Natural Alternatives to Garden Pesticides

A common discussion topic among gardeners is how to keep out “unwanted” critters. When you come at this challenge from the perspective of keeping gardens safe for both humans and animals, it’s important to make sure you’re not using any chemicals or methods that might harm any of these beings. And, fortunately, there are many natural alternatives to garden pesticides that don’t require toxic chemicals or cruelty.

The folks at PETA.org, the largest animal rights organization in the world, have provided a roundup of various fragrances, plants and beneficial insects that can be used as deterrents against the following critters:

• Aphids There are several ways to get rid of aphids, the simplest being to rub an infested leaf between your thumb and forefinger and wipe them off manually. Plant chives, marigolds, mint, basil, or cilantro around the plants or place aluminum foil at the base of your plants. The foil reflects light onto the undersides of the leaves, which scares away aphids.
• If you examine your garden and find ladybugs on your plants, by all means leave them there because they love to eat aphids! You can also buy thousands of aphids from garden stores for just a few dollars.
• You can always just wash the aphids away using a mixture of insecticidal soap and warm water. You can use this method right up until harvest time (if they are on your vegetables).You can easily make your own insecticide using liquid dish detergent. Mix together one teaspoon dish detergent, four teaspoons vegetable oil, and two cups of water. Place the mixture in a spray bottle, shake it well and spray all parts of the plant. Do this in the morning or evening, when the weather is cooler.
• Ants: If ants are coming in through the cracks of doors and windows, pour a line of cream of tartar where they enter the house, and they will not cross over it. A cinnamon stick, coffee grounds, chili pepper, paprika, cloves, or dried peppermint leaves near the openings will repel ants. These will have to be refreshed frequently so the scent remains strong. You can also squeeze the juice of a lemon at the entry spot and leave the peel there. Planting mint around the foundation of the house will also keep ants away.
• Deer: Place some soap shavings or used cat litter along the ground to create a boundary between their grazing area and your garden. Also try hanging a salt lick in their path to distract them from your plants.
• Grasshoppers: Simply spray garlic oil where you don’t want them, or plant calendula, horehound (a bitter herb) or cilantro.
• Japanese beetles: Try chives, garlic, rue, and catnip.
• Mice: Use mint plants, especially peppermint, as mice really dislike peppermint and will avoid any areas where it grows.
• Mites (spider and clover): Try planting alder, coriander, or dill and use rye mulch and wheat mulch.
• Rabbits: Sprinkle chili pepper around plants, and reapply it when it gets wet. Install oven racks around plants. Rabbits tend to dislike their texture and the way that they feel on their feet. Other natural rabbit repellants include bellflowers, astilbes, asters, yarrows, cranesbills, hostas, lavender, sage and other textured or thorny plants.
• Slugs: Place mint, lemon balm, human hair (remove excess hair from hairbrushes and place in gardens), pine needles, cosmos, sage, or parsley in your garden.
• Ticks and fleas: Plant mint, sweet woodruff, rosemary and lavender. Also try placing cedar chips in your garden. They smell great to you but not to fleas and ticks!

It’s best to introduce these deterrents by planting them directly in your garden whenever possible. However, if some plants are not available in your area, you can also use essential oils. Marigolds— especially French marigolds— are easy to grow, are available in just about any climate, and attract many beneficial insects that will help protect your garden.