Natural Ways to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has maintained a garden that insects and other pests greatly outnumber humans on the planet. And while many of these insects can be beneficial to your garden, there are those among the insect population that can devastate the plants you are trying to grow. Fortunately, nature has provided a number of nontoxic solutions for eliminating pests from a garden.

Organic Pesticides

Organic pesticides are made with natural substances that are great for eliminating pests from your garden. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, typical ingredients include hydrogen peroxide, soaps, and lime sulfur. The pesticides you use in your garden will end up in the plants and vegetables you grow in your garden. It will also end up in the soil and is sometimes washed away and settles into nearby bodies of water. Pesticides with heavy chemical content can prove harmful when they contaminate water, soil, and vegetation. If pesticides are your tool of choice for combating pests in your garden, it is a good idea to only use sprays and powders made from organic material.

Plants That Repel Pests

There are plants that can be used to deter insects from entering or remaining in your garden. This concept is known as companion planting and has been used successfully by gardeners of all experience levels. A number of plants have proven effective when used for this purpose. Common plants used to remove pests include fennel, marigold, chrysanthemums, and lavender. For example, according to Preventive Pest Control, chrysanthemums can repel roaches, fleas, mosquitoes and more. You should match the plant you use to repel pests with the particular culprit that is a threat to your garden.

Beneficial Predators

Gardeners should remember that not all bugs are detrimental to their gardens. If you know which bugs can benefit your plants, they can be a great help to you. The trick is to identify the bugs that are plaguing your garden and learning how to recruit bugs that are natural predators to them. You should also select a diverse group of plants for your garden that provides blooming throughout the year. According to Millcreek Gardens, a few plants and crops known to attract beneficial insects include mint, dill, and coriander.

Most gardeners are familiar with the damage that can be caused by pests. Fortunately, there are a number of measures that can be taken to ensure you and your garden are not left at the mercy of these pests. The three tips above are a great place to start for gardeners who want to prevent or eliminate pests in their garden.

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