What is a trap crop?
A trap crop is a sacrificial plant species, or a specific variety, planted strategically to attract insects and pests away from other crops.
Attract & Support Beneficial Insects with Overwintered Brassicas:
Did you know that overwintered cabbage and other brassicas like broccoli and kale can act as a trap crop and a nursery for beneficial insects? Brassicas will attract pests, especially aphids when they go into flowering mode at the end of the season, and when left in the garden to overwinter. Cabbage aphids survive winter's freezing temperatures and resume feeding in early spring, providing a reliable, early food source for beneficial predators like ladybugs, hoverflies, and lacewings that are just waking up for the season.
Having a trap plant can keep beneficial insects around in early spring and throughout the season. Trap crops with aphids should be managed carefully to avoid spreading the infestation to new spring crops – having one or a few of them in the garden, but not near your new seedlings would be ideal. Think of these as sacrificial plants that will be an aphid buffet for lady bugs, mantis, wasps, birds and assassin bugs.
Other Organic Gardening Methods to manage pests:
- Rotating crops is also important to reduce pest pressure.
- Use Row Covers: When starting your new brassica seedlings for broccoli or cabbage, to prevent pests organically, use a floating row cover to keep aphids and cabbage loopers off of them. Ideally, do this on a rotated bed where brassicas were not grown the previous year or two.
- Grow a wide variety of vegetables to reduce pest pressure, interplant them and use companion planting
- Include lots of different flowers, especially native flowers in your garden or landscape to provide a constant source of food for beneficial insects and pollinators.Try to have something blooming all season, from early spring to late fall.
- Include a variety of native plants if possible in your landscape
- Leave the leaves: Cover your garden soil over the winter and leave the tree leaves and leaves and stems of native plants. These are nurseries for beneficial insects and pollinators, as well as a buffet for birds in the winter months.
- Cover your soil: leaf mulch or untreated grass clippings help conserve moisture while feeding the soil, and protecting it from the sun's UV rays. This layer acts as a protective barrier that also keeps soil cool, suppresses weeds, and adds valuable nutrients as it breaks down.
- Grow a native/food hedge to border your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects and birds for pest control. Examples: Serviceberries, Currants, Raspberries, and other fruiting shrubs and small trees. These will bloom and support pollinators in a big way!!
- Compost - make your own compost and use it to treat your garden, healthy soil equates to healthy plants that are not as likely to be affected by pests.
Having a balanced, well-fed ecosystem will support diversity in your garden which will greatly reduce pest issues, and your garden will thank you for it!
