By Jennifer Bennett, Harris County Master Gardener
Jennifer writes, edits and is the coordinator for the Harris County Master Gardener Newsletter, Urban Dirt. She believes many of the world's issues can be solved in the garden.
"Quick, Here’s 5 Easy Household Solutions for Your Garden!!"
Ever seen a blog title like that? There are lots of garden myths circulating out there. Many of them are touting solutions that tell you to use household products like dish soap, Epsom salts, or eggshells to make your plants bigger, stronger, greener. These solutions appeal to many of us who don’t want to handle chemicals or insecticides and spray them where our family or pets play.
But the real solution is even easier. As Robert Pavlis, author of the Garden Myths book series, wrote:
“Look to nature for answers—mother nature already knows how to garden.”
So here are 5 real strategies to help your garden stay healthy:
1. Inspect your plants properly
Examine the underside of the leaves as well. If you don’t see what’s eating a plant, come out at night with a flashlight and see if you can catch anyone in the act.
2. Monitor your garden
Set out traps to catch insects. The sticky yellow traps will also catch helpful bugs; so instead, lay out cardboard at dusk and check who found refuge underneath it in the morning.
3. Identify the insects in your garden
There are many helpful bugs out there who eat the other insects that are eating your plants. Let the beneficial insects do their job of keeping destructive insects in check. iNaturalist is a fun phone app you can use to ID bugs. Some of the bugs on the underside of leaves may be good guys feasting on the harmful bugs. Check out this great article from Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, about Beneficial Insects and Common Pests in the Garden4.
4. Prepare soil before planting
Make sure that there is adequate drainage. Plants don’t like to sit in water. Get your soil tested so you add the right amount of nutrients. Too much fertilizer can be destructive too. Stressed plants attract bugs who want to eat them. Find information about Soil Testing with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension
5. Choose plants that help each other
Nasturtiums are great buddies for cucumber plants. They lure aphids away from your produce. They also repel cucumber beetles. Check out this Texas AgriLife article about Companion Planting Guide for more awesome plant pairings.
Give Nature a Hand
Simply put, keeping your garden healthy means recognizing that nature is already working on it. There are checks and balances at play that you can see if you take a moment to observe.
But there are useful ways we can give our gardens a hand. Keeping your tools clean, watering carefully and mulching properly are easy things you can do to help your garden fight pests and diseases and thrive.
WATCH: This month's Green Thumb presentation with Valerie Depew: Garden Myths: Fact, Folklore, and a Few Tall Tales.
Add a comment to: 5 Easy Household Solutions for Your Garden