One of the benefits of growing your own food is being able to oversee the process.
When buying produce from the supermarket, you’re often unaware of the type of pesticides and chemicals used. This is a primary reason why I started growing my own kitchen garden.
When caring for your plants, you’re bound to come across insects and pests crawling about your crops. Fortunately, you don’t have to resort to harmful insecticides to keep them at bay.
Instead, you can implement various chemical-free methods to keep your garden pest-free, from planting insect-repelling herbs to inviting natural predators.
Read on and find the best organic tips for protecting your vegetable garden.
1 – Opt for Natural Pesticides and Repellents
Chemical pesticides often pose significant risks to your health and the environment’s biodiversity.
In terms of the latter, the compound can contaminate surrounding water sources, like freshwater lakes, damaging its ecosystem.
As for the health risks, some types of pesticides are carcinogenic. Others, like organophosphates and carbamates, can inhibit your nervous system.
For this reason, you’ll want to explore natural options or repellents, such as:
Herbs
Certain herbs offer pest-repelling ability. Plants like lavender, chives, and tansy are exceptional at repelling bugs like aphids, slugs, and mosquitos.
Some of these herbs are perfect companion plants. For instance, whenever I plant a tomato patch, I make sure to grow a basil plant next to it.
It’ll help repel incoming insects. Plus, basil promotes more fruit growth for tomato plants. Mint is also an ideal companion plant for your tomatoes since it attracts ants.
The ants crawling around the patch will deter aphids. Mint is also an effective solution for repelling trespassing rabbits and deer.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a type of mineral naturally found on Earth. They’re made up of fossilized remains of ancient aquatic organisms named diatoms.
These skeletal remnants are usually found gathered in lake and river sediment. Now, you’re likely wondering how these ancient organisms will help your garden.
Well, thanks to the sharp edges found around DE, they’re able to cut through most insects’ hard outer shell layer.
This cut will eventually let them lose their body fluids, essentially dehydrating and killing them off.
Copper Mesh
Copper is one of my go-to elements for repelling pesky slugs and snails.
The compound, when mixed with slug and snail slime, creates a minor electric charge that prevents the slimy pests from munching on your precious crops.
In terms of application, you can purchase a copper mesh and wrap it around your plants or create a copper strip barrier.
Soap and Water
Soap, while not a natural method of repelling insects, doesn’t cause much harm to your plants.
You first need to mix one part of the mild detergent with ten parts of water in a spray bottle. Then, spray your plants, especially areas where you see the pests.
The soap will break apart the waxy outer layer of an insect. Penetrating through the outer membrane will eventually dehydrate and kill the bug.
2 – Invite Natural Predators
One of the best methods of maintaining an organic vegetable garden is to invite natural predators to fight your battles for you.
These can include slow worms. The wriggly invertebrates can help munch off any incoming slugs.
Alternatively, you can enlist ladybugs to combat any aphid infestation. You can attract these polka-dotted bugs by planting nettles around your garden.
Frogs are another welcomed guest in your organic garden. Their tongues will do all the aphid-catching work for you.
You can attract them by creating a swamp environment they can live in or leave a pile of logs nearby where they can take shelter.
3 – Practice Companion Planting
Companion planting means that the plants you’re planting next to each other will mutually benefit each other. For example, radishes and spinach are an excellent match.
Both won’t compete for nutrients and the spinach will naturally ward off any pests from coming near the radishes.
Alternatively, if you’re planting cabbages, make some space for marigolds around them. That way, the flowers will help repel aphids and moths that might munch on your cabbages.
Final Thoughts
Pesticides typically create a negative domino effect on their surroundings. As a matter of fact, over 7 million wild birds die from lawn pesticide exposure.
People spray them on weeds and overgrowth, where small animals usually live. As these animals die, their young also die. This results in a decrease in their population, further hindering the ecosystem’s biodiversity.
You can break the cycle by adopting natural pest-repelling methods and reaping the benefits of a fully organic vegetable garden.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.