Released June 23, 2008

ORONO, Maine -- Pests, or insects and diseases, are an inevitable part of vegetable gardening. However, proper planning, planting, and management can significantly reduce the number of pest problems you will face.

Gardening practices that reduce pest problems:

• Choose the right location. A vegetable garden needs direct sunlight (six-plus hours a day), good air circulation, and well-drained soil containing plenty of organic matter.
• Create healthy soil. Many insects are attracted to unhealthy plants. Have your soil tested at least once every two years and apply nutrients as needed.
• Choose pest-resistant or pest-tolerant varieties of plants.
• Use high-quality seed or transplants. Buy seed from reputable seed companies. Select transplants that are stocky, dark green, and healthy looking. Water transplants at planting with water-soluble starter fertilizer or fish emulsion.
• Plant at the right time and spacing. Seeds planted too early in the spring are prone to rot. Seedlings planted too early will often become stunted, or die due to cool soil and air temperatures. Avoid overcrowding, which leads to reduced plant vigor and increased susceptibility to foliar diseases.
• Keep your plants growing vigorously. Rapidly growing, healthy fruits and vegetables can better tolerate or outgrow damage from insects and disease, but they quickly use up nutrients and water. Side-dress plants with fertilizer and irrigate as needed.
• Remove the competition. Keep the garden and the garden borders free from weeds and grass, which compete for nutrients and water and may harbor insect pests and diseases.
• Use mulches. Plastic or organic mulches placed on the soil around the plant can help control weeds and conserve water by reducing evaporation from the soil surface.
• Practice good sanitation. Remove plants and debris from the garden after harvest to avoid harboring diseases and insects.
• Rotate crops yearly. Crops in the same family (e.g. broccoli and cabbage) may be susceptible to the same soil-borne diseases. If possible, crops from the same group should not be planted in the same location for at least three years. Use this key to rotate families or groups of crops:

Group 1: cucumbers, gourds, muskmelons, pumpkins, summer squash, watermelons, winter squash

Group 2: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radishes, turnips

Group 3: eggplant, pepper, potatoes, tomatoes

Group 4: beets, carrots, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsnips, spinach

Group 5: sweet corn

Group 6: beans, peas

Group 7: garlic, leeks, onions, shallots

• Monitor your garden. Examine the plants in your garden on a regular basis, looking for the first signs of a disease or insect outbreak. If caught in the early stages, pest problems can often be easily controlled.

This column was excerpted and adapted from “Pest Management for Home Vegetable Gardens,” bulletin #2188, from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Visit UMaine Extension at http://www.extension.umaine.edu and click on “Publications” for the complete publication and information on additional topics.

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