Wednesday 15 February 2006

Save Your Plants From Infestation Through Insect ControlInsect Control

Your concern should be to avoid occurrence of serious infestation that can potentially kill or cause widespread damage to a plant that takes time to revive. Here are a few suggestions to aid you:• A few insects on plants are totally acceptable. There's no need to press the panic button; you just need to keep an eye on the affected plants.•
It's good to learn about the control of insects, therefore you should learn how to identify insects, as this will help you in distinguishing those benign ones that feed on the dreadful ones from those that are damaging for plants. • Most insects can attack and cause short-term damages to your plants, but a few invincible ones can really kill a plant.• Unfortunately, some plants, including some of the most attractive ones, are naturally prone to insect attacks. •

If you have only a few plants you can get rid of many of the insects by simply picking these by hand or rubbing them off the plant body with a wet mop. Many insects like snails and cutworms are easier to find at nights when these usually swarm vegetation.• You can also employ predatory insects as a precautionary measure. Although, they might cost more than chemicals and take more time for action, but they have quite a few advantages:

 These are excellent pest controllers.
 These are non-toxic and healthy for plants.
 Since, most chemical insecticides act only on contact, you should be able to find the attacking insects, to hit these with insecticides for chemical action to begin. However, this is difficult, as these bugs know where to hide, choosing spots under the leaves and other inaccessible places. Predatory insects will go straight for them, reaching out to even seemingly clean plants.
And, yes, it's fun to watch these trouble-shooters work.• If you decide to spray, avoid using harsh chemicals.

Disease Control Akin to insect control, but relatively hard to spot, the best course for disease control is prevention. A few precautionary measures that you should take: • When planning your garden, always prefer disease resistant plant varieties. • Keep your locale clean of waste and dead foliage. • Avoid over watering and keep the leaves dry, especially at after dusk. • Arrangement of plants should be done thoughtfully. Good air movement in between the plants is crucial for reducing the incidence of diseases. • Avoid placing small plants directly on the ground. You can use benches or parts of containers as a base for small potted plants. • Separate an affected plant from the other healthy ones. • Cleanse your tools after use, to avoid spread of diseases. • Use well-drained soil.