Gardening Tips for Everyone

I’ve been reading a lot of gardening books and articles about beneficial plants for your garden.  I’m sure everyone has had some type of issue with pests or wild animals destroying all of the hard work in your garden.  I know I have.  Living in Georgia, I am constantly battling the wildlife such as deer and rabbits in my garden.  Hopefully, I will have a nice 6 ft wooden privacy fence installed around most of my property to keep the deer out very soon.  I’m sure the rabbits will still find a way into the fenced area but they are easily dealt with when I let the dog out to patrol.  😛

I have collated a number of tips that may or may not work but are well worth a try, if nothing else, they will still add color and beauty to your landscape even if they do not work.  I hope these tips find a useful place in your pest battles.

• Planting a lavender hedge around the onion patch is supposed to protect them from onion maggot and lavender bushes around fruit trees can help deter codling moths.
• Rosemary planted near carrots deters carrot fly and bean beetles.  You can also place sprigs of rosemary with your clothes to help repel moths and silverfish.  I’m not sure if this would actually work but at least your clothes will have a nice rosemary aroma.
• Plant sage bushes near doorways and windows to help keep ants away.  Sage is also believed to keep mice away if planted in the garden.
• Plant fennel near doorways and windows to repel flies and mosquitoes.  I have also heard about placing fresh fennel leaves in your pet’s bedding or rubbing the fresh leaves on its coat can help ward off fleas.
• Make an anti-fungal spray using annual or perennial chamomile flowers by pouring one liter of boiling water over two firmly packed cupfuls of fresh flowers.  Simply steep and strain.
• Planting basil near cabbages, beans and tomatoes can help deter many pests that love these vegetables.
• Always protect yourself with gloves, goggles, long sleeved shirts and trousers when making or using home-made pesticides.
• Citronella oil is a general insect repellent and can also be used as bait to trap and drown codling moth, light brown apple moth and male fruit flies.
• Garlic spray can be used to kill or repel a large number of pests such as aphids, woolly aphid, bean fly, stink and horned bugs, crickets and grasshoppers.  Simply crush 8-10 cloves of garlic and steep in hot water.  Strain and store in a spray bottle.

I hope these tips are useful to you.  If you have some tips to include please comment on this article or on my Facebook/Twitter pages.  Be sure to Like me on Facebook and Follow me on Twitter.  See you next time.