Natural methods for protecting your garden from weeds and pests across the seasons
A garden is both a pleasure to have and a responsibility to maintain especially if you are a first-time gardener. Throughout the year, your garden will face different kinds of weeds and pests that can cause harm to your vegetables or flowers, so it is good to have an idea of how to combat them during the varying seasons.
You may be tempted to go straight to using pesticides, but there are more natural methods you may want to consider first.
Below, are some tips on how to keep weeds and pests at bay throughout the different seasons, using natural methods that won’t negatively impact on your local environment.
Spring
As the sun and warmer weather start to make an appearance after a cold winter, it’s likely there will be lots of weeds springing up. It is crucial to get rid of these before you start to plant or pot your spring flowers as they could steal valuable nutrients. Here’s how you can do it:
Pulling out weeds out by hand is a great way to control weed populations and direct attention to the root of the plant, preventing them from resprouting. This easy method that allows you to clear your beds for new flowers and get in some exercise.
You can use items from your cupboards to make salt and vinegar sprays which are an effective and inexpensive way to target weeds. The acetic acid in vinegar kills weeds while the salt dehydrates the plant and disrupts its internal water balance.
Spring is also the perfect time to decide which areas of your garden you would like to keep “wild” by intentionally keeping them overgrown. Embracing these areas as a part of your garden’s natural habitat will encourage natural pest predators like birds, frogs and hedgehogs.
Summer
With flowers in bloom and vegetables growing, pests like insects and slugs will be ready to strike. Insecticides may seem like the quickest and easiest solution, but they could have an impact that goes beyond your garden so it is worth trying alternative natural options first.
Homemade deterrents can be made using things in your kitchen like orange peels and garlic. Placing citrus peels away from your flowers and vegetables will attract slugs and divert them away while planting garlic near crops will repel pests.
Egg shells are also a great deterrent for slugs as the sharp edges will hurt if they crawl on them. The nutrients in the egg shells are also beneficial for the soil.
Removing slugs and snails by hand is a simple method that can help limit the presence of these slimy pests and can be done all year round for the benefit of your plants and garden overall.
Autumn
When the weather begins to cool, weeds tend to stop growing which presents an excellent opportunity to dig or pull out any that remain from the summer. The best time to do this is after a rainy day when the soil and roots are soft so that they can easily be removed. If it hasn’t rained for a while, using a watering can can help loosen the soil around the weed.
When removing weeds, target the roots rather than just cutting the tops. If the roots remain untouched, they could resprout. By removing all weeds during this time your garden should be relatively weed free until the spring.
Another option is to generously mulch your garden; covering the soil with a loose layer of materials that have natural minerals and oils. Mulching helps tackle unwanted weeds and insects.
Winter
Pests tend to rest during the colder months, leaving your plants and vegetables safe for the time being. To reduce the number of slug and snails in your garden for the following year, go on a hunt for them before they have a chance to lay their eggs. Check under stones, shrubbery, and planters, and carefully move them away by hand.
