How to deal with Pests the Natural Way

Lee Senior says create a healthy predator-prey balance in your garden

- Lee Senior

Pests and predators are an inevitable part of the cycle of life and also the natural world. A key aim of organic growers is to try to create a healthy predator-prey balance to leave pest control in the hands of nature. Your style of gardening will determine how successful or not this is.

The old adage that prevention is better than cure has never been more apt. Good garden husbandry and soil management is key to giving your plant the best chance to defend themselves from attack. Happy, healthy plants have a better immune system, rather like humans! Growing plants a little "harder" (not with an excess amount of nitrogen, which encourages fast, soft, sappy growth), makes them a little more resilient to potential attack. The softer the plant stems and foliage, the easier it is for aphids to gain a foothold.

A key maxim of natural pest control is to provide sufficient nutrients and water retention properties for plants via copious amounts of organic matter in the soil. This organic matter provides balanced fertility and nutrients thanks to the humus in your soil. In effect this ensures your plants are as naturally resilient as possible. Our battle to control pests naturally begins with our soil.