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Natural Pesticides For Eco-Friendly Gardens

Pesticides
Use of harmful and toxic pesticide may destroy essential nutrients and beneficial insects from your gardens. It can also accidentally poison pets or children, pollute groundwater, lakes and streams. So get rid of pest and restore your picturesque gardens with these types of natural pesticides.

Natural pesticides can be made at home without using any dangerous chemicals. So start shielding around your precious plants with these natural pesticides, types and top garden tips.

1. Eggshells and salt - add crushed eggshells to the soil to get rid of snails and slugs. These eggshells will act like broken glass pieces for them. However if the problem persists then use a pinch of salt on that area.

2. All Alliums - alliums are pungent bulbous plants like garlic, onion and leek. Prepare a mixture of several cloves of garlic per gallon of water. These are effective in killing soft body insects and paralyzing flying insects with the very first direct spray. It is best when crushed or liquefied in a vegetable oil tea instead of water.

3. Mix well, chopped garlic cloves with the skin, couple of hot peppers, few drops of liquid bleach and water. Spray it on the plants and undersides of the leaves to get rid of all kinds of pests.

4. Canola and vegetable oils - suffocate and kill soft body insects. However, be careful when using this product as it may burn the leaves of sensitive plants. While making natural pesticides, do not use more than one cup of oil per gallon of water.

5. Dishwashing soaps - mix few drops of dishwashing liquid and water and wipe it down the affected areas to regain its rich looks.

6. Use1-2 cups of natural soaps or mild dishwashing soaps like Ivory on plants in water and spray it on plants. They help in paralyzing many insects in direct contact. Make sure not to use much on flowering fruit or vegetable plants as it can hinder the fruit production.

7. Tomatoes - leafs of tomatoes contain alkaloids that are very effective against aphids. So get some from the nearby field or market and chop them in fine pieces. Compact the pieces into one-cup measure and add one cup of water to it. After 24 hours drain through a cloth and add on more cup of water and spray it. It effectively kills aphids and attracts more beneficial insects to your garden.

8. Water wand - an easy and effective way to get rid of pestering invaders is the water wand as the high-pressure wand cleans mites, aphids from the plants. So invest one immediately.

9. Neem - Neem products has been used for centuries. Neem oil extracts of azadirachtin from Neem trees are very low toxicity insecticides. They not only destroy soft body insects but also destroy their ability to reproduce. This makes the pests starve by removing their appetites. It also controls several diseases.

10. Leftover Coffee Grounds - place the grounds directly around the plants as the acidity of the coffee keeps invaders at bay. They also work well to enhance sickly plants.

11. Redesign the garden landscape - plant certain plants close together to fight disease and control pests and improve soil. This companion planting creates biodiversity concepts and increases beneficial insect to control the harm made by destructive insects.

12. Ladybugs and earthworms - ladybugs feed on aphids and other insect pests. Earthworms keep the soil fertilized and healthy. So build a natural army (pesticides) to fight against the pests.

Story first published: Thursday, June 9, 2011, 17:30 [IST]