Maximum Yield USA July 2017 | Page 102

cycl tips & tricks 100 grow cycle rganic pest control can seem impossible if you have suffered time and time again with a particular pest that affects the overall yield or quality of your crop. You may have tried every pesticide out there, from the ridiculously cheap to the eye-wateringly expensive. Well sometimes there is a simple answer to a problem, a natural answer that may work just as well, if not better, than a man-made chemical pesticide, which can do untold damage to your plant, the environment, and whoever you are producing your crop for. There are three main paths to organic pest control: • Predators to pests. • Sacrificial plants to attract and deter pests. • Homemade organic oils and sprays to control pests. PREDATORS TO PESTS First, you need to have a “predators to pests” attitude towards infestation. Keep it natural— there is a balance in the world, a cycle that takes and gives. The introduction of a natural predator of the pests that are blighting your plants is sometimes a very effective natural way to control damage to your crop. One example of this is with the caterpillar problem I had in my own garden.