3 Natural Tricks for Keeping Pests Out of Your Garden

Gardening is great for the body, mind and soul. In order to harvest the biggest crops, however, you must successfully grow them until they are ready to harvest. Unfortunately, pests will be fighting you for your fruits and vegetables. Here are three natural tricks for how to keep pests out of your garden.

Release the Ladybugs

Ladybugs eat up to 60 aphids a day, so you want to encourage them to live in your garden. They also munch on scales, mealybugs, leafhoppers and mites. Ladybugs feed on a variety of plants including dill, fennel, caraway, wild carrots, yarrow and cilantro, so plant some in your garden to encourage ladybugs to come naturally. You can also buy ladybugs, but they still need these plants to thrive. Den Garden cautions that ladybugs also need water, so make sure that you create some watering holes amidst your plants because if you don’t any ladybugs you purchase will just fly away. You will want to avoid spraying insecticides in your garden as these can kill the ladybugs.

Mix the Scents

doTERRA recommends using essential oils in the garden as fly sprays, pest control sprays, or for calming critters. Rosemary essential oil sprayed on plants is a great way to attract butterflies to your garden. Then, the butterflies help pollinate your plants helping you to achieve a bigger harvest. Spraying peppermint essential oil is a great way to repel bugs and spiders.Be careful to not get any on the leaves, fruit, or vegetables, however, as this essential oil makes them more sensitive to solar radiation.

Grab the Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is a great addition to use in your garden, and it can be useful throughout the growing season. Although it has the word “salt” in it, it is safe to use in your garden. Sea Salt explains that epsom salt is mostly comprised of magnesium and sulfate, two components that are helpful for the growth of many plants. Start by adding one cup per 100 square feet before planting in the spring. Then, place a tablespoon in the bottom of each hole and cover with a thin layer of soil before inserting your seeds or your plants to give your garden the nutrients that it needs to get a healthy start. Use Epsom salts as a top dressing throughout the growing season to give your plants a boost of magnesium. Just put a thin ring of Epsom salt around each plant before watering.

With so many great natural products to use, you will never need to use fertilizers, herbicides or other harmful ingredients. Your family will thank you for your hard work and so will the environment.