Natural Remedies

Plants that help repel insects in your garden.

Chrysanthemums, Lavender, Pennyroyal, Marigolds, Citronella Grass, Feverfew.

JAPANESE BEETLES

How can I stop Japanese beetles from harming my garden?

1)  Put a handful of larkspur or delphinium leaves into a blender and add the blend to 1 gallon of water. Spray the mixture onto the plants being attacked.
The alkaloids (deliosine & delsoline) in the leaves will zap the beetles.

2)  Red pepper powder repels not only beetles, but spittlebugs, leaf hoppers, and cabbage loopers as well.
Mix 2 tablespoons of red pepper powder and 6 drops of liquid soap in 1 gallon of water.
Let the mixture sit overnight, and stir thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, shake well, and spray weekly on the tops and bottoms of the leaves.

APHIDS, MITES, SCALES & OTHER SMALL INSECTS

 How can I get rid of aphids and spider mites?

1) For aphids, set out a small yellow dish with soapy water in it (aphids are attracted to the colour yellow). For spider mites, use a daily buttermilk spray. Combine ¼ cup of buttermilk and 2 cups of wheat flour in 2 – ½ gallons of water. Shake thoroughly and spray on your plants.

2)  For most small insects, spray your plant with the jet function on your hose (but only if the plant is strong enough!), this will dislodge most of them. If you follow up with a spray of some sort, it acts as a one-two punch.

3)  For most small insects, soapy water works as a contact insecticide, simply mix a squirt of soap (preferably biodegradable) in a spray bottle with water, and apply to the affected plants.

4)  For aphids: plant nasturtiums; aphids love them and therefore aphid predators (like ladybugs) will always have something to eat. When you use a plant like this, it is called a cash crop or a banker plant.

SLUGS & SNAILS

How can I stop slugs & snails from ruining my plants?

1)  Place copper strips or pennies around the area you want protected. The copper produces a shock to the snails and slugs trying to cross them.

2) Sprinkle eggshell or coffee grounds around the plants you wish to protect. Also, you can use pointy conifer needles. Anything with a sharp or coarse texture is a deterrent to slugs and snails.

3) Slugs come out at night, so you can pick them off of your plants and dispose of them as you wish.

4) Place small containers of beer around your garden, the slugs will be attracted to it, and will fall in and drown.

FUNGAL DISEASE

How can I get rid of fungus or mildew?

Chamomile tea has antibacterial and fungicidal properties that will aid plants that suffer from fungus or mildew. Place 16 chamomile tea bags (or 2 cups of dried chamomile leaves) in 2 quarts of water, and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the tea bags to steep for several hours. Use the tea to irrigate tender seedlings (from the bottom) to prevent damping off, or use as a foliar spray to battle diseases on plants.

How can I get rid of black spots on my roses?

Spray this mixture on your roses to get rid of black spots or powdery mildew: 2 teaspoons of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of liquid soap or Murphy’s oil soap in 2 quarts of water. The tonic protects the roses for months.

What is a natural product for powdery mildew?

Mix 1 tbsp. baking soda, 2.5 tbsp. neem oil in 1 gallon of water.  Spray on plant in the morning.

WEEDS

How can I get rid of weeds on my patio?

Spray weeds with a direct stream of vinegar mixed with a few drops of liquid soap. You may substitute equal parts water and isopropyl alcohol (70 percent solution) for the vinegar.

RABBITS

Ways to keep rabbits away from my plants.

Shake baby powder or flour on young seedlings or garlic powder on mature plants.

MOLES

How can I stop moles from ruining my garden?

1) Sink a line of glass bottles into the soil with about 1 inch of neck exposed. The whistling sound of the wind blowing across the bottles disrupts the mole’s sensitive hearing and hinders its ability to find prey thus driving it away.

2) You can repel them with a castor-oil concoction. Mix 8 tablespoons of castor oil with 1 tablespoon of liquid soap in 1 gallon of water. Dig down into one of the mole’s runs and pour the mixture inside.