A couple of years ago, just as I was weeding the garden, I noticed the leaves of the green bean plants had small holes in them. Figuring it was some sort of bug, and hoping they would just go away, I left them be.
Then I started to harvest my beans, and they had holes in them too. And one happened to have a little green worm sticking right out of the center of one of my beans! I didn’t know exactly what they are (still don’t), but I do know I want them off my plants.
I also want to keep chemicals out of my garden so I can keep our produce as healthy as possible for my family.
After some searching years ago, I found a recipe online (pre-Pinterest days) and thought I’d give it a try. While I was somewhat doubtful, it has worked well over the years at keeping my garden growing strong and free from toxic chemicals.
Natural bug repellent for gardens
- one head of garlic, chopped up (big pieces are fine)
- one onion, chopped (again they don't have to be small pieces)
- one tablespoon cayenne pepper
- three quarts water
- Put all ingredients into a pot on the stove and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until you have just a quart of liquid left.
- Strain into a jar or other storage device using cheesecloth or other thin material.
- To use, take about 1 Tbsp mixture and pour into a spray bottle with about 2 cups of water and a couple drops of a natural liquid soap (helps it stick).
- Spray the plants including the underside of the leaves. Reapply after a hard rain.
Now, I don’t worry to much about measuring exactly, and I just do a quick spray all over (I’m sure I miss parts of the plant) but this has really helped keep the nasty little worms away from my beans and other plants. I’ve used it every year with great results.
You will have to re-spray after a hard rain, or about once every week or two to keep them at bay, but it only takes a few minutes if you have a garden sprayer (available on Amazon).
Do you have any tricks to keeping your plants bug free?
