All gardens can be beautiful and lush without the use of pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) or chemical fertilizers.  These products cost money; can harm children, pets, and beneficial wildlife; and ultimately affect the quality of our water, air and soil.  It's much easier to prevent problems in the first place by encouraging healthy soil and plants.

For A Healthy Garden

• Choose native plants - co-evolution with local wildlife create natural defenses.
• Grow a diversity of plants to minimize your garden's susceptibility to any one pest and to confuse passing pests.
• Match plants to the conditions of your garden (soil, moisture, light, etc.) to help plants thrive. A stressed plant is more vulnerable to pests.
• Provide adequate spacing between plants for good air circulation.
• Keep the soil and soil organisms healthy. Add compost or well-rotted manure each year. Where appropriate let fallen leaves remain in place.
• Water plants deeply to promote strong roots. Morning watering at soil level helps prevent disease.
• Check your garden regularly to catch problems early.
• Attract beneficial insects. Flowering herbs (coriander, dill, fennel, parsley, etc.) and flowers of the composite family (goldenrod, coneflower, sunflower, etc.) are good food sources when prey is limited. A shallow dish with stones in it provides a water source.  Minimize soil disturbance to protect soil-dwellng insects.
• Practice crop rotation in non-perennial beds to keep pests to a minimum.

Tips For Managing Insect Pests

• Lawn grubs tend to prefer soft, weak roots - a sign you've over fertilized. Use natural fertilizer for slower, steadier growth all year (the fall is best).
• Grubs in your lawn can be controlled naturally through the use of nematodes - microscopic worms that kill grubs and other pests. Be sure to follow the directions.
• Mix 100 ml of crushed hot peppers with 400 ml of water. Strain and spray on bug infested plants. (Note that hot peppers can irritate eyes and skin.)  Do not spray when it is windy or during strong midday sun.
• Finely chop 10 to 15 cloves of garlic and soak them in 500 ml of mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain the solution and spray as is, or dilute it with water before applying. Use selectively as it also affects beneficial insects.
• Deter cutworms by placing collars around stems of plants (toilet paper rolls, tin cans with ends removed, etc.). Place 1 cm above the soil and 3 cm below the soil.
• Hose down plants and shrubs with water to rid them of aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites, being careful not to damage flowers or buds.
• Keep slugs away by finely grinding eggshells and sprinkling them in a ring around each plant.
• Make a spray for aphids, Black Spot and fungus diseases by steeping 6 rhubarb leaves in 2-3 quarts of boiling water. Apply to affected plants when water has cooled.
• Make a tantalizing trap for slugs and earwigs by pouring two or three centimeters of beer into a shallow dish (empty tuna fish cans work well). In a shaded spot, place the dish in the soil so the rim is just a bit above ground level. Every few days, empty out the trap and refill. Use this method only when necessary as it can also drown beneficial insects.