MORE ABOUT ORGANIC GARDENING
Beneficial bugs/insects can be introduced to your garden areas to help keep the population of bugs that feed off of the plants low or can be welcomed if already present by proper identification.
These predator bugs include: green lacewings, assassin bugs, garden spiders, minute pirate bug and lady beetles. If you have an existing occupation of unwelcome garden inhabitants, a more specific one may be chosen to introduce if necessary. However, these and other bugs will target a wide range of plant eating pests.
There are beneficial bugs that aid the plants by other means. Breaking down organic matter in the soil around the roots allowing the plant to absorb nutrients better and adding to the nutrients available. These bugs include: earth worms, pill bugs, dung beetles, centipedes, and garden ants. Some bugs do good but can also cause damage when numbers are too high, so allow them to exist and manage population.
Pollinators like bees, hover flies, butterflies and wasps are essential to pollination, especially for plants that produce food. Some also act as predators to pests like aphids.
Some pests that may negatively impact your plants by eating them include aphids, mites, scale, mealy bugs, caterpillars, fungus gnats, white flies, leaf miners, and thrips.
Some species of ants herd and protect aphids, mealy bugs and scale, making it more difficult to end an occupation.
Types of diseases that can affect your plants include fungal, viral, and bacterial. These can be caused by and/or spread by bugs that feed off of the plant.
Organic means of treatment and prevention of unwanted pests and disease include proper application of horticulture oils and soaps, as well as other methods.
These treatments are non-toxic for humans and animals and have less of a negative effect towards beneficial insects/bugs. Though not nearly as detrimental as more toxic methods, without proper application these products can still have a negative effect towards garden buddies/plants and need to be applied with caution.
These factors can all be affected by the types of plants added to your garden that may attract either more beneficial bugs, or may attract more pests.
We offer services that can aid you with managing this balance.
Other ways to help beneficial wildlife
Incorporating Native Plant Life
Choosing to incorporate native plants is essential to inviting native wildlife into your garden. It will provide the proper food and shelter necessary for their survival. Native flora have natural resistance to local pests and diseases, and will also be more adjusted to the local climate.
Here we are in zone 8a/b depending on how cold winter gets. Due to the drought, heat and cold temperatures experienced here, plants may require extra care until well established.
Native wildlife helps eat the bad bugs you want to keep out of your lawn and garden. Reptiles, birds, bats, rodents, etc all are worth protecting.
Avoiding Invasive Plants
While many adapted plants are harmless and thrive locally, some are considered to be best avoided in certain areas.
As described on tsuinvasives.org:
"Invasive Species are non-native species of animals, plants, and pathogens whose introduction causes economic or environmental harm in their newly acquired ecosystem. Their economic damage can cause a loss of millions of dollars.
Note: Harm is a function of human values and differs among regions and may also change temporally.
Non-indigenous species are species that through human influence occurs outside of its native range. Synonyms: adapted, non-native species, alien species, and exotic species."
One example is the English Ivy (Also known as Common Ivy). While it is lush, beautiful, spreads easily for coverage, and very popular it should be planted with caution. If you must, place out of reach of trees, other plants and away from buildings as it can invade homes walls (especially brick and mortar).