Home and Living

No matter where you live, controlling garden pests for your vegetables is going to be an issue at some stage. As with all things in nature if there is food, then there is life. To rectify problems, always go with the least toxic option for your garden’s sake and for your sake, starting with these home recipes.

To discourage animals and some insects from eating your plants, combine one cup of water, 5 garlic cloves and 6 large hot peppers. Blend thoroughly in a blender, then strain into a spray bottle. Add another cup of water and spray away.

If deer are a problem in your garden, try tying strips of the laundry softener sheets that are used in the dryer (before use). This can deter them.

For red spider mites, mix 4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in one gallon of water. Spray plants weekly until mites are gone, then monthly to stop them from returning.

Encourage native birds into you garden with birdhouses, water baths and native flowering vegetation. They will eat many times their own weight in insects.

Cucumber peels on an ant route will make them go away.

For hard-shell scale insects, mix 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1-tablespoon mild liquid soap in two gallons of water. Spray or wipe on plants once a week for 3 weeks or until gone.

Put beer in a shallow pan in the garden to trap snails and slugs overnight. Vinegar in a shallow pan will do the same thing. Salt sprinkled on snails and slugs will kill them instantly. Go out in the evening with a flashlight and saltshaker and protect your plants! Orange or grapefruit halves hollowed and turned upside down placed around the garden will also attract snails and slugs. Go out in the morning to shake salt on those hiding under the peel. Sprinkle crushed eggshells around vulnerable plants. That will stop slugs and snail from even reaching them and it will enrich your soil with calcium.

Put a whole garlic bulb through a garlic press and let it sit in a glass jar with several ounces of mineral oil. Mix a few spoonfuls with dishwashing liquid, hot pepper sauce and water in a spray bottle. This will discourage rabbits, gophers and woodchucks from entering your garden. It will also keep beetles off most vegetable plants.

If earwigs are eating your plants, crumple some newspaper in old flowerpots and leave them in the garden. The earwigs will hide in the paper once they’re done eating. In the morning, shake the paper out into a bucket of hot water.

Plants that are susceptible to mildew, such as peas, pumpkin and cucumber can benefit from a milk spray. (No kidding!) Use equal parts of milk and water and spray every few days until the mildew is under control. If the situation is out of control, either remove the affected leaves or the whole plant and destroy it. Don’t put it in your compost as it may spread the problem.

Chamomile tea can also act as a fungicide. Prepare a cup of chamomile tea and allow it to steep for about 10 minutes. Once cool it can be sprayed on the affected leaves, top and bottom.

To discourage moths and grubs on brassicas (includes broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, collard greens, pak choi and kohlrabi) simply spray with a molasses blend. Mix one tablespoon of molasses with a liter of hot water. Then add a teaspoon of liquid detergent and put in a spray bottle. Spray the leaves, top and bottom about once a week. An alternative to the molasses spray is a blend of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Add a teaspoon of liquid detergent and put in a spray bottle. Spray the leaves, top and bottom to kill off grubs and bugs.

If these solutions don’t work, you might want to try some other commercially available solutions. Always ask for the least harmful solution for your garden. Many chemicals have exclusion periods for eating the vegetables after use. Always follow the safety guidelines if you plan to go this way. But really, you shouldn’t have to. Live with a little wastage and stay healthy.