How to Manage Pests

Pests in Gardens and Landscapes

Recommended Soil Types

Artichokes Deep, fertile, well-drained soil; amend sandy soils or soils that don't hold moisture well
Asparagus Deep, loose, or light sandy loam; will not tolerate shallow or perched high water tables
Beans Sandy to sandy loam enriched with organic amendments; avoid alkaline, high-salt soils
Carrots Deep loose fertile soils; sandy loam or soils with high organic content; avoid rocky soils; if soil is less than ideal, build up raised beds with sifted compost and soil; half-length or short varieties should be used in heavy or shallow soils
Cole crops Well-drained soil; avoid areas with shallow hardpans, compacted layers, or high water tables
Corn Choose soils that can drain away and roots are able to penetrate the soil
Cucurbits Well-drained fertile soils; choose nonsaline sandy loam or silt loam
Lettuce Choose silt loams and sandy soils or highly amended soil if of another texture; does not tolerate soil salinity
Onions/garlic Avoid areas with rocks, high salinity, or excessively dense clay
Peas Sandy soils offer early maturity, but heavier clay soils are more productive; avoid alkaline and saline soils
Peppers/eggplant Sandy to sandy loam soils; heavier soils are good provided that they drain well and are irrigated to avoid saturated conditions
Potatoes Sandy loam soil that is well drained and able to retain moisture uniformly
Spinach Soils on the sandy side are preferred; spinach is sensitive to saturated soil conditions
Strawberries Avoid soils with poor drainage
Tomatoes Medium-textured, soft, well-drained soil; light sandy soils or heavy clay soils are hard to work with but can be made easier with amendments

Statewide IPM Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
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