Every garden is a perfect haven for pests and insects to thrive. Think about compost-rich soil, succulent vegetables, and moist nature– and you got the perfect place for these little predators to thrive. Insects are known to devour unhealthy plants due to nutrient imbalance in soil or perhaps, when in a drought. Tender and juicy, insects are totally in-the-know when it comes to these vegetable qualities. But while there is no escaping the presence of pests, finding the best insecticide for vegetable garden must still be considered.
Source: almanac.com
When you want more out of your cabbage and lettuce patch, root crops, and the likes, finding the best insecticide to get rid of worms, beetles, aphids, and so on must be on your priority list. To get you started, here are three (3) of the widely used insecticide today for their proven efficacy and safety.
- Diatomaceous Earth (DE). A natural remedy to prevent or remove pests in the garden, DE is actually made of tiny, fossilized plankton or diatoms. This powder-dust like insecticide is actually mined from fresh water lakes where these diatoms’ silicate skeletons were stashed millions of years ago. How does it work? Dust it into leaves and stems, and DE simply penetrates into insects’ waxy coats making it dry out and eventually die. It is known to eliminate aphids, beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies, spiders, snails and slugs. Do remember to buy “natural or food grade” DE like the one below and wear protective gear–googles and dust mask– when applying it into your vegetable garden.
Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade
- Oil Sprays. There are various horticultural oil sprays available as insecticide for gardens today and many of them come highly recommended as they pose little or no risk to both plants and gardener. They are either extracts from crude oil or from cottonseed and soybean, allowing them to integrate to biological controls in nature like evaporation. Horticultural oil like the one below from Bonide Products can kill aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, worms, moths and leafhoppers by plugging their pores preventing them from breathing.
Bonide Products All Seasons 210 Horticultural Spray Oil Concentrate
Another popular vegetable garden insecticide oil spray type that comes highly recommended is that of the Neem Tree extract. Exempted by EPA from food crop tolerances, it is virtually nontoxic yet highly potent in eliminating pests and insects off vegetables, flowers, and plants. Aside from being an insectice, Neem extracts are also considered anti-feedant. It can minimize egg production and prevent young pests from developing. Spraying benefits usually last for about a week. The Garden Safe Neem Oil Extract Concentrate, by the way, is also a fungicide and miticide. This means it does not only kill insects, it also prevents fungal diseases and spider mites.
Garden Safe Neem Oil Extract Concentrate
- Pyrethrins. Extracted from daisies, pyrethrins is known to be one of the safest insecticides to use in a vegetable garden. Aside from instantly killing insects, they are virtually nontoxic to mammals and dissipates in a day or less. For more effect, apply this during late afternoon or evening to kills beetles, plant bugs, spider mites, bugs, and so on. The Bonide Products 857 Pyrethrin Spray Concentrate may be combined with water in a 3 tablespoons per gallon of water ratio to make it safer for gardening.
Bonide Products 857 Pyrethrin Spray Concentrate
Safety Precautions
Source: bylands.com
Without a doubt, it is important to find the best insecticide for vegetable garden the soonest you start cultivating one. The key is to pick a natural grade brand to ensure safety at all times. As much as possible, wear protective gloves, mask and eye protection when applying any of the insecticides mentioned above. As always, it is better to be safe than sorry– even when having gardening fun!
