Green Pest on PoppyDealing with pests is always a difficult problem for gardeners, and even more so if you are determined to do it the organic way. And infestation of aphids on your plants and roses can be devastating to your garden plants, so it is really important to deal with the pests before they ruin your plants.
As with most things, prevention is better than cure. Trying to get rid of pests after they are already active is much more difficult then getting them before they take over. It’s a good idea to stay proactive with dealing with pests through the year. You can do this by spraying your plants with solutions that deter many of the most common garden pests.
If you are feeling a bit adventurous then you can cook up you can make your own anti-pest spray to protect your plants and roses. You can find lots of different ones in organic gardening books and most are made of hot pepper sauce and garlic.
For example:
Garlic Oil Spray
Organic gardeners have always been keen on using garlic as part of their pest-fighting arsenal, as garlic contains sulphur. Sulfur is not only an antibacterial and antifungal agent but is also toxic to pests.
What you will need to make Garlic Oil Spray:
- Three to four cloves of garlic
- Mineral oil
- Strainer or cheesecloth
- Natural liquid dish soap
- Water
- Spray bottle
To make garlic oil spray,
Garlic is toxic to pestsFinely chop three to four cloves of garlic, and add them to two teaspoons of mineral oil. After this, let it sit for around 24 hours. Next strain out the garlic pieces, and add to a pint of water. Add one teaspoon of liquid dish soap. When you need to spray, use a couple of tablespoons of the mixture to around a pint of water for the spray bottle.
WATCH OUT!
Garlic oil spray is toxic to most insects – even the ones that you want (like lady birds who are natural predators of the aphids) if you have helper insects or predators in your garden then do not use garlic spray. There are alternative organic sprays that can be used, like tomato leaf recipe (this can be found in many organic gardening books and online).
Other ways to avoid pests
If you want to avoid pests, then it might be worth thinking about the different types of plant species that you are growing. If you plant species that are native to the area that you live then they will have natural immunity to the diseases common to the area.
When you can, you should try to plant species that are native to the area in which you live. Even with common diseases in the area, these plants will have natural immunity. There are also pest-resistant plants that won't have many problems with pests unlike other varieties.
