Are you looking to add a garden to your yard this year, but don’t want bugs and critters to ruin it? Fortunately, there are natural pesticides for gardens that can be used to combat bugs instead of using harmful chemical pesticides.
There’s no need to spray your garden with chemical pesticides which harm the environment and leave you consuming poisons with your fruits and vegetables. Contrary to what the chemical companies might tell you, there are safe and effective steps you can take to eliminate garden pests instead of using chemical pesticides.
You can easily make your own homemade pesticides to repel and kill pests naturally while keeping you and your family safe.
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However, even with natural pesticides, be sure to exercise care. If insects are a problem in your garden, your first instinct may be to kill all of them. However, many bugs in your garden are actually beneficial.
Be sure to use sprays only on affected areas instead of spraying indiscriminately.
In addition to using natural pesticides, you may also want to consider adding beneficial insects to your garden to get rid of the pests or adding plants that naturally repel problem insects.
Fortunately, there are different natural options when it comes to protecting your garden from unwanted pests.
When it comes to pesticides, here are 9 easy natural pesticides you can make for your garden this year.
Natural Pesticides for Gardens
Liquid Dish Soap Spray
This natural pesticide works quite well on mites for both indoor and outdoor plants.
Use natural, biodegradable soap. Mix one cup of soap with one gallon of water. Pour into a spray bottle and mist the leaves of plants.
Be careful not to overuse it because it can slow the growth of fruits and vegetables.
Dish Soap and Oil
If repelling insects is just not working, here is a natural remedy that will kill them as well.
This mixture is along the lines of the previous dish soap spray, however, with this one you add in oil.
Try mixing a small amount of dish soap and canola or vegetable oil in water and spraying down the entire affected plant. The oil will smother the insect, so make sure to get the whole plant so you don’t miss any.
Garlic Pepper Spray
To combat slugs and a number of other insects, mix together:
- one minced garlic bulb
- one minced onion
- one quart of water
- 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon of dish soap
Spray this mixture over your vegetables to protect against bugs.
Horseradish Spray
To kill aphids, blister beetles, Colorado beetles and whiteflies, a spicy horseradish spray will get the job done.
Add the following to three quarts of boiling water:
- two cups of diced cayenne peppers
- a one-inch piece of chopped horseradish
- two cups of geranium leaves
Remove from burner and let steep for one hour. Strain and add the cooled mixture to spray bottles. Spray your garden plants to get rid of bugs.
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How to Get Rid of Bugs on Plants Naturally
Tobacco Spray
To combat caterpillars, aphids, and several types of worms, mix together a gallon of water and a cup of tobacco.
Allow the mixture to set for a day until it resembles weak tea. Spray on your garden vegetables.
However, avoid spraying the mixture on peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family, as the tobacco spray can kill them.
Yarrow Tea Spray
Great for aphids and other pests, yarrow works quite well as a deterrent when applied every week or so to your garden vegetables.
Steep one cup of chopped yarrow in a quart of water for about a day. You can steep it in the sun in a glass container.
Strain the mixture, add a cup of coffee and a ¼ teaspoon of liquid dish detergent to help the material adhere to leaves. Pour into a spray bottle and chase those pests away.
>>READ NEXT: 12 Tips for Healthy Organic Gardening at Home<<
Make Plants Taste Bad
Many pesticides work to repel insects or even kill them. But why worry about applying these chemicals when you can simply make your plants taste bad?
Mix the following in a gallon of hot water:
- six cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of hot peppers
- 1 minced onion
- 1 teaspoon of soap
Let the mixture sit for a few days and then drain out the liquid into a spray bottle.
Apply it regularly to plants. The smell will keep harmful pests off your plants. It also helps to deter small animals like mice and rabbits from eating your garden.
Make sure to reapply when it rains since it will wash off.
Baking Soda
Often the harm to your plants isn’t coming from pests eating them, but from diseases, fungus, and other infections.
While you may not be able to save a plant that has become infected, you can take steps to prevent the disease from spreading to the other plants in your garden.
Try mixing up some baking soda in a bucket of water and spraying on plants. This will help prevent a small amount of disease from spreading and wiping out your whole garden.
You can even mix baking soda with oil sprays to help stop pests and fungus at the same time.
Milk
While baking soda helps with fungal infections, you may have issues from mildew.
If your issue is with mildew, try mixing a cup or two of milk with a bucket of water and spray on plants twice a week. Milk not only kills the mildew, but it can also help with fungal and other infections as well.
There’s no reason to let your garden go to the bugs in lieu of using chemical pesticides. Chances are you already have the ingredients you need for a great bug spray in your home. Try one of these home-made pesticides and get rid of bugs naturally.
Natural pesticides for gardens are not only inexpensive, but they’re also a lot safer for you, your family and the environment.
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