![]() For many people, this is not an option (or is an option limited to every other year). If you have the space, crop rotation is still ideal for keeping pests and diseases at bay. If you have identified which diseases are lurking in your soil, purchase plant varieties that are resistant. Many plants have been bred to resist certain diseases. Soil-dwelling nematodes and soil diseases can be reduced through solarization (heat-treating the soil using the sun). Many insect pests can be managed by garden clean up and other housekeeping tasks. If you have had issues with pests or disease, it’s important to accurately identify exactly which pest or disease is present. ![]() In the following spring, if you plant something that the hornworms can’t eat, those dormant caterpillars will starve. If you look closely, you will probably find multiple chrysalises in the ground when pulling out tomato plants in the late fall. Tomato hornworms will go dormant in cold weather, then re-emerge in the spring to eat your newest crop of tomatoes. Many, if not most, pest insects have adapted to their host plants’ seasonal growth habits. The second reason for crop rotation is pest and disease control. This is not a viable option for most of us, so we use compost instead. After the bear digests those berries, he does what all bears do in the woods, thus replenishing the soil nutrients. In other words, think about a bear eating berries in the forest.
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