There’s nothing worse than going out to check on your garden only to discover holes in the leaves of all your beloved plants, or rotting roots, or drooping stems. Bugs are a huge problem for garden owners, but pesticides are never a good option, no matter how tempting they may be. They may kill bugs, but they also release chemicals into the environment that can be pretty bad for your health. But don’t lose hope! There are plenty of totally natural ways to deter pests from snooping around your garden.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is made from fossils of tiny sea creatures whose skeletons contain a lot of silica. It has razor sharp edges that can easily kill bugs, snails, slugs, you name it. Those edges don’t effect humans or pets or most beneficial bugs though. Just sprinkle some of it around the troubled plants and the bugs will be discouraged from approaching. This is a super easy and super effective option. An even cheaper idea that tends to have a similar effect is using eggshells. Simply spread crushed eggshells around the base of your plants and the bugs will be less likely to bother you.
Scents
There are plenty of natural ingredients- herbs, garlic, citrus- that work well as deterrents against garden pests. Try a few options to find what works for you and spray it on to the leaves of your plants a couple times a week.
Healthy Plants
Pests are less likely to go after strong, well rooted plants in your garden. Keep your plants healthy by removing any rotted leaves or fruit, getting rid of diseased plants and leaves, and keeping your garden well watered. Healthy plants are also far better suited to withstand pest attacks. If they just get nibbled every once in a while, a good strong plant should have no trouble surviving.
MAke the PEst the prey
Introduce the pests’ natural enemies to your garden and they should do all the work for you. For example, if your garden has a big aphid problem, bring in some ladybugs and they will eat them all while leaving your plants alone.
animals
From deer to rabbits to skunks to raccoons, there are all sorts of creatures who want to eat up your garden. In most cases mesh, wire, and netting should keep animals away. Try putting certain plants in cages, or put a large fence around your whole garden. When it comes to birds, you can try something like tomato netting around affected plants.
Experiment with different combinations of these natural insecticides to get all those nasty pests away from your plants.