The most natural form of pest control in the garden is done by planting different crops together as well as rotating crops year after year to improve soil health and disrupt the life cycle of persistent pests. Different crops attract different garden pests and some plants attract beneficial insects that will feed on the pests you are wanting to combat.
Garlic Spray – Spray once every week as needed. Especially after the rain!
Garlic will deter the slugs but won’t kill them. Garlic contains sulfur and allicin which interfere with the sensory receptors of many garden pests.
- Slugs
- Aphids
- Caterpillars
- Powdery Mildew
To Make:
- 2 Bulbs Garlic, broken into cloves and peeled
- optional: 2-3 cups Mint Leaves & Stems
- optional: 2 tsp Cayenne Powder
- optional: 1-2 tsp Soap Flakes (biodegradable grated soap bar) or Liquid Soap (castile or mild dish soap)
- 12 cups Water
- Cheese Cloth (for straining)
Break the garlic bulbs up and add them to a food processor along with the mint, if using. Blend it up and then add it to a pot with 4 cups of water. Add in the cayenne pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, add the soap, and cover the pot with a lid. Allow it to steep overnight. The following day strain it out, using cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve, so you are only left with the liquid. Place the liquid in a couple of glass jars with a tight lid. Don’t forget to label them and store them in the fridge.
To use it add it to a spritzer bottle and spray your plants all over making sure to get the undersides of the plants. Wait to harvest for a few days if possible to avoid the potency of the spray on your food!
Test a small plant leaf first before applying it everywhere. Apply once a week in dryer weather and apply more often in wet weather as needed.
Neem Oil Spray – Spray all plant surfaces every 7-14 days throughout the season.
Neem oil is safe to use and it does not harm humans, animals, birds, bees, butterflies, ladybugs, or earthworms. It just repels and kills garden pests by interfering with their normal life cycle. Neem oil comes from the seeds of a neem tree.
- Aphids
- Spider Mites
- Whiteflies
- Moth Larvae
- Some Fungal Diseases – rust, black spot (roses), mildew, leaf spot, blight
To Make:
- 1 Tbsp Neem Oil
- 2 liters of Warm Water
- 1-2 tsp Soap Flakes (biodegradable grated soap bar) or Liquid Soap (castile or mild dish soap)
- optional: 1-2 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (peppermint is also a pest repellent)
Mix the soap thoroughly with warm water. Then slowly stir in 1 Tbsp of neem oil and 1-2 drops of essential oil. Mix well to combine.
Avoid adding too much neem oil as this could potentially burn plants in the heat of the day. Avoid spraying new seedlings with neem to avoid burning them. Before spraying the entire plant, do a single-leaf test first. If all goes okay proceed with the rest. Avoid spraying in the heat of the day – spray in the morning or evening when beneficial bugs are not feeding or pollinating your plants.