigilance is a key to preventing insects, wildlife, or disease from destroying your crops or garden plants.
• Don't buy plants that are suspect - examine them carefully before purchasing.
• Practice good hygiene (clean your tools, disinfect pots etc)
• Don't put diseased plant detritus into the compost - trash them.
• Be water-wise - use drip irrigation systems - you will use less water and be more effective.
• Weed regularly - eventually you get on top!

Make It A Habit To Stroll Around Your Garden Regularly (which is relaxing anyway)
This allows you to catch problems in the early stages and you can act to remedy them before they get a real hold on. Check for signs of insects or disease, and don't water the garden too late in the day, as this encourages fungal disease. An exception is if the plants are suffering due to heat stress during a heatwave - try to keep the foliage water-free.

Remember, a pesticide that is regarded as 'safe' today could easily be off the market tomorrow because it is later discovered to have long-term environmental impacts or other unintended side effects.

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