Every garden is a gold mine. They make a good food source as they bristle with both plant and animal life. However, this is also the very reason why you need to take extra measures to maintain the abundance of your garden. Eco-rich gardens attract pests, especially those that are organically grown.
It’s such a horrific sight for every gardener. They tend their plants very carefully only to find them gnawed and overrun with critters all of a sudden.
Before resorting to chemical pesticides right away, you might want to try to use some old-fashioned pest control methods. Not only are they friendly on your pocket, they’re also guaranteed to be all-natural, mother nature will thank you for it!
MILK
Fungus problems are mainly caused by humidity — not enough spacing and excessive rain. You can combat this by making your own fungicide spray. Simply mix one part milk with 10 parts water. If you could use organic full cream, the better.
This could be used as either preventative or treatment. Make sure you spray the plants thoroughly for best results.
CHILI AND GARLIC
This chili and garlic concoction deserves a place in every gardener’s armory. Chili-garlic spray is an effective repellent for small insects like aphids and caterpillars.
Crush chili and garlic and combine with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, then add a small amount of soap flakes or dishwashing liquid. Leave the mixture to soak overnight. Strain and transfer in a spray bottle.
Keep away from children’s reach and avoid contact on skin and eyes. For best results, use within 2 weeks.
TEA
Perhaps one of the most dreaded animals to ever invade your garden and eat fruit plants are the possums. If you happen to have this problem, brew some Lapsang Souchong tea and spray it on your plants. Possums abhor the stuff.
You might also want to hang a few mothballs and camphor blocks. Like Lapsang Souchong tea, they can’t stand the smell of it.
COFFEE
This one is to ward off slugs and snails. If you happen to see these unwanted guests in your garden, make them some coffee! Just mix one part real espresso (not instant) with 10 parts water and spray on affected areas.
Their skin will absorb the caffeine and kill them. You can also kill them with beer, just so you know. Just bury a jar of beer in the ground and make sure that the lip is just above the soil surface. Beer will attract slugs and snails and they will fall in and drown.
Then again, if you don’t want to go down that route and prefer a kinder way of getting rid of these slimy sluggers, try to use a copper barrier or pick them off by hand. If you opt to do the latter, the best time to do so is after dark by torchlight.
