There's a lot that goes into gardening. You start your seeds, ensure every plant gets the right levels of water and sunlight, pull weeds, and tend to your plants carefully in hopes your fruits, vegetables and flowers will thrive. It's frustrating when all that hard work is thwarted by common garden pests. Pros recommend you turn to the Old Farmer's Almanac garden pest guide if you're looking to get rid of these critters.
This garden pest and disease library from the Old Farmer's Almanac has photos of many common plant issues and pests to help you narrow down what's eating your garden. Plus, the guide includes suggestions for the best way to banish pests and prevent them from coming back. Whether you're dealing with an infestation of slugs, a deer that won't stop snacking on your fruit tree, or weevils that are ruining your plant's roots, the guide has detailed instructions on how to deal with them. If you're not quite sure what kind of pest you're dealing with, the Almanac also has a helpful Plant Problem ID tool to help you narrow it down.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about the Old Farmer's Almanac garden pest guide.
What is The Old Farmer's Almanac?
Dating back to 1792, The Old Farmer's Almanac is an annual booklet filled with long-range predictions, recipes, astrological insights and more. These predictions are made using findings from three specific areas of study: solar science, climatology and meteorology.
Based on the data acquired via these methods, The Old Farmer's Almanac shares insights about temperatures, peak planting times, rain forecasts, etc. that are particularly helpful for farmers, gardeners, outdoorsmen and chefs.
Garden Pest Guide
For the casual hobby gardener, it can be hard to identify which pests cause what harm, especially if you can't catch the culprit in action. So the Farmer's Almanac shared a chart breaking down what characteristics to look for on plants, based on the habits of common garden pests.
Recognizing that your garden has become an insect haven is the first step; identifying what type of bug has taken residence is second. The last step is treatment.
According to a graphic shared by the Farmer's Almanac, these are seven common garden pests and how to get rid of them organically:
- Aphids: Spray leaves with soapy water or dust leaves with food-grade diatomaceous earth
- Pest Caterpillars: Add row covers or hand remove
- Japanese Beetles: In the morning, handpick beetles off plants and spray plants with neem oil
- Leaf Miners: Add row covers, remove affected leaves and spray with neem oil
- Spider Mites: Spray with neem oil or water
- Flea Beetles: Add row covers or use food-grade diatomaceous earth
- Slugs & Snails: Tend to your garden at night and pick them off, create beer traps or use copper tape
If you're dealing with a kind of pest not listed here, you can consult the Farmer's Almanac's Garden Plant Pest and Disease Control Library to see all of its recommendations for dealing with little critters.
Kate (she/her) is the associate editor of The Pioneer Woman Magazine. She writes features, commerce, and travel content. Kate brings nearly five years of home, food, and lifestyle experience to the role, including time as editorial assistant at Good Housekeeping. Her bylines have appeared in Woman’s Day, Food Network Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Modern Farmhouse Style, Dream Kitchens & Baths, and more. When she’s not writing, Kate can be found lazing in the park with a sudoku in hand.
