Protect Plants Now For a Pest-Free Summer

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Without question, spring is my favorite time of the year.

Every warm day (especially if we don’t have 50 mph winds) is a glorious treat, and it’s so good to finally start planting. As soon as the soil warms up sufficiently, I put in my cold weather greens, plus radishes, carrots, fava beans, peas and parsnips. And when the dandelions are blooming, in go the potatoes.

Pest-Free Summer

My only problem is I’m so excited about planting that I have to force myself to pay attention to pest management. It’s easy to do because there is nothing out to bother anything. But if I don’t take measures now, I might regret it later.

Here are some pests you can prevent early, in the spring.

Pest-Free Gardens: Carrot Rust Fly

If you’ve had issues with something creating tiny tunnels in your carrots or parsnips you’re probably dealing with the carrot rust fly. It lays eggs in the early season along the base of the carrot, then the larvae feeds on the roots.

To prevent the damage and keep them pest-free, you need to keep the fly away from your crop by using a floating row cover. You can cover the seed bed with the cover as soon as you seed (as long as you keep it sufficiently moist), or toss it over when the carrots are germinated. This will keep them from laying eggs and starting the cycle again.

Another option is to use a heavy mulch once the plants are up. I’m a big fan of using straw to tuck in around plants to keep weeds down and retain moisture. Of course, whether you opt to go this route will be partly dependent on how bad your slug situation is in your garden because you don’t want to trade one best for another.

I’ve heard of others sprinkling wood ashes around plants to discourage the flies, as well, so that might be worth a try if you have a ready supply.

Cabbage Moths

I love things flittering about the garden… as long as they’re not cabbage moths.

Last year they were bad, so this season I am definitely covering all of my brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) with a floating row cover as soon as I plant them. The idea again is to put a barrier between the moth and its preferred food for its young. It won’t keep them completely pest-free. However, as long as I keep them over the plants until well into June, it’ll greatly reduce the numbers of little green caterpillars I need pick off before serving my family.

Cutworms

Another problem to the brassicas are the cutworms. They’ll be in the soil, then emerge just in time to chew a collar around your tiny plants. If your broccoli patch looks like a clear cut forest, you have a cutworm problem. Thankfully, it’s not too hard to outsmart the little buggars. Cut the bottom off of a yogurt container or heavy disposable drinking cup, and push it over the seedling. This prevents them from reaching the plant. Problem solved.

Pest-Free Cole Crops: Flea beetles

These are a pain because you don’t often see them unless you sit and watch your plants. They like radishes, spinach and cole crops. Once again, drag out the floating row cover to prevent them from finding your plants. But if it’s too late, you need to step up your game. Use a Neem-based spray or dust with diatomaceous earth to rid your plants of them. Plus, keep an eye on surrounding crops so they simply don’t jump from one variety to the next.

It’s easier to live in denial in the spring and not think about pests, but by taking a few proactive measures now you’re going to have a lot fewer problems this summer.

Meet Amy Grisak

Amy is a freelance author and photographer in Great Falls, MT who specializes in gardening, foods, and sustainable agriculture. She provides information on every kind…

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