Along with the birds and the bees, a thriving garden is a natural habitat for pests. The idea then, is to invite in the ‘good guests’—the earthworms, the lady bugs, spiders, ants; and to keep out the uninvited ones—the mealybugs, aphids, spider mites. The philosophy is simple: everything that flies or crawls into your garden needn’t be removed—just the ones that wreak havoc. Usually plants have in-built immunity systems, much like our own bodies, so intervene when you feel things are getting out of hand. Here are a few tried-and-tested pest-management tips from farmers and gardeners. Oh and did I mention we don’t do chemicals?
Early does it
Our plants, like our children, need attention. We need to spot the signs of oncoming tantrums and trouble before they grow into a full-blown problem. Look under the leaves, watch for subtle changes in your plant health (yellowing, drooping, holes). Search for the reason and ‘nip it in the bud’.
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First-aid matters
Keep plants clean. Usually a strong jet of water or a toothbrush dipped in water is helpful to clean the affected parts, especially the stem. The next step is to help the plant keep the pests off, with a disinfectant. Use a dilution of 1 part soapnut or shikakai to 20 parts water. The soapiness, combined with the natural properties of soapnut and shikakai, helps keep pests at bay. Repeating the treatment every 3 days will help the plant continue to fight off pests. A small drop of neem oil can be added to the soapnut or shikakai solution against more resistant pests.
A pest repellent that also acts as a fertilising agent is diluted comium (cow urine) diluted 1 part to 20 parts water. You can also use neem oil dilution and 3G (ginger-garlic-green-chilli paste) spray diluted in the same ratio. These are stronger pest repellents and have instant results. Diluting avoids burning the plant. Remember that pest repellents act on both the friendly and unfriendly bugs.
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Predators have power
Most garden pests have natural predators. If the infestation is big enough, nature will usually take action. For instance, if you leave your aphid infestation alone for some time, ladybirds will come to suck them up.
Pruning call-out
The best advice on pest control I have ever received was from a natu-eco farmer in the Aurobindo Ashram. He said “If a plant is covered in pests, its message to you is that it’s time to prune.” Remember to discard the pruned parts far from your garden. Never compost infected plants or parts, as the pest will remain in your compost.
Diversityhelps
Certain plants have specific pests. When a cluster of tomato plants grow together, it’s easy for the pest to spread rapidly, affecting all plants. For that reason, bring diversity into your planting: one brinjal, a tomato, marigolds, spinach/greens, then another tomato, brinjal, other plants, another brinjal.
Immunity grows
Like we build the human body’s resistance to bugs with immune-boosting food, so also we can build a plant’s immunity. Bio-fertilisers like panchagavyam do precisely that. Same with the magic brew from your Bokashi bin.
Soil and seeds matter
If your soil is healthy and the seed is strong, then the plant will survive most pest attacks. There are many ways to build soil health and most have to do with introducing good microbes into the soil.
Save seeds from your healthiest plant and your ripest fruit. Know where your seeds come from. All of these go a long way in raising a healthy organic garden.
Sometimes, sacrifice
When all else fails, discard the plant to ensure the rest of the garden stays healthy. And you’re on your way to discovering your health philosophy for your garden.
Priya Gopalen is co-founder, The Magic Bean, and runs workshops on gardening.