Building a healthy and  lush garden is not that easy. There has to be proper planning, delicate preparation of soil and careful cultivation of seeds. It is also vulnerable to different bugs and insects that keep causing damage to flowers and veggies.

Garden pests, such as spider mites, Japanese beetles, fire ants, and aphids are every gardener’s nemesis. For some who don’t want to use chemical pesticides, it seems that there’s no way to beat these intruders.

But you don’t need to worry. There are organic ways to prevent them from destroying your precious plants. Check them out below!

Prevent Insects using Chili and Garlic

Garlic or chili-based spray is effective enough for small sucking insects such as caterpillars as well as aphids. This method is a traditional way and should be present in every gardener’s armory.

Mix chili and crushed garlic with a small portion of soap flakes, one tablespoon of vegetable oil and dishwashing liquid. Indeed, you can use powdered chili if you don’t have a fresh one.

Soak the mixture overnight then strain it and spray on your plants and veggies. Use the spray solution within two weeks. But make sure to avoid contact with your eyes and skin and keep away from the reach of children.

Ward Off Slugs Naturally

Combine one part of espresso with ten parts of water and spray it directly to the areas of the garden where snails and slugs are present.

The caffeine will dig deep into their skin and eventually kill them. You can try repelling slugs and snails using copper barrier tape, or you can just pick them off using your hands if you prefer a cruel-free alternative.

Protect your Fruit Trees

For bugs on fruit trees, spray a mixture of dormant oil and lime sulfur on the branches and trunk of dormant trees. This mixture is available at garden centers and nurseries. This solution will suffocate the insect’s egg since it is relatively heavy compared to some water-based sprays.

In this method, you will need pump sprayers. Most of the pump sprayers are inexpensive and are available for rent at various garden shops. However, you can only use this technique while the fruit tree is dormant, or else, it can damage the tree.

Wipe Out Grubs

For garden and lawn grubs, the milky spore is another natural remedy. The granules spread on the soil and cause disease for grubs and kill them. This method only affects the grubs, while leaving the useful organisms safe.

Milky spore increases over time and will remain inactive while waiting for maggots to infect. These grubs are larvae of Japanese beetles. So, when you kill the grubs, you also kill the beetle.

Slay Those Aphids

The best method to get rid of aphids is to attract their natural predators into the lawn. Consider planting sunflowers, mint, dandelion, dill, yarrow, and fennel to attract praying mantis, ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies which will happily eat all the aphids that are present in your lawn.

Takeaway

Doing organic pest control is indeed less expensive than purchasing and using pesticides. Also, it is safer for your family, garden, the natural habitat, and the ecosystem.

So if you’re starting a garden and you want to ward off bugs and harmful insects, you can try to apply the items mentioned above to achieve a healthy and organic lawn. You can also visit online stores like GStore for some information about proper gardening.

Categories: Home & Garden