Sos Roofline Systems

Organic gardens are not without some of the drawbacks that every garden has. One of these drawbacks are various kinds of pests.

What is different in an organic garden as opposed to a conventional garden is the way you fight these pests. In our organic garden we want to fight them in an environmentally safe way, and not use strong chemicals that will cause harm to plants, good insects, your soil, and to you and your family. And they will often accumulate and also trickle down into the ground water.

Step 1: Organic Garden Pest Control by Hand If you want a really cheap and easy way to get rid of the easy-to-see bugs this is the one. While strolling around your garden in the evening or in the early mornings, look closely on your plants and pick all the harmful bugs you can see and are able to pick. Then either squash them or drown them in a conatiner with soapy water.

Step 2: Organic Garden Pest Control with solutions to spray A simple way to fight bugs is to suffocate them with soapy water. Just mix 1 dl of natural soap with 1 liter of water, then pour into a spray bottle and spray away at your plants. Make sure you cover the whole plant with the mixture, and repeat now and then to get rid of the bugs that subsequently hatch.

Usually kills of both aphids and spider mites, but sometimes the latter ones are a bit difficult.

A stronger remedy is this: Put 2-3 garlic cloves, a few large hot chili peppers and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a blender and mix well, then strain the mixture. Add 1 tablespoon natural soap or dishwashing soap (may get bubbly!) and 1 liter of water and mix well once more. Pour into spray bottle and spray frequently, though not during mid day or in really hot and sunny weather, as this can burn the leaves of your plants.

The effects of this solution are more widespread than the soapy water, as it may scare away even moles and mice if they smell it near their holes. But the backside of this remedy is this: It will scare away the good bugs as well. But there is a way to avoid this:

Organic Garden Pest Control 3: Biological pest control Let the good bugs do the job! The ladybug is very efficient, it eats plenty of aphids (and is pretty to watch!). Lacewings and praying mantis are also good at this, and can be lured into your garden by plants that attract them. You can also buy these good bugs or other parasites (that is, parasitic on your pests) to establish an ecological balance among your garden bugs. These bugs or parasites can be bought in egg sacks or live, and are very efficient and a really environmentally friendly way to pest control. [youtube:Hj3DwimxvvY;[link:Organic garden pest control];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj3DwimxvvY&feature=related]

Tips 4 for Your Organic Garden Pest Control: Growing plants that deter the pests Lavender, wormwood, marigolds, onions and garlic are all good plants to choose for scaring off some of the pests in your organic garden. Lavender are wonderful as border plants and as companions to roses or other flowering bushes. Wormwood is actually good for the same purposes, and of course in your herbal garden. When you plant onions amongst your carrots, you will scare off the carrot root fly!

Make sure your plants grow in healthy soil, rich in nutrients, in order to keep them vigorous and strong. By doing that your plants will be able to flourish even if they are attacked by one pest or another.

Organic Garden Pest Control 5: Killing ants, slugs, fleas, beetles and many other crawling insects Diatomaceous earth works through piercing the exoskeleton of these creatures, causing them to dry out. Lightly coat a thin layer on the ground where ever you have a problem, repeat when necessary, for example after watering or after heavy rain.

Hollyhock horror! That is what I think of the fungus causing the leaves of this lovely oldfashioned flower to turn reddish brown, and then fall off leaving the naked stem with only the flowers at the top. But there is an environmentally friendly way to save them:

Boil a kettle full of horsetail and water to cover for 10 minutes at the least. Strain, and then dilute the solution 5 to 10 times with water. Use this diluted fluid to spray your hollyhocks, and don’t forget to spray under the leaves.

The best of luck with keeping pests off and your plants healthy and beautiful!