Plant Health, Care and Protection
Whichever kind of garden you’re growing, your plants are bound to bring in harmful pests at some point. It’s not your fault! That’s part of plant life. But if you don’t get ahead of it, your precious plants may catch a disease or two.
Don’t fret! Decades of study from experts moved us away from taking risks with pest control.
Today, we’ve produced plenty of remedies for pest troubles and plant disease. You may find shelves upon shelves of pesticides and bug sprays when you go to supermarkets.
But recently, there’s been a trend of “going green”. This means going with more eco-friendly ways to protect plants from pests and diseases. These natural methods have become quite popular in both gardening and floristry. And for good reason, too! They keep plants much healthier than chemical or artificial remedies do. They’re even easier on the pocket!
In this article, we talk about three important factors of plant health, care, and protection. We’ll focus on reliable organic remedies for your garden.
First, we look at a few basic guidelines for keeping your garden healthy and well-nourished. This will help you keep it full of life from the moment you plant them until you collect their produce.
Next, we discuss the best pesticides to protect your plants from bugs and insects. We also show you proven fixes for pesky weeds.
Finally, we find out which flowers and plants can ward off pests. This is another natural way to eliminate pests that won’t hurt your garden!
Interested in a formal course? Want to get certified as a gardening expert? We urge you to look into organizations offering classes in floristry, like:
American Institute of Floral Designers
National Gardening Organization
American Floral Endowment
American Horticultural Society
Raising a Healthy Garden
Take it from the experts. You’re going to want to be sure your plants are healthy and nourished throughout their growth. This way, you can guarantee they blossom into gorgeous flowers, fragrant herbs, or fresh vegetables!
Here are a few practical tips for raising a healthy garden. You’ll thank us later!
Before you buy your plants, examine them for rotten roots. Check for bug-infested leaves or stems too.
Be sure to use only fully-composted waste and mulch to avoid disease and infection.
Do your research on which fertilizer best suits your garden and stick to it.
Keep careful watch of bugs in your garden to eliminate undesirable infestation.
In the autumn season, be sure leaves don’t pile up too much. This way, you won’t get an unequal proportion of green and brown materials for your mulch.
Water your plants with the right amount and time intervals.
Late winter is the best time to prune sickly limbs back to healthy, living tissue. Make sure to do this to avoid further infection or get other diseases.
Whatever you do – Prevent. Overcrowding.
Organic Pest Control and Herbicides
It’s tempting to get chemical repellents when you run into pest troubles. After all, they’re fast and easy solutions, right?
But remember: the more artificial treatments you give your garden, the fewer nutrients your plants get from the soil! Plus, it makes plants even more prone to disease and infection.
The basic principle is to keep your garden as diverse as possible. Keep various types of annuals, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, and trees all nestled in the soil. Plant them in smaller groups all through the garden. Add in a healthy mix of aged compost and brown and green mulch. This will help keep pests from preying on a whole lot of plants.
But there are many other all-natural ways to protect your cherished garden! Here is some expert advice on keeping weeds, diseases, insects, and bugs away.
Weeds
Stop these pesky things from ever-growing in your yard! Top-dress your new planted plot two to three inches deep with corn gluten. Then, water it all throughout.
If weeds have already sprouted in the soil, soak them in a solution of vinegar and a few drops of liquid soap. Be sure to keep neighboring plants and flowers safe from the acidic spray. You can do this by covering them in newspapers.
Diseases
Protect your bed of roses from powdery mildew or “black spot” with a distinct tonic. This is a blend of 2 tablespoons of baking soda, half a tablespoon of liquid soap in about 2 liters of water.
A fact unknown to most people, chamomile tea is an all-encompassing cure for fungal diseases. Infuse 16 tea bags or about 2 cups of dried flowers in very hot water. Use the cooled down product to water your diseased plants.
Want an easier, less taxing solution? Dissolve 2 aspirin tablets in 1 quart of water. Spray the resulting mix on plants with black spot, mildew, rust, and other fungal infections.
Insects
Spraying small insects like aphids and mites with water will get them off your plants. For more stubborn bugs, remove them with adhesive tape.
Brew a couple of basil leaves and fragrant herbs (e.g. lavender, rosemary, sage, mint, etc.). Use them to do away with creepy crawlers.
For slugs and snails, make a barrier of thin copper wires around your plants. This will give those pests a mild yet discouraging shock. For best results, you can also set up a shallow perimeter of pine needles, coffee grounds, cracked eggshells. This will result in a scratchy boundary that will throw them off the path.
Pest-Repellent Flowers and Plants
So far we’ve learned about natural pest control solutions! Now let’s look at the following lineup of plants and flowers proven to have a natural resistance against pests and diseases.
Growing a garden of lovely blooms or delightful herbs is no easy task! But fragrant plants often draw in bugs and other insects. These will drain them of their nutrients and worse yet, stunt their growth.
Luckily, there are helpful little beauties of nature that organically fend off pests! They save you the time and expense of artificial pest control solutions. Even better, they keep a perfect sense of balance and diversity in your garden! This ensures your garden stays protected from nasty diseases and bug infestations.
Here is a quick list of pest-repellent plants and flowers! Many of these are also ideal for gardening rookies. They’re easy to take care of and maintain!
- Marigolds
- Chrysanthemums
- Dahlias
- Sunflowers
- Petunias
- Borage
- Lavender