Module Overview
When growing outdoors, one concern the gardener must deal with is pests, both insects and weeds. This module will provide guidance on how to minimize the impact of garden pests. We recommend an “integrated pest management” approach to control. This means using all tools in your toolbox, not just pesticide application, to achieve control.
Learning Goals
After this module, learners will be able to:
- Apply proper techniques to manage insects and weeds in indoor and outdoor growing spaces.
- List ways to evaluate pest and weed management issues (good bugs vs. bad bugs, etc.) and choose the best management plan for their garden spaces.
- List advantages and disadvantages of organic and non-organic insecticides.
- Describe ways to keep animals out of school gardens.
Roadmap
These items will all appear, in order, in the module.
- READ: Weed Control
- READ: Insects and Other Pests
Please click NEXT at the bottom of this page to advance through the module. To return to the list of modules, PC users click “Modules” in the top left corner, App users click the back arrow in the top left header.
Weed Control
The definition of a weed is any plant that you do not want to grow in your space. Weeds can have life cycles that last one year (annual), two years (biennial), or longer (perennial). The key to controlling weeds is to remove them before they set seed, regardless of life cycle. This can be a great garden job for students to do regularly when they are visiting the raised bed area.
One of the reasons we recommend putting the garden to rest at the end of the spring semester is that summer is the time with the largest amount of weed pressure. If you put your garden to bed before you leave for summer break you can avoid a majority of the weed problems for an entire year.
Please click NEXT at the bottom of this page to advance through the module. To return to the list of modules, PC users click “Modules” in the top left corner, App users click the back arrow in the top left header.
Insects and Other Pests
Insect Pests
Encountering insects outdoors in your raised beds can be a great way to engage your students with the role that insects play in the garden. There are both “good” and “bad” bugs in the garden. Good bugs, or beneficial bugs, can be pollinators or can prey on the bad bugs in our garden. They are the friends in your garden that you want to protect because that assist your growing.
“Bad” bugs in the garden may eat beneficial bugs, eat your plants, or spread disease to your plants, causing them to get sick and potentially stop growing.
Making a learning experience out of Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs is a great way to identify bug species as well as discuss their role in growing with your students. There are many phone apps that can fairly accurately identify bug species which you could use to assist you with this.
Other Pests
Other pests in your garden can be either four-legged or two-legged. Season extension garden covers do a good job of protecting your plants from rabbits and birds. Groundhogs, however, will likely necessitate the use of fencing.
Vandalism is an unfortunate problem encountered by some school gardens. Keeping the garden location secure can be a challenge. Signage regarding the garden’s purpose may dissuade some people from causing a problem while also telling the story of the garden.
Please click NEXT at the bottom of this page to advance through the module. To return to the list of modules, PC users click “Modules” in the top left corner, App users click the back arrow in the top left header.
