I want to grow a garden this year and I know bugs/insects will most likely attack my fruits and vegetables. What are some natural products that I can spray on my fruits and veggies to protect them? I don't really want to use any harmful chemicals. I'm already planning to buy granules that keep ants away that I will set around the garden but I have more than just ants to worry about so anything natural/organic to repel all these unwanted pests would be great if you guys can help. Thank you.
go to nursery and buy a bottle of neem oil this bottle will last you at least 2 seasons and you add water to it so your diluting it so it goes a long way you place it in a spray bottle and spry you plants can also be used for mildew of fungus.I always recommend it.
Planting green peas and green beans next to each other will deter each others bugs. Bugs will find your garden. You will have to deal with them as they come along. Getting rid of weeds that are around will cut down on the bugs. Putting plastic gallon jugs around your tomato plants will keep the horned tomato worms off them. I learned this from a man that was in his 90s that grew a garden for years. He cut the ends off. I had a problem with ants putting aphid eggs under the leaves of my cucumber plants. The ants need to be watched to see what they are doing in the garden. They can kill insects.
Based on 40 yrs of gardening, I have learned, Organic methods work to a limited extent. None are 100% effective. The best you should expect is mild insect damage. All plants have at least one insect that eats the plant, even plants like garlic and tobacco have insects that eat them. Organic pesticides are mostly made of plants such as tobacco nicotine and garlic or flower species. They mask the odor of the plant and confuse the insect that would normally feed on the plant, but insects that feed on the plants the insecticide is made from are attracted to the pesticide and will land on the plants you want to protect. For soil grubs and root maggots, work wood stove ashes (potassium) into the soil. For some reason the root boring insects do not like the stove ashes and leave the garden. Ashes are one of the components of commercial fertilizer and good for your plants. That is why plants grow so well in volcanic soil. For the green part of the plant, cheap dish soap in a 25% solution (1/4 soap 3/4 water) can be sprayed on the plants and will be as affective as any other organic pesticide. Plus it doesn't attract any insects and can be washed off easily before you eat the produce.
LOL! You're new. There is NOTHING. You fight your battles when they start, no way before. And ants don't hurt a thing. If anything, they help aerate the soil
