Controlling pests and diseases is a difficult task for any gardener. All our hard work could turn out to be a waste if our plants are affected by pests and diseases. Getting rid of these pests and diseases would result in a healthy, beautiful garden and would increase the yield of vegetables and fruits.

The common pests that could affect your garden are mildew, aphids, small crawling insects, fungal diseases, and black spots. They actually hinder the growth of the plants and also suck the nutrition of the plants.

There are various methods of pest and disease control which include

The organic method of pest and disease control:

Organic methods of pest and disease control are the best way to eliminate harmful chemicals used to control the pest, as these chemicals are harmful to us and pollute the environment.

• One of the best pest control methods is to use good bugs like ladybugs, which actually eat the small crawling insects that eat the plants. They are available in stores and nurseries
• Bacillus Thuringienses (BT) is another organic pest control method where the bacillus eats all the caterpillars that eat leaves, thereby saving the plant.
• Powdery mildew can be treated by spraying soap solution and baking soda. Vegetable oil can also be used with soap solution to get rid of mildew, aphids, and diseases like black spots.
• Fungal diseases can be controlled by spraying neem oil with soap. Here soap helps to mix neem oil with water. Garlic, pepper, chilies can also be used to act against fungal diseases.
• Diatomaceous earth is used to kill insects like aphids because silica present in them will destroy the digestive system of these insects.
• Cow urine, human urine, egg, hair are some of the pest control methods which will not attract these pests because of their odor. Cow urine has many antiseptic properties and is used in producing organic fertilizer called panchakavyam, made of cow urine, feces, jakkery, milk, ghee, and curd.

Inorganic method of Disease control:

This is the use of harmful chemicals in controlling pests and diseases. The main advantage of using them is for the immediate control of pests. They work faster and are more effective. However, recurrence is more common in using the inorganic method of pest control. These agents are available in various forms in the market. They may be of various types like:

• Anti-fungal agents – They help to fight against fungal diseases like white spots or yellowing of leaves. Anti-fungal agents like sulfur are also used by sprinkling them on the plant affected by fungus. The main cause of the fungal attack is moist leaves and decreased air circulation. It can be controlled by removing the affected leaves.
• Anti-bacterial agents – They are used for controlling bacterial diseases.
• Insecticides – They are used to control insect vectors.
• Anti-weed – They are used to prevent unwanted weeds from growing in our garden.