Goff Organic Garden
Pest Control

In the garden, 90% of the insects assist with the growing process—only 10% don't, and are pests. The goal is to encourage the insects that help in the growing process, while controlling the bugs that would decrease our yield.

Healthy, Fertile Soil is the most important insect and disease control. Healthy soil creates healthy plants. Insects are attracted to weak, sickly, out-of-balance plants. Similarly, disease and fungus only attack unhealthy plants. Our naturally fertile soil assures healthy plants that resist insects, disease and fungus.

Row Covers are a light-weight fabric that allows sunlight and water to get to the crop while keeping the bugs out.

Reflector Tape is a light-weight tape that is shiny red on one side and silver on the other. When the wind blows, it shimmers and twirls. This scares off birds, so they won't eat our seeds.

Companion Plants help repel insects and parasites. For example, marigolds planted at either end of each of raised beds provide beautiful colors to attract bees and other beneficial insects, while emitting an odor that some insects find offensive, and therefore keep them away from our plants. Other companion plants such as mints attract beneficial insects like predatory wasps that patrol our garden looking for insect pests.

Oil-base Soaps and Sprays, such as Safer's Soap, Bt (bacillus thurengenisis), hot pepper, and concentrated garlic, keep insects off our plants long enough for us to harvest. We only use safe, non-poisonous, natural substances for pest control.

Ladybugs are introduced into the garden to help naturally assist with managing insect pests, such as aphids. Because we don't use poisonous sprays, we don't kill these wonderful, helpful insects.

We teach kids which are beneficial insects, and which aren't. Then we hand-pick Japanese beetles, potato beetles and any other insects that we can.

Five-foot-high fencing around the outside of the garden keeps out larger deer and other animals. The fence is buried 12 inches deep to keep out woodchuck, rabbits and any other burrowing animals.

Crop Rotation helps manage insect pests. Virtually all vegetables have insect pests that burrow in the ground and over-winter to the next growing season. When an insect pest wakes up in the spring and emerges, it wakes up in a different vegetable crop, thus it has no food source. By eliminating their food source, we limit the proliferation of insect pests.