Organic pest control remedies for your garden

Unwanted pests and insects in the garden can be a source of distress for any gardener. Introducing poisonous chemicals might offer a faster solution but caution has to be taken as this can possibly lead to complete annihilation which is not necessary.

Before embarking on spraying a given pesticide on the annoying invaders, it is always wise to consider its effect on the crops or the environment, for that matter. Introducing homemade alternatives into the garden offers a natural and realistic way of managing these pests.

Through organic garden pest control methods, you can safely and effectively control pest populations without harming the beneficial organisms and desirable plants in your garden.

The following are examples of organic garden pest control remedies:

Soap solution

This is otherwise known as a horticultural soap and is derived from petroleum or plant oils. This environmentally-friendly application helps eliminate small, soft-bodied insects such as aphids, whiteflies, spider mites and mealybugs.

It only kills pests on contact, meaning that it has no residual action against aphids that arrive after it has dried.

For effective results, the infested plants must be thoroughly wetted. Repeated applications may be necessary to adequately control high populations of pests. Insecticidal soaps also have a beneficial effect in the removal of sooty mold, honeydew and other leaf fungi.

Fish

Soak fish craps in water for a few weeks, strain it, add a bit of sugar or molasses to the concoction and use as a spray on your plants.

This can be used in liquid or solid form. It is a brilliant Jack-of-all trades deterrent to the unwanted pests.

Apart from acting as an insect-repellant for mosquitoes, it also deters mites, caterpillars and even nematodes.

Because fish is oily, the remedy works by smothering nematodes and mites.

Butterflies and moths find their host plants though their acute sense of smell so they are not going to hang around breeding caterpillars on your vegetables when the smell of cauliflowers or apples is masked by a fishy smell!

Vinegar

This super multi-tasker conveniently deters many leaf-chewing beetles and caterpillars around the garden. It can either be used indoors or outdoors and is easy to make.

Just grab a large spray bottle and fill half of it with white or apple cider vinegar. Next, add any or all of the following herbs; mint, lavender, catnip, sage or thyme.

Finally, add some water, shake well, and let it sleep overnight. The next day, you will have a super-pungent bug repellent.

Garlic fire spray

This is can be made from a variety of recipes with garlic as the main ingredient.

The most common recipe consists of garlic, onions and chili peppers. Other ingredients could include vegetable oil, soap kerosene and water.

Depending on how strong you make the concoction, it can kill ants and dragon flies.

Pour the amount needed into a spray bottle and experiment with it if necessary to check for results or any damage to young plants.

Use it every few days and more frequently after the rain and dew, until there is no sign of pests. Then about every one week to 10 days for any eggs or larvae that may have hatched out.

It will kill ants, aphids, caterpillars, grubs, bugs and just about any little invader.

Oil

Any cheap salad oil from the supermarket can make you a smothering oil mixture.

It is ideal for mites, nematodes and hard shell insects as it works by suffocating them.

To use it, mix 1 tablespoon with 1 litre of warm water and spray every bit of plant where you find the pests.

The mixture is ideal for both outdoor and indoor use. However, avoid using it when the sun is overhead otherwise you will end up burning the plants.

Shiny things

Strange as it sounds, shiny Christmas decorations make good deterrents for some garden pests.

Pick a variety of these that were left over from last year and stick them around the garden to deter pesky birds. But remember, this will only scare them for a few weeks as they will get wise.

Christmas tinsel also seem to confuse the aphids as they retreat when they see them twirled around plants or placed on the ground.

You can also use aluminium foil to deter pests from your garden. Be careful though as too much light might end up scorching the plant.

Coffee grounds

Most pests hate the strong smell of coffee. As a matter of fact, for ants, ground coffee is a fatal affair.

Utilise recycled coffee grounds in areas where you think the bugs are emerging.

Remember that using these homemade alternatives does not always mean that they are not toxic to beneficial bugs, birds, pets, kids and to the gardener.

[email protected]