Home Remedies for Garden Pests

No one likes pests in their garden. The problem is that most chemical pesticides throw off the ecological balance of a garden and cause more harm than good. That’s why it’s wisest to use pesticides that are environmentally safe and ecologically sound.

A sure sign that you have pests are holes in the leaves or yellowing and lines in the leaves. Once you’ve begun to see signs of pests, you need to find options for getting rid of them. Remember, before treating for pests, some pests are friends of your garden and should be left alone. These include ladybugs, praying mantis, lacewings, spiders and horse hair snakes.

Banana peels repeatedly placed around the base of your roses will ward off aphids with an added bonus of bigger blooms due to the extra potassium, and most caterpillars and snails can be chased off with an alcohol or garlic based spray.

To make an alcohol based spray; mix 1 to 2 cups of rubbing alcohol per quart of water. Do not use undiluted rubbing alcohol as it will damage your plants and potentially burn the leaves.

 Herbal sprays are also suggested but may not be as effective. These can be made by mashing or blending 1 to 2 cups of fresh Elder leaves and soaking them in 2 to 4 cups of water for 12 hours or more hours. Strain the water through cheesecloth and dilute with an added 2 to 4 cups of water before using. As with the garlic spray, you can add ¼ ounce of liquid soap to the mixture to help it stick to the leaves and spread better.

Garlic spray is made by soaking 3 ounces of finely minced garlic cloves in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for at least 24 hours and slowly adding 1 pint of water with ¼ ounce of non-detergent liquid soap to the mixture. It should then be strained and poured into a jar for storage. This mixture is used by mixing 1 to 2 tablespoons with a pint of water in a spray bottle.

Conclusion

Your Family Wellness Chiropractor has a special appreciation of the natural balance and order of things required to plant, nurture and harvest a garden. As one of the few healthcare professions that recognize that we all live in a delicate balance interdependent upon each other, your Doctor of Chiropractic understands that a garden can be a symbol of health and wellness.  Planting a garden can be an opportunity to reconnect with your children, nourish your family physically and emotionally as well as a chance to educate your entire family on the delicate balance of nature.

A rainwater collection system will require some work but is definitely the most ecologically sound watering system. By placing a barrel under a rain gutter you can collect rainwater to use for your plants. For easy to follow instructions to build a rainwater collection system visit the website www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Rainwater-Collection-System.