The Truth About Neem Oil

Pests can post such a challenge to gardens. Believe me, I know! I’ve been there. And pesticides have there place. I made my own DIY garlic/pepper spray to help with the groundhogs and it’s been super effective! That’s a pesticide, DIY and totally natural, but still a pesticide. Another natural pesticide to practice a lot of caution with is Neem Oil.

Here are some ways to reduce pest pressure, without ever using pesticides:

* Plant a diversity of crops and practice interplanting. This will help with disease as well!
* Hand pick eggs and bugs when populations get out of hand. This is great for Japanese beetles and squash bugs.
* Incorporate fragrant herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and parsley
* Allow the birds, frogs, spiders, predatory insects, and even snakes to have a home in the garden. They will all help you balance out populations.
* Practice patience. Every time I’ve seen aphids in my garden, I’ve waited. And every single time ladybugs have arrived and taken care of the problem for me. It’s amazing!
* If pests are completely out of control, your ecosystem is out of balance. Think about ways you can try to support balance coming back into that space.
* Consider a trap crop for invasive or particularly challenging pests like Japanese beetles and vine borers. We’ve completely resolved our issue with Japanese beetles in the garden using trap crops.

And if you DO decide to apply pesticides, even nature and DIY ones, it’s important to practice the following:

* Follow the directions carefully, including the dilution instructions
* Use minimally and only when absolutely necessary
* Avoid flowers and host plants for butterflies (like milkweed for monarchs and dill for swallowtails)
* Let nature help you first! Ladybugs are excellent control for aphids, birds are helpful when it comes to caterpillars, and parasitic wasps can help take care of hornworms. Sometimes patience is enough for the problem to balance itself out

Happy Gardening!!

Видео The Truth About Neem Oil канала Sunshine Farm