Organic Pest Control
Keep your garden pest-free, naturally.
Pest infestations, including insects and encroaching wildlife like deer and rabbits, are the bane of an avid gardener’s existence. It’s frustrating to watch all of your hard work ruined by curious—or hungry—creatures. But if you’d rather not turn to expensive, messy, and potentially hazardous chemical solutions to protect your plants, there are plenty of organic alternatives.
An ounce of prevention
One of the best ways to keep bugs out of your garden is the defensive method. Keeping a healthy garden discourages insect infestations. In addition to regular weeding, you should pull out any weak plants instead of waiting for them to die completely—rotting plants are among the biggest attractions for bugs.
The right type of soil can also prevent invasions. Healthy soil produced through composting, mulching, or top-dressing with natural fertilizer promotes strong plant growth and prevents the weak specimens that bring insects calling.
Finally, watering early in the day is a good preventative measure. Keeping foliage dry for most of the day minimizes the bug presence in your garden, and also helps stave off fungal damage.
Bring in beneficial bugs
Certain types of insects are not only harmless to plants, but also prey on the bugs that do cause damage. These include ladybugs, praying mantis, lacewings, hover-flies, nematodes, and a few types of small wasps.
You can attract helpful insects to your garden by planting composite flowers like black-eyed Susans, goldenrod, or asters. Ladybugs enjoy any member of the daisy family, and beneficial wasps are attracted to celery, carrots, and Queen Anne’s Lace.
You can purchase most of these friendly bugs through online gardening supply stores and then introduce them to your garden.
DIY pest sprays
There are a number of sprays you can mix yourself and apply to your crops to either prevent infestation or kill an existing bug colony. Most of them are made with noxious ingredients, such as cayenne or garlic, which are non-toxic for your plants.
For a decent all-around deterrent, add a few drops of Ivory liquid soap and two tablespoons of hot pepper sauce to a quart of water and let it stand overnight. You can apply the solution with a spray bottle—just make sure to shake the container frequently while you’re spraying.
Bigger pests
Deer, rabbits, and rodents can also wreak havoc in a garden. To ward off deer, the hot-sauce/soap formula described above can be an effective deterrent. You can also spray plants down using one egg and a quarter-cup of water, mixed thoroughly, to keep deer from eating plants.
To turn away rabbits and rodents, try oil of peppermint, which is sold at most health food stores. Soak cotton balls or pieces of rag in the oil, and then place them in areas that show signs of rodent activity.
Have you found any organic pest solutions that worked for you? We’d love to hear your idea for keeping your garden naturally pest-free!