People with gardens love to stroll around in them. But they rarely just walk around. They check to see which plants are affected by various pests and therefore need 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 and pest larvae It may seem kind of casual but it’s a really important ritual for any healthy garden. What happens when there are signs of pests?
Clean Plants Organically – A Recipe
Fear not: If your goal is to have a healthy garden, if you decide to grow organically, this is the moment that will test your resolve to stay with organic pest control. Any non-organic, toxic chemical will destroy your organic garden ecosystem. 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.
SHG Living’s gardening expert, Cali Kim starts 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, cinnamon, and peppermint serve as additional disguises for future pests. A nice side effect is that both will also add a lovely fragrance to your 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 controls evenly throughout the entire garden and throughout the growing season. Spreading around orange peel, lemon peel, and/or used up coffee grounds around acid-loving plants are also well-known strategies to keep pests at bay.
The Right Amount of Watering
There have been a number of important breakthroughs in irrigation technology. The most important one is smart irrigation controllers. Over or under watering plants weakens them which allows pests to take hold and eventually take over your garden.
SHG Living’s host Steve Does created a whole show on his favorite Orbit irrigation controller. He takes a deep dive into the installation and operation of smart irrigation controllers. SHG Living’s SabinesNewHouse uses Rainmachine in her garden as Rainmachine has the largest number of zones (16 zones) and the customer service is exceptional.
So, here you have it, eco-friendly organic pest control is an effective way to grow healthy vegetables and gardens. You really do not need harsh, toxic chemicals – chemicals you along with your plants will consume summer harvest. Organic practices are effective.
Now that you have a 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 this behavior change you will ask yourself: why would I and/or anyone reach for toxic chemicals? Choose health.
Photo by David Soniunav
