22 Organic Solutions and Home Remedies for Treating Pests and Diseases in Your Garden

Welcome to the world of organic home remedies for managing pests and diseases in your garden! 

We’ve compiled the most common organic solutions and home remedies to effectively combat garden challenges, stay cost-effective and keep your garden poison-free. 

13 Organic Solutions for Pests:

1. Neem Oil Spray

Description: Neem oil, not extract, is an effective insecticide and repellent for a wide range of garden pests.
Target pests: Aphids, Whiteflies, Spider Mites, Thrips, Mealybugs.
How to make: Mix 1-2 tablespoons of neem oil with 1 liter of water and a few drops of liquid soap. Shake well and spray on affected plants.

2. Diatomaceous Earth

Description: Natural powder that creates a barrier against crawling insects.
Target pests: Slugs, Snails, Ants, Cockroaches, Earwigs.
How to make: Simply apply food-grade diatomaceous earth around the base of plants and on the soil surface.

3. Garlic and Chili Pepper Spray

 

Description: Deters pests and goes directly on plants. 
Target pests: Aphids, Cabbage White Butterflies, Mealybugs.
How to make: Blend 4-5 garlic bulbs and 2-3 chili peppers with water. Strain the mixture, add a few drops of liquid soap, and spray on the plants.

4. Horticultural Oil

Description: A light horticultural oil can suffocate and control soft-bodied insects like aphids and mites.
Target pests: Aphids, Spider Mites, Scale Insects.
How to make: Purchase ready-to-use horticultural oil and follow the manufacturer's instructions for application.

5. Beer Traps

Description: The sweetness and aroma of beer attract bugs. 
Target pests: Slugs, Snails.
How to make: Bury shallow containers filled with beer in the soil near affected plants.

6. Ladybugs and Lacewings

Description: Ladybugs and Lacewings eat plant-eating bugs.
Target pests: Aphids, Mealybugs, Spider Mites, Whiteflies.
How to use: Purchase ladybugs and lacewings from a garden store and release them in your garden.

7. Beneficial Nematodes

Description: Nematodes attract soil-dwelling pests like grubs and root maggots, so they might also target your vermicompost so if your fertilizer is based on vermicompost 
Target pests: Grubs, Larvae, Soil-dwelling Insects.
How to use: Mix beneficial nematodes with water according to the package instructions and apply them to the soil.

8. Plant Companion Plants

Description: Pest-repelling plants like marigolds, chives, and basil protect weak crops.
Target pests: It depends on the crops you have for example, rosemary repels pests in beans, cabbage, and carrots. 
How to use: Plant pest-repelling companion plants alongside susceptible crops.

9. Vinegar Spray

Description: The acetic acid from the vinegar act as a pesticide for weak insects.
Target pests: Ants, Aphids.
How to make: Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water. Spray directly on ants or aphids to repel them.

10. Cucumber Peels

 

Description: Cucumber peels repel ants and bugs. 
Target pests: Ants, Slugs.
How to use: Place cucumber peels around the stems of affected plants.

11. Chickens and ducks

Description: Chickens and ducks are amazing pest control agents in your garden. However, ducks are less likely to damage your crops than chickens. 
Target: Worms, slugs, beetles, snails, ants and 
How to use: Get you some chickens and ducks but set up a boundary so they only have access to the crops you want them to clean. 

12. Sacrificial crops

Description: Planting more than you need because you know some of it will be wasted by pests. 
Target: Crops that get many pests throughout the season. 
How to use: Plant excess crops in your garden.

13. Netting

Description: A mesh placed around raised garden beds helps keep pests and insects away. 
Target: Fruit flies, flies, and other flying insects
How to use: Vego Garden  has a Cover System that helps keep flying insects from invading your raised garden bed. 

9 Organic Solutions for Diseases:

1. Baking Soda Spray

Description: Baking soda is an all-time favorite for controlling fungal diseases like powdery mildew.
Target disease: Powdery Mildew.
How to make: Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 liter of water, and a few drops of liquid soap. Spray on affected plants.

2. Pyrethrum

Description: Extracted from Chrysanthemum flowers, kills bugs, but it will also kill pollinators, so it’s better used as a last resort and then at night. 
Target disease: Kills flies, ticks, fleas, lice but also bees and other pollinators
How to make: It’s best to buy the organic solution at your closest organic farming store or online. 

3. Copper-based Fungicides

Description: Use copper sulfate or copper hydroxide to treat fungal infections like blight, but don’t use it on hot days or during the worst of the heat since it’s toxic to pollinators. 
Target disease: Blight, Downy Mildew.
How to use: Purchase copper-based fungicides and follow the manufacturer's instructions for application.

4. Compost Tea

Description: Compost tea is a mixture of beneficial microorganisms extracted from compost and then brewed.
Target: Boosting plant immunity against various diseases.
How to make: Steep compost in water for a few days, strain the liquid and use it as a foliar spray or soil drench.

5. Aloe Vera Extract

Description: Aloe vera has antifungal properties and can be applied to plants to prevent diseases.
Target: Fungal Diseases.
How to make: Blend aloe vera leaves with water, strain the mixture, and spray on affected plants.

6. Cinnamon Powder

Description: Cinamon works as antifungal protection for plants.
Target disease: Damping-off Disease.
How to use: Dust cinnamon powder around the base of seedlings.

7. Horsetail Tea

Description: The extract of field horsetail works has antifungal properties but can be toxic to cattle and farm animals. 
Target disease: Fungal diseases.
How to make: Soak horsetail leaves in water for a few days, strain the liquid, and spray on affected plants.

8. Proper Watering and Drainage

Description: Avoid overwatering and ensure proper drainage to prevent root rot and other water-related diseases.
Target issues: Root Rot, Damping-off Disease.
How to use: Ensure plants receive appropriate watering and improve soil drainage. Use a soil meter if you have issues determining the amount of water your crops need.

9. Crop Rotation

Description: Practicing crop rotation helps break the disease cycle as pathogens specific to certain crops won't build up in the soil over time.

Target: Soil-borne diseases, such as Clubroot, Fusarium Wilt, and Verticillium Wilt.
How to use: Rotate crops annually to prevent disease build-up in the soil.

 

Final Thoughts:

Dealing with pests and diseases can be a source of frustration. However, by embracing organic home remedies, you can discover an eco-friendly and budget-friendly approach to safeguarding your garden's well-being.