Aphid, snail, ants? No problem - with these ten home remedies, the annoying pests don't stand a chance.
Eaten leaves, wilted plants, broken fruit: Small pests such as aphids are often responsible for every gardener's nightmare. Anyone who wants to drive away the little beasts uses pesticides, although these are expensive and not exactly environmentally friendly. But with these ten home remedies you can drive the pests out of your garden - guaranteed without chemicals.
Tip 1: Build walls
Better safe than sorry. If you want to prevent snails from feasting on your plants right from the start, you should create barriers in advance. Pine needles strewn around the plants in a ring to deter the pests. However, these must be renewed again and again, at the latest after the first rain. If you are looking for a long-term solution, you will reach for the piebald fence. The downwardly curved edges are an insurmountable obstacle for the little animals and protect the plants from damage caused by feeding. Raised beds are not only modern and back-friendly, but also a slug deterrent. Crawling creatures can hardly reach the high plants and the bed is safe from them.
Tip 2: Caught on the Net
Even flying pests can be kept away from plants with simple methods. Instead of acting once the damage has already been done, you can set up barriers that will stop the pests in the first place. Close-meshed nets over the plants not only protect against cabbage whites and vegetable flies. Even birds or rodents that like to help themselves to fresh berries are reliably locked out. However, the net should be checked regularly: Wind, weather and rodents can punch large holes in the fine nets so that they no longer offer any protection. Inexperienced young birds can also become entangled in the nets, which then have to be freed by human hands.
Tip 3: The right neighborhood
Not every pest likes every plant. On the contrary: Some garden dwellers drive the annoying animals away. Plants with strong essential oils like lavender or onion will repel aphids from their environment. Slugs, on the other hand, can be outsmarted with a “protective circle” of carnations or lilies of the valley (other plants with furry leaves are also suitable). Colorado potato beetles don't like horseradish, voles hate garlic and ants hate Mediterranean plants. So if you invest a little time in planning the right bed neighbours, you don't have to worry as much about the pests later on.
Tip 4: Beneficiaries
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. This or something similar is probably the principle of biological pest control. Because if you want your garden to be free of annoying pests, you shouldn't drive the beneficial insects away. The ladybug, for example, not only looks beautiful, it destroys entire colonies of aphids. Ichneumon wasps are also real pest killers and eat caterpillars, fly larvae, wasps and beetles. In the meantime, the beneficial insects are even bred commercially and can be bought in some garden centers or on the Internet. The little helpers come as eggs on small cards, which are then hung on the plants. Over the next few days, the animals will hatch and then get to work while you can put your feet up.
Tip 5: A heart for hedgehogs and ducks
Hedgehogs, frogs and birds may seem very different at first, but they share one favorite food: insects. So that the animals also feel comfortable in the garden, it helps to create opportunities for them to retreat. Hedges, heaps of stones and ponds give the animals a place to hide and spend the winter. You can find ways to support hedgehogs in autumn in this article.
The animals also like densely planted areas in the garden and say thank you by cleaning up all sorts of pests. Runner ducks are also ideal for fighting snails. With a garden pond and a little care, the animals not only feel at home, but also destroy your slug population.
Tip 6: nettle and rhubarb manure
Stinging nettle manure repels slugs and aphids and does not require any chemicals. forthe production of this natural plant protection simply requires nettles and water. The nettle leaves are soaked in water and placed in a sunny place. Now it's time to stir every day until the liquid starts to ferment. If no more bubbles form after two to three weeks, the nettle manure, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, can be sprayed on the affected plants. Since the production is very smelly, it is advisable to put the liquid manure in a secluded place in the garden. You can sprinkle a handful of rock flour into the liquid to soften the smell a bit. Rhubarb liquid manure is also suitable for protection against pests. The sennosides and oxalic acids it contains drive lice and bugs out of every bed.
Tip 7: milk against powdery mildew
Powdery mildew can be a real nuisance. The fungus spreads as a coating on the top of ornamental plant leaves and not only looks ugly but also stunts the growth of the plants. A simple home remedy to combat and prevent the disease is cow's milk. Untreated cow's milk (preferably fresh raw milk from the farmer) mixed with water in a ratio of 1:8 should be sprayed onto the affected plants twice a week. The contained microorganisms fight the fungus and ensure a rapid disappearance of the disease. The sodium phosphate contained in the milk also strengthens the plant and protects it from reinfection.
Tip 8: Cook the broth
In order to prevent plant pests, various brews made from plants have proven their worth. To prepare, use 10g of fresh or dried herbs, which are mixed with a liter of water and then left to stand for a day. Field horsetail should be simmered for an additional 30 minutes. Diluted at a ratio of 1:10, the broth is then applied to infested plants. Field horsetail helps against fungi and spider mites, ferns against snails. A decoction of elderflowers is not only a preventative against the cabbage white moth, but also repels voles and moles if you put it in their burrows.
Tip 9: joyride
Sometimes it can be very simple: Are you not yet infested with aphids or thrispenes?very pronounced, sometimes reaching for the water hose is enough. With a powerful jet, the little creatures can simply be washed off the leaves. If the plant does not tolerate water, some tape can also help. Simply wrap around your hand (sticky side out) and dab the plants with it. The crawling animals stick to the adhesive tape and can thus be easily collected and then disposed of.
Tip 10: Caught on the Diva
Even fruit trees want to be protected. Otherwise, caterpillars and tensioners can not only spoil the harvest, but also cause serious damage to the trees. Glue rings prevent the pests from getting to the tree in the first place. In the spring, the green cuffs can be attached to the trunks of the trees. If the tree has deep indentations in the bark, these should be stuffed with paper. This prevents the creepy crawlies from getting up under the glue ring. If an insect tries to crawl up the tree, it gets stuck on the sticky substance. The glue rings should be replaced every spring as they lose their adhesive strength over the winter.
Beneficial insects are known to be excellent for combating pests in the garden. But did you know that there are some useful species among the nematodes too? Here you will find interesting facts about nematodes as beneficial insects.