Kindness Matters

If you liked this post, check out more from Kindness Matters.

5 Simple Pest Remedies for the Garden

Adapted from A Year on The Garden Path, by Carolyn Herriot (Earthfuture/Lantern, 2005).

So often the home garden pest control remedies work as well or better than the chemical counterparts, and with the added bonus that with these formulas made of kitchen cupboard ingredients, you don’t need to worry about poisoning yourself, your pets, or your garden!

Print out these five standby remedies for yard and garden, including a natural fungicide for mildew and black spot:

Simple Soap Solution

2 Tbs. soap flakes
2 litre warm water
Dissolve soap flakes in water and apply directly to infested areas every 5-7 days. Note: Too much soap can cause burning on plants.
Pests affected: aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies.

Garlic Oil Spray

10-15 cloves of minced garlic
2 tsp. mineral oil
600 ml water
1 tsp. liquid dish soap
Soak garlic in mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain garlic out and add 600 ml water and 1 tsp. liquid dish soap. Mix thoroughly. Spray plants with this solution.
Pests affected: Aphids, spider ites, and whiteflies

Fungicide for Mildew and Black Spot

1 tsp. baking soda
1 litre water
1 tsp. soap flakes
Dissolve baking soda in 1 litre of warm water.

Add soap flakes to help solution cling to leaves. Remove infected leaves from plant, then spray top and bottom of remaining leaf surfaces to control spread of the disease.

Sticky Traps

1-2 Tbsp. Vaseline or preferably, Unpetroleum Jelly
4"x8" plastic cards or cardboard
Waterproof yellow paint
Apply paint onto both sides of the card and let it dry. Once the paint is dry, apply
Unpetroleum Jelly liberally over both sides of the card. Place the card just above the plant canopy.
Pests controlled:Flying pests, such as fungus gnats, and whiteflies.

Sowbug Traps

1 small plastic container with lid
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
Cut a small hole at the base of the container, large enough and close enough to the bottom to allow sowbugs to climb in. Place cornmeal in container. Place container into area infested with sowbugs. After feeding on the cornmeal, the bugs will drink and then explode! (Replace cornmeal frequently.)