Are you losing the battle of the bugs in your backyard garden? Using commercial pesticides to knock out those nasty critters defeats the purpose of growing your own veggies. But introducing border plants and insects to fight the pests takes careful planning, research and time you can't spare. It doesn't take the intricate methods used by full scale organic farmers to keep pests out of your home garden. In fact, you can find many solutions in your kitchen cabinets.
- Coffee grounds and eggshells
- Spread a mixture of coffee grounds and eggshells about you plants. In addition to being a natural deterrent for many kinds of bugs, it adds important nutrients to the soil.
- Cornmeal
- Sprinkle cornmeal around your plants. Most bugs, including hornworms and ants, can't digest it and will literally blow up or die from starvation from the build up of fiber in their digestive systems.
- Add a little spice to your garden
- Dilute one teaspoon of hot pepper or Tabasco sauce and four garlic gloves in a quart of water. Blend and strain, then spray on your plants. You can also add a drop or two of liquid soap to help it stick. This repels such pests as white flies, aphids, spider mites and caterpillars.
- Hydrated lime
- For another spray, dilute one-eight to one-quarter cup of hydrated lime in a quart of water. Add the drop or two of liquid soap. Since lime can be harmful to some plants, test spray one plant. Let it sit for a day or two and check for any adverse reactions. Make sure to read all warning labels about the lime since it can be dangerous.
Made from ingredients you have on hand, these low cost natural pesticides will keep your garden free of pests and chemicals.
