How to Manage Pests

Soil preparation

The preparation of your soil is just as important as adding fertilizer and soil amendments. Prior to cultivation, make sure the soil is moist but not thoroughly wet. Then cultivate the top 1 to 2 inches of soil and rake the area to remove weeds and old crop debris. Be sure to dig out roots. Next irrigate the plot deeply to encourage the germination of weed seeds. In a week or two, after a substantial number of weeds have germinated, cultivate the area again to kill the weed seedlings. You may use a shovel, rototiller, metal bow rake, or all of them together. Be sure to break up the clods in the soil, as seeds planted in cloddy soil will germinate poorly and won't live long because the soil dries too quickly. Form soil into beds if desired, and plant while soil is still wet.