Pests are the bane of gardeners around the world. They are capable of destroying plants and even infected homes, that’s why if you’re purchasing a property you should find out more info about it and pests via a survey.
There are many different kinds of pests in the garden, but they are generally the same ones that your local farmers will be dealing with. The difference is that your local farmer probably uses an array of pesticides to keep the pests away and the crops healthy.
Considering pesticides are dangerous to human health, you may wish to consider taking an organic approach to gardening. Talking to your local pest control experts about dealing with wildlife will help, as will the following tip to have a completely organic pest-free garden.
Get Friendly Pests!
Okay, so this isn’t strictly pest free but it will keep the pests off your plants and help them to stay healthy. Every pest has a natural predator, you simply need to locate the predator and release it into your garden. For example, Ladybugs are very good at eating aphids, one Ladybug can eat hundreds of them in a day and it won’t harm your plants.
Diatomaceous Earth
This substance is actually made up of decomposed crustaceans from thousands of years ago. It has tiny sharp pieces in it which are fatal for any insect with an exoskeleton. The sharp pieces pierce the skeleton and cause the insect to dehydrate, killing it quickly.
All you have to do is sprinkle it around your plants, it is harmless to humans and pets.
Soap And Oil
Another option that is harmless to your plants is vegetable oil and soap, a fifty/fifty mix will suffice. Its particularly effective against aphids, thrip, and mites. Simply mix the oil and liquid dish soap n a spray bottle and spray it directly onto your plants. It will block the pores on the insects, effectively suffocating them.
Garlic
Garlic has a distinctive aroma and it’s an aroma that is not popular with most garden pests. You’ll want to puree two whole bulbs of garlic with ½ cup of water. Leave the mixture to sit overnight before straining it into a spray bottle and adding ½ cup of vegetable oil. Shake thoroughly and then fill the bottle to the top with water. You can spray this directly into plants.
Chili Pepper
This is a great alternative to garlic but just as effective at eliminating insects. You can mix a tablespoon of chili powder with 1 cup of water and a few drops of liquid soap, then spray your affected plants.
Alternatively, blend a cup of chili peppers and add 2 cups of water. Let the mixture boil and then simmer for five minutes. After it’s cooled add a few drops of liquid soap and start spraying.
Don’t forget, if you’re spraying these compounds directly onto crops you’ll want to wash them thoroughly in water before consuming. If you don’t they could taste soapy.
