What can ruin any gardeners good work is the damage that can be done by insect pests in as little as a couple of hours. It’s disheartening to see all your time and dedication be undone by ravenous bugs.

Stopping these bugs from attacking your garden by keeping them out right from the start is the very best option. I’m sure you know there are numerous chemicals that will do this, but you must put your and your family’s safety first.

At the same time, by killing the unwanted pests you also kill the friendly ones. You don’t want to do that because you need all the help you can get in the fight against the bad bugs.

Ladybugs and spiders are among your best friends in the garden. They’re the predators that feed on the pests that damage your plants, so you want to encourage them, not kill them. These helpful bugs will either feed on the pests or drive them away.

By planting the good pests favorite plants so that they make their home in your garden, you’ll keep the bad pests out. The best place to find out what plants you need is at your local garden center.

For example, if you want a good healthy crop of tomatoes, plant some borage or marigolds around them and the pests will leave your precious tomato plants alone. There are other plants that have a perfume the bad bugs don’t like and keeps them away… that stops them from doing their damage.

Another thing to keep in mind is to keep your garden neat and tidy. The harmful pests are often attracted to piles of leaves, debris, grass cuttings and dense spots of weeds. Many of the bad pests can thrive in those areas, so weed your garden regularly and clean up any leaves and grass cuttings that find their way into your garden.

Some organic gardeners use a hot pepper wax that they lightly spray on the leaves of their plants. The oils from the spicy contents of this wax wards off the harmful insects and other pests as well.

If you’re concerned about any taste left on your edible crops after using this spicy concoction, you don’t have to worry. Just make sure you thoroughly wash them after harvest and you won’t have any problem.

By being proactive you remove the risk of all your hard work being undone. Many gardeners are discouraged by the apparent wasted effort when their crop is ruined by these pests - don’t let that happen to you.

Do a little homework first around your local area and find out what are the best companion plants to keep the good guys around and what will annoy the bad pests, this will pay dividends.

About the Author:

Want to load your small garden with plants and fragrance? Tom Johnson has a Free Report for you titled Container Gardening Secrets.