FINALLY! The frost has fled, and we can all plant our gardens! It’s been a long time coming this spring, so we want to get the best bang for our garden buck. But there are So. Many. Pests.
Some of them, like our little worm friends, are beneficial. But what about the critters that are getting to our goods before we can? As natural-minded gardeners, we don’t want to hurt the wee nuisances, but we would like them to GO AWAY. Here are some tips for keeping your garden scourge-free this summer.
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of humanity’s favourite smells, but the same cannot be said for the pest community. Rodents, plant-eating insects, and even spiders HATE peppermint, and will stay FAR away.
You can plant peppermint as an herb around your garden, or make a spray from Peppermint Essential Oil and water. You can also soak cotton balls in Peppermint Oil, and place them around rodent-frequented areas.
Rosemary
If pesky felines are more your problem, rosemary is your best friend. Again, you can use the herb, or make a spray to keep them away. Alternately, you can soak strips of fabric or string in a mixture of essential oil and water, and tie them around plants. This should help keep your garden from becoming a litterbox.
Kombucha Bottles
Yup, you heard me. I grew up with this trick, and it was a great help. Okay, so we used beer bottles, but in the name of Moberlizing this, I’m going for kombucha.
Bury an un-lidded kombucha bottle or two in your garden, with just the top 1-2 inches sticking out above ground. When the wind blows across the opening, it makes that “blowing on a jug” noise that sounds like the hoot of a large bird. Smaller animals won’t go anywhere near if they think an owl is standing guard. Kombucha (or beer) bottles are great for this, because they are made of glass and won’t leech unwanted chemicals into your soil.
Keep Yourself Protected in the Garden
If you’ll be spending a lot of time in your garden this summer, you may want to consider an insect repellent for yourself, too. We’ve got a great one from Citrobug available in store, or you can make your own with ingredients we have chez Moberly.
We’re lucky we have such diverse wildlife left in such an urban city, but they sure can be a pain. Hopefully these tips make it easier for us all to live together, naturally!