Flowers need the best tender loving care for them to provide those beautiful blooms that you desire. One way to do this is by constantly checking if they are free from insect damage. This ensures that the flowers are always safe and secure. Being a home gardener, you must be vigilant for possible solutions to your home garden’s health problems. This will help you succeed in your flower gardening business.
Planting the same kind of flowers must be avoided because they carry the same pest attackers. You’ll suffer a great loss if all of your flowers are infected. So a great way to minimize the attack of pests is to practice a multiple-cropping system. This has been proven effective and also improves the soil condition while lessening your pesticide costs.
Another method is to include insect repellant crops in your garden. This system together with the multiple-cropping system doubles your gain versus your production cost. These crops help control destructive insect pests. They have an organic smell that drives off insect pests.
A few examples of plant natural insect repellant include:
Lemon grass. Plant them by the sides of the fence as border plants.
Marigold. These are also good as border plants. Plant them between plots.
Neem tree. Plant them around your garden. They also serve as wind breakers.
Cosmos. Plant them as border plants between flowers.
These plant repellants can be fund all over the country. Check with your local agriculture extension office and get some advice regarding garden pest control.
Additional natural insect control for common pests
Chewing insect pests (hard or soft-bodied). Mash 10 gloves of garlic or a medium size onion. Mix with 2 quarts of water. Let it sit for a while. Strain to remove impurities. Immediately spray the solution without diluting it. To make it stronger particularly for those hard-bodied insects, add 30 pieces cayenne pepper.
Warning: Cayenne pepper is irritating to the eyes. Use protective eye covers when using them.
Sucking insect pests (hard or soft bodied). Melt ½ a bar bath soap (not detergent soap) in 8 quarts of water. When dissolved, immediately spray directly to the insect pests. For hard-bodied pests, add 2 teaspoon salt and 30 pieces cayenne pepper.
Aphids and red ants. Soak 1-2 dried tobacco leaves overnight in 1 liter water. Strain and mix 2 teaspoons powder soap (any powder soap). Spray directly into the ants or aphids. This mixture can also be used for hard-bodied insect pests. Add 20-30 pieces powdered hot pepper.
Use protective eye covers to protect eyes.
By using the natural pest control, you protect our environment by reducing chemical pollution. If you can control it, avoid using chemical insecticides at all cost if you can go on the natural way of controlling pests.
Thanks so much for added to natural protection alternatives for gardeners. This is so important not only for the environment but also for health of the gardener and their family.