Protect Your Garden From Pests

Threats from pests and diseases can wreak havoc on your Maryland garden. Gardeners and homeowners need to be aware of potential problems and try to prevent problems from taking hold. Fine insect-proof netting can be used to completely cover certain plants throughout their life and keep harmful insects at bay. A coarse-weave fleece can be used to screen out bugs without overheating plants underneath. Covering any kind of garden plant is not recommended during pollination. Contact Valley Landscaping, Stone and Patio at 410.983.6261 for more information about installing yard barriers, landscape services, and how to protect your garden from pests.

Watch Out For New Threats

Keeping your garden free of diseases and pests has always been high on Maryland gardeners' agendas. With the frequent appearance of new diseases and pests from outside the US, keeping an eye on your gardens and promptly addressing concerns will help keep your garden drama-free. The arrival of new diseases and pests in Baltimore County is linked to the rise of plant importation. Changes in climate, significantly warmer winters may also enable diseases and pests to become established in our gardens.

Use Local Cuttings to Protect Your Garden

One of the most common ways for diseases and pests to enter gardens is on new plants or soil associated with recent garden additions. The following strategies can help you keep pests out of your garden:

• Propagate your own plants using seeds or cuttings.
• Whenever possible, purchase plants grown in a reputable Maryland nursery.

Check Your Plants

• Check plants for signs of diseases and pests before purchase.
• Choose a reputable vendor with excellent reviews.
• Monitor the health of your new plants. If you observe anything unusual, contact a Columbia, MD garden supply store.

Mulching Keeps Plants Healthy

Good plant care can reduce the impact of diseases and pests. Strong, healthy plants are more resilient to pests and diseases. Mulching feeds plants, increasing their vigor. It may also prevent some pests and diseases from living in the soil and infecting your plants' above-ground parts. Valley LSP offers many landscape services, including:

• Mulching services
• Hardscaping services
• Landscaping walls
• Landscaping with trees and shrubs
• Laying sod

Keep Your Gardens Clean

Keeping your garden clean and free of debris helps to reduce pests and diseases. You can also reduce the spread of pests and diseases by keeping your gardening tools clean. This also reduces the chances that they will threaten your garden in the next growing season. Hauling away old mulch can also help protect your garden by eliminating pests.

Monitor your Maryland Plants

Keeping a watchful eye on your plants will help you spot pests and diseases right away. Detecting problems early means you can treat them before they cause severe damage. Early detection of pests and diseases makes the detected problems easier to control. Valley LSP professionals are an excellent source of advice for specific pests and plant diseases.

Consider Varieties with Built-in Resistance

Many modern varieties of vegetation have been bred with built-in resistance to certain pests or diseases. You can get information about this in seed catalogs or printed on seed packets. Many roses are bred with varying degrees of resistance to disease. Consult rose catalogs, reference books, or growers' websites for more information. Young plants of some plants are available grafted onto rootstocks that resist the kind of root diseases often present in certain soils.

Get Rid of Garden Waste

Garden waste--especially waste affected by pests and diseases--should be disposed of immediately. Use the following strategies to keep your landscaping pest-free.

• Home composting can be used for most green waste; local green waste composts at higher temperatures and therefore kills more pests and diseases.
• Burning woody plants and garden material affected by persistent pests and diseases can help slow the spread. Make sure to check with your county's regulations before burning.

Keep Your Maryland Landscaping Healthy

Contact Valley Landscaping, Stone and Patio to get your yard in its best shape yet! Call us at 410.983.6261.