Organic Pest Control Made Easy

Organic Pest Control Made Easy
July 18, 2021 Sabine Schoenberg

People with gardens love to stroll around in them. But they rarely just walk around.  They check to see what needs organic pest control. They pick up weeds. They turn over leaves to inspect their plants. Some may poke a finger into the soil to check for moisture. It may seem kind of casual but it’s a really important ritual for a healthy garden.

It feels good to look at what Mother Nature is producing organically under your tender loving gardening care.  But what happens when you find little bugs in your garden treasurers? Oh no…..!!!

Organic Pest Control For Your Veggies

Fear not: The garden experts on SHG Living have you covered. They have been at that moment of discovering pests on plants and vegetables.  For sure, this is the moment that will test your resolve to have a healthy garden with organic pest control.  Any non-organic, toxic chemical will instantly destroy your organic garden eco-system.

Here is one more important, and often overlooked consideration: Why would you expose your pets to highly toxic harsh chemicals?  Dogs and cats will have their noses in the soil and dig in the soil a bit.

Clean Plants Organically – The Recipe

SHG Living’s gardening expert, Cali Kim shows how organic treatments also work in vegetable gardens. Vegetable gardeners are often motivated to live a healthy lifestyle complete with healthy, fresh food. Clearly, loading up your vegetable plants with chemicals is entirely antithetical to organic food.

Start by washing affected plants with plain water.  She then mixes up her go-to green pest solution. It starts with Neem Oil.  Many gardens will only spray down their plants with Neem Oil. Others will use vinegar instead of Neem Oil.  Both methods can work, although Neem Oil is the most-used eco-friendly organic pest control.  While Neem Oil is effective, Cali Kim explains that the essential oils of rosemary and peppermint serve as additional disguises for future pests.  A nice side effect is that both will also add a lovely fragrance to your organic garden.

Application Of Organic Pest Control

Since it’s important to cover the entire foliage, a sprayer is usually the best way to apply your organic pest control mixture. Cali Kim describes that you want to spray all sides of the leaves AND you want to spray or douse the soil with the mixture as well. So really soak the affected plant and soak the wider surrounding soil area.

Keep Pests Away All Season

Spraying down your vegetable garden on a regular basis, or every 2/3 weeks with the organic pest control spray is important. You want to apply organic pest control evenly throughout the entire garden and throughout the growing season. Spreading around orange peel, lemon peel, and/or used up coffee grounds – food waste? yes indeed – around acid-loving plants are also well-known strategies to keep pests at bay.

So, here you have it, eco-friendly organic pest control is an effective way to grow healthy vegetables. You really do not need harsh, toxic chemicals – chemicals, you along with your pets will consume.  Your animals too will ingest toxic chemical treatments as they come in contact with chemical-loaded, toxic soil.

“Insecticide treatment in conventional fields had only a short-term effect on aphids but long-term negative effects on biological pest control.”

This is the conclusion of a 2011 research study funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the University of Wuerzburg. In other words, a short-lived effect will affect seriously the ecology of your landscape and gardens. Better reach for organic pest control treatments for long-term health reasons.

Now that you have the recipe and know how to apply your organic pest control solution, make the change toward a healthier garden and a healthier way of living. After making the behavior change and a successful gardening experience you will ask yourself: why would I and anyone reach for toxic chemicals? Choose health.

Photo by Severin Candrian