Part II of Chem-Free Gardening Series

In our previous post, we talked about all the ways pesticides can harm your garden. In this part of our chem-free series, we want to let you in on specific, organic methods you can use for pest control. These methods are cheap, simple, and great for the earth.

Replacement 1: It All Starts With the Soil

Your first and best line of defense against pests is having healthy soil. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants with more strength to deflect insects and various diseases. You’ll want to begin with a high-quality soil with fewer chemicals to avoid salt accumulation to give your plants the best chance at a healthy life.

Keeping a healthy pH level is a vital part of maintaining healthy soil. If you have rhododendrons or gardenias, you can use coffee and tea grounds to acidify the soil (read more about that HERE)

Replacement 2: Be Vigilant and Catch Them Early

Pest control can be especially hard for growing vegetables. But since your vegetables are meant to be eaten, it’s even more important to refrain from spraying harsh chemicals.

Instead of resorting to these harmful chemicals, you can keep garden pests at bay by simply checking your garden frequently and noticing when pests appear. If you catch the pests early, the best way to remove them is to just pick them off your plants by hand.

Replacement 3: Use a Barrier 

One of the simplest pest control devices is a barrier. By covering a row of crops with a light netting (which allows the sunlight to come through) unwanted flying insects are effectively kept away from the plants. These are generally used for meal crops. For example, cabbage can easily be protected from flea beetles and green beans from Mexican Bean Beetles.

Replacement 4: Spray Herbs/Oils

If your preventative measures don’t work, you can try organic plant sprays that can easily manage unwanted insects. A mixture of petroleum oil and water sprayed onto a plant is a natural pesticide that has actually been used effectively for hundreds of years. Several oils, shells and plant extracts can likewise be used as safe and effective natural pesticides.

There are also herbs with medicinal and anti-bacterial properties that can act as a repellent without killing your plants or introducing harmful chemicals. One of these herbs is thyme.

You can make homemade repellant by mixing four drops of thyme oil to every teaspoon of olive oil or mixing five drops for every 2 ounces of water.

You can find the recipe HERE.

Replacement 5: Good insects will help manage the bad insects

Some insects like the Ladybug and the Green Lacewing are great to have around since they are the good guys.  They hunt for the bad insects that are feeding on your plants.

Green Lacewings (Chrysoperla Carnea) are on everyone’s list as a practical insect that feeds on insects such as aphids and others that feed on your plants. Green Lacewings are perfect for a backyard garden, larger garden, or a greenhouse.

Replacement 6: Certain varieties of plants are much more resistant to insects

Some research into the types of plants you grow and the unwanted insects common to your location could steer you clear of many pest problems. Also, some plants themselves are pesticides. For instance, planting tobacco around your vegetable garden is an outstanding way to discourage slugs and aphids!

Replacement 7: Native plants can easily revive your garden

Buy local transplants to prevent bringing non-native unwanted insects into your garden. Include mulch as an easy barrier around your crops and check your garden regularly. Healthy and balanced plants are naturally much more resistant to predators.

Summary

Hopefully, you can now see why natural pest management is safer and more efficient for maintaining your organic garden. With these alternatives in mind, you can rest assured knowing the plants you worked so hard to grow will be healthy and safe for you too! In summary, you can:

• Maintain healthy soil 
• Be vigilant and catch pests early and pick them off
• Use natural solutions such as barriers and herbs
• Learn your native habitat’s ecosystem
• Function in partnership with a balance of beneficial insect predators
• Plant species that naturally protect against invasion of unwanted insects

**Look for the next post in our series on tricks you can try on specific pests! Remember to share any natural solutions you’ve tried in the comments or in our Facebook group!**