Natural Pest Control Methods That Won't Harm Your Garden

Hey Guys, 
I hope everyone is doing well.

For today, I just wanted to talk a little about some natural pest control methods you can use  that won't harm your garden.

As some of you may know by now, I'm a firm believer in using natural methods over traditional chemical methods because protecting the environment is something I fully support  and sustainability is at the heart of what we do here at Farm Hand Seeds. 

So let's dive right in...

If you've been following along with my seed growing journey, which I've been posting regular updates about here on this blog, you'll know that I've had many, many struggles in terms of keeping pests at bay when it comes to my beloved plant babies. 
I don't believe in using chemicals in my garden because in my opinion at least, they cause more harm to the environment than good, yes, the results are quick and effective, but I don't agree with harming the environment.

So it's for that reason that I set out on a quest  to research as many natural pest control methods as possible, and I'm sharing my findings with you guys.

The first step I'd like to mention and this is especially true for removing slugs and snails.... these pesky creatures might not look like much, but they sure can do a lot of damage... and they're a pain to deal with because they mainly operate at night, there's nothing more heart breaking than waking up in the morning to discover all of your hard work has been devoured in the night whilst you were sleeping....

My advice here would be to head out into your garden at night, roughly around 2 hours after sunset armed with a flashlight and a spoon.... check your plants for any tell-tale signs of a pest problem such as holes in the leaves or mucus trails, and it's even better if you can catch the pesky critters in the act.... use your spoon to gently dislodge the slugs or snails from the surface, effectively removing them from their food source.

You should also focus on growing healthy plants, as healthy plants will naturally have more of a resistance against pests, but keep in mind however, that even the healthiest of plants are not totally immune to a pest invasion. Having healthy plants means you're reducing the risk because pests are known to target sick or dying plants.

Growing sacrificial plants is another effective way to combat pests running rampant in your garden, and I know this sounds counterintuitive, but sacrificial plants are those in your garden that you essentially offer up to be feasted upon by pests, this distracts pests and keeps them away from the plants you don't want them to snack on. 
This is a well-known and effective pest control method.
For aphids, try nasturtiums, and for slugs and snails... try marigolds.

The final method I'd like to talk about is companion planting. I've talked about companion planting before on this blog, but I'll talk about it a little more now.

Companion planting has been used in gardening and agriculture for thousands of years and as well as keeping pests away, this age-old technique can also increase pollination and the diversity of your garden which in turn can make your soil healthier. 

Thank you for reading, 
Until next time,
Kim