If you’ve committed yourself to an organic garden, you’ve probably heard the stories. They’re legendary. They’re the stories of fellow organic growers whose soil is so healthy, whose plants are so vibrant, whose diversified crops are so varied that they never, ever have any real problems with pests. The idea is that if your garden is truly healthy, it won’t attract pests. Sure, they may come. They may nibble on a few leaves here or there, but they don’t stick around. That’s how the story goes. Only sick plants get eaten by pests. Only sick plants are susceptible to fungus or mold. Only sick plants….
Maybe there’s truth to those stories. After all, I can’t deny the results when I walk through my local community garden. There are some gardeners who’ve taken such good care of their little plot of soil year after year that you can literally see the difference. Nevertheless, when you’re newly starting out, when gardening is not your passion, when your time is limited and you’re a little on the lazy side (like me!), you probably don’t have the soil of legends. You’ve got the soil of the suburban backyard.
So, how are you supposed to keep pests at bay while still sticking to your organic principles?