Chemical alternatives for use in your garden

There are always alternatives to chemicals used in the garden. For every product you can buy at the shop there is  a natural, less toxic alternative.

Many organic growers extract plant oils and use house hold alternatives for control and eradication of certain pests. Some examples are garlic spray for aphids and olive oil as a white oil. These are only two of hundreds of alternatives that exist and are tried and true. Some of the remedies need to be re-applied to achieve results, like after a rain or heavy dew, and some times we need to experiment to find our own solutions. Observation and experimentation will bring us new and exciting methods of creating a chemical free environment for the future, with pest management strategies the are non reliant on chemicals and the companies that make them.

Some common organic active ingredients : Garlic, Cloves, Marigolds (as companion),old coffee grinds, olive oil, lavander oil, peppermint oil, small amounts of salt.

Good gardening practices can also significantly reduce the need for chemicals. For example, certain plants have a naturally occuring  pesticide effect. Inter-planting these in the garden is part of “companion planting”. This method of pest control has been used for centuries around the world, and is widely used by organic gardeners.

There are so many books and web sites that can teach you how to make and use these alternatives, and experienced local gardeners can often help if you ask . This is where the conversation starts – through everybody doing their own thing and sharing their successes (and otherwise), we can build a planet that is healthy and abundant for every one.