Dealing with plant - wrecking pest can be frustrative and difficult , particularly whentrying to garden organically . Balancing desire to support the local ecosystem andbeneficial insectswhile avoiding crop and industrial plant impairment can be a challenge .
Whether your garden includes edible , ornamental ora mixing of both , here are a few treatments and technique that can help oneself with most pesty problems , while at the same time have minimal hurt ( or even provide benefits ) to desirable fauna and plants in the garden .
Believe it or not , slug , earwigs and pill bugs are attracted to the smell of beer . The scent of yeast and/or sugar draws them in , and then they swim in the liquid . I fulfill small medicine or snack cups with beer and then dig little indentations in the soil and place them there .
Marigolds are effective as “trap plants”.
While slugs and earwigs are attracted to marigold ( Tagetesspp . ) , the burnished bloomers tend to lure these critters away from your other blossom and crops . Marigolds also beat back many other pesky insects , including aphid , thrips , whiteflies , wanderer mites , mallet and nematodes . And if that ’s not enough , marigold tot warm color to the garden and draw good pollinators , such as bees and hummingbirds .
Apply to garden grease in late fall , other winter or other spring to repel and/or smother aphids , lick , snails , stone drill , mice and rats . Other benefit include the nutrient in the ash tree that can improve the soil . But keep in psyche that wood ash tree increase territory pH , so it ’s not a good option if your soil is already alkaline . Also , some crop such as blueberry favour acidulous soil , so avoid using wood ash around these plants .
After crack eggs for use , only rinse the shells , let them air ironic , and then crush them into small pieces to implement to the garden : in the grease before planting or around the groundwork of your plant . They be given to repel many crawling insects , and they also add together nutrient , include calcium , to the soil .
Reuse your ash from fall bonfires for added protection & nutrients.
These are just a feworganic / low - harm methodsto help reduce pest damage in your garden . Others include comrade planting ( to repel pests from specific crops ) ; insecticidal Georgia home boy ( to lend oneself to indoor plant , or outdoors at dawn or dusk when pollinators are n’t present ) ; unpainted , untreated two - by - four plank ( to get slugs and snails ) ; and organza / internet suitcase wrapped around yield and vegetables ( to block out harmful louse ) .
Good lot !
Beth Stetenfeldis an organic gardener , native - industrial plant enthusiast and garden blogger and writer . She ’s also a master naturalist volunteer and instructor .
Mix used eggshells in with garden soil around the base of plants to drive pests away.
photograph quotation : Beth Stetenfeld .
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