For insect pests, two other forms of prevention are the use of floating row covers and the use of transplants (see getting seeds and plants and transplanting). Floating row covers keep pests off your crops through a combination of a physical barrier (the row cover) and the creation of conditions under the cover that are unfavorable for insect growth and reproduction. Use of transplants does not actually keep pests off your crops, but by leaving plants in your home or a greenhouse until they are large enough to defend themselves at least a little bit, you increase the chance that any pest problems you do have will not kill your plants. Most plants have few defenses when they are small, but as they grow older, their stems get thicker and less tasty for insects, and they develop the ability to release bitter or otherwise unpleasant substances in response to insect feeding. Their resistance to disease also increases.
How To Protect Your Plants From Pests
Use of varieties with genetic resistance to pests and diseases is also a time-honored way to prevent pest problems. When you buy seeds or transplants look at the seed packets and transplant labels for claims about disease and pest resistance. Contrary to what you might think, dis-ease and pest resistance are in most cases not the result of genetic engineering, but of plant breeding methods that have been practiced for hundreds of years.
For insect pests, two other forms of prevention are the use of floating row covers and the use of transplants (see getting seeds and plants and transplanting). Floating row covers keep pests off your crops through a combination of a physical barrier (the row cover) and the creation of conditions under the cover that are unfavorable for insect growth and reproduction. Use of transplants does not actually keep pests off your crops, but by leaving plants in your home or a greenhouse until they are large enough to defend themselves at least a little bit, you increase the chance that any pest problems you do have will not kill your plants. Most plants have few defenses when they are small, but as they grow older, their stems get thicker and less tasty for insects, and they develop the ability to release bitter or otherwise unpleasant substances in response to insect feeding. Their resistance to disease also increases.
If you have used the various preventative tactics mentioned above and you still have insect pest problems, there are some compounds that are used as organic pesticides. Keep in mind that these compounds are not like some of the conventional insecticides you might have used in the past – if they are o.k. for use in organic production, they are less toxic to your health, or at least break down more quickly in the environment than standard pesticides. Most of these compounds only kill insects when the insects are very small (larvae, or worm-like creatures, rather than adults). Also, most of these compounds are only effective for a day or two after you apply them, after which point they are destroyed by sunlight, rain, or just exposure to the air.
