Step 4
Selection of Insect Control Tactic

Selection of Insect Control Tactic is easy, because you have an impressive array of natural insect control tactics at your disposal. Whenever Organic Garden Information presents information on an insect, I will give the most appropriate natural controls available for that insect.

The tactics available vary with the crop, pest, time of year, and geographic region. Whatever tactic you decide start with the gentlest tactic first. If the pest is persistent and populations are too high for gentle action, then proceed from there to more weighty measures.

1. Prevention - The basic and most important strategy behind OPM is prevention.
   
2. Clearing the garden of debris - This include trash and excess organic matter that is not being used as a mulch.
   
3. Crop rotation - Crop rotation is important to ensure the health of the soil.
   
4. Planting disease and insect resistant varieties - choose healthy plants from established garden centers and seeds from seed companies with an established record of success.
   
5. Intercropping - plant plants next to one another that compliment each other physically and physiologically.
   
6. The uses of beneficial insects - attract or purchase these insects for your garden.
   
7. Handpicking insects -often just hand picking the insects off the plant is a great control.
   
8. Insect Barriers and traps. (see Snail traps as an example)
   
9. Safe, natural and environmental insecticides.