“100% PURE Amazingly, pure peppermint oil scrambles the senses of insects, leaving them disoriented, unable to breed, feed or breathe. We have actually seen aphids land on treated rose buds, scramble around for 15 minutes and fly away!” ~Aaron Dykes

Simple strategies to fight garden pests the organic way!

The bane of every garden is its pests – unwanted insects ravaging your growing crops, as well as four-legged creatures ready to treat your hard work as a free meal.

But for those raising an organic garden – without potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides – it can be an even greater challenge to keep out invasive and nosy creatures without killing the life around you and introducing detrimental compounds into your body and the surrounding ecosystem. But some of the strategies are often simpler than you expect.

Organic pest control – Natural bug and insect repellents

This video from Howdini.com covers some basic approaches to control pests in an organic garden – where avoiding the use of any synthetic pesticides and chemicals is one of the first priorities.

Also check out Bryan from Terminators Pest Control in Philadelphia on why it’s imperative to encourage beneficial pests in your garden. Beneficial pests naturally regulate harmful insects, keeping your garden as organic as possible.

Some of these relatively simple tips include:

– Observe your garden: According to Scott Meyer [Author, The City Homesteader & former editor of Organic Gardening], about 80% of insects commonly found near gardens are actually beneficial. The most well known and celebrated of these beneficial insects is the Ladybug, but others include the Preying Mantis (which prey upon other insects, not you or your garden, despite its menacing appearance).

This chewed up broccoli leaf gives testament to the fact that not all pest activity is harmful to your crop – which in the case of broccoli is not the leaf, but the head. Screengrab from Howdini video (2009)

– Not all pest activity harms your garden: Using a well-chewed broccoli leaf, Meyer also explains how not all invasive foraging interferes with your production. While this broccoli leaf has been nearly destroyed, it in no way compromises the healthy head of broccoli (which is the coveted vegetable treat most intended to grow).

Thus, if insects are only munching on parts of plant that are not critical to your harvest, it may not be harmful and could even have a side benefit of drawing pests away from other leaves that are edible crops (such as Kale leaves, etc.). This is sometimes done intentionally with radishes, which are quick growing, less valuable and can be planted between other more desirable crops. Continue reading →