Protect Your Plants and Trees

Outdoor living often involves growing plants and flowers. As any gardener or grower knows, protecting your plants can be a challenge. Thankfully, there are few easy things you can do to help your garden or yard flourish.

Here are tips on protecting your plants from outdoor pests.

If you are having a problem with small animals nibbling on your trees, you can protect those trees by wrapping the trunks with hardware cloth. When you place the cloth on the tree trunk make sure that the mesh is close enough to the tree that animals cannot crawl inside it. You will also need to monitor the tree. As the tree grows and gets larger at the base, you will need to expand the hardware cloth around it. Also, when you install the cloth, make sure that the mesh extends at least 18 inches to 20 inches above the ground. This will prevent animals from reaching over it.

Many homeowners have a problem with beetles. Most beetle problems can be solved with a beetle bag trap. These are easy to use and once prepared you simply hang it on the tree with the beetle problem. The unique scent of the beetle bait will attract the insects, and once they enter the bag they will not be able to get out. When the bag is full, seal it and dispose of it.

One device that many homeowners find very useful is a hand-pumped powder sprayer. These sprayers work well on shrubbery and trees, but do keep in mind that they can be hard to use for large areas.

To work on large areas or to work on your trees, use a spraying device that attaches to your garden hose. Simply put the required pesticide into the container, and screw the end of your hose onto the sprayer. This is a very affordable way to get a large area treated. You will find that most hose-end sprayers can be purchased for less than ten dollars or so and can spray as far as 20 feet.

If you have decorative plants you can mix up a solution of dishwashing detergent and water in a spray bottle. Spray your plants with this mild solution and this will keep a wide variety of insects off of your plants. Keep in mind that you will need to reapply the solution after every rain.

A natural way to keep many bugs off your plants and trees is to grow herbs such as parsley and catmint. Both of these are natural bug repellents.

If you have a severe problem with insects, you may wish to consult with a landscape contractor or a professional gardener. They often have tips that are specific to certain species of insects.