How to Get Rid of Pests and Weeds Naturally

If you have a garden, or you are new to the gardening world, weeds and pests are among the most troublesome issues of rais­ing food, flowers, or plants. The dilemma: To kill, or not to kill? If you break it down even further: To spray or not to spray?

One of the first knee-jerk reactions when seeing bugs, slugs, or - any sort of creepy crawlers is usually to kill them. Better them than you, right? Well, not exactly. Although there are some pesky bugs, flies, and worms that can be a nuisance to your pretty greenery, there are also just as many helpful little critters out there that you may not want to kill. Many bugs, snakes, frogs, lizards, worms, bees, or spiders in your garden have specific jobs, and their presence sug­gests that Mother Nature is actually working with you rather than against you. However, weeding out the friendly critters from the flower killers can be a bit tricky.

Among the friendly critters are our lovely spider friends and lady-bugs. Ladybugs are the heroes of the garden because they love to eat aphids, which, although not detrimental to a plant, do remove sap and often leave your leafy friends in great distress if you choose to take no preventative action. Although ladybugs are often cute enough to leave alone, spiders are also good and healthy for the environment. They are out for blood, but thankfully they prefer insects rather than human flesh. But a harmless garden spider is, in fact, your friend. A spiderweb in your garden means that spiders are hard at work, catch­ing insects that could otherwise damage your plants and flowers.

If you do find yourself in a situation where hornworms have attacked your tomato' plants, or slugs or ants are destroying your gar­den bed, there are countless natural and organic options for your gardening needs:

• Allow nature to take its course. Sure, you may have little pa­tience while you watch tiny bugs crawling and gnawing on your leaves, but if you sit back and wait, you will see those friendly winged creatures flying in to save the day.
• Plant horsemint. It has a natural scent similar to citronella, and tends to repel mosquitoes. Oregano also deters most pests.
• Grow plants that attract ladybugs. Many umbrella-shaped plants and flowers such as cilantro and scented geraniums attract ladybugs that in turn eat hungry and harmful aphids from your plants' leaves.
• Plant cucumbers or spread cucumber peels around your gar­den. Many insects such as ants, flies, and moths can't stand cucumbers.
• Plant spearmint or peppermint around your house or in your garden. Not only will they keep aphids away, but they also smell refreshing.

If you do find your tomatoes tormented with hornworms, check their backs to see if a parasitic wasp has developed from inside them. The larvae of the wasp emerge from inside the worm, form dozens of cocoons, arid then when they hatch, they destroy the hornworm. These wasps will then patrol your garden for other feasts, so try to keep them around.

Another issue in the garden is the dreaded weed. Although some weeds are harmless and innocent in their quest for equality in your garden, they are nowhere near as appealing as your beloved flower friends and plants. The easiest option for killing weeds is to spray your garden. But, you don't have to spray harmful chemicals that could damage your soil and potentially make their way to your belly. There are other options:

• Grip and strip. The greenest way to get rid of weeds is to get down on your hands and knees and pull them out your­self. Pulling weeds may seem tedious to some, but if your gar­den isn't enormous, it can be rewarding, healthy, contemplative, and surprisingly quick. Put on your trusty gardening gloves, put on your favorite tunes, and spend some quality one-on-one time with your favorite green friends.
• Use the news. Line your garden with old newspapers to aerate a barrier for weeds. Not only are you reusing and recy­cling the newspaper in creative and effective ways, you are also making sure that your plants (especially your edible ones) are not getting sprayed with harmful chemicals.
• Go bold. Try using white vinegar as a natural weed killer. Spray it directly on the weeds in your flower or vegetable garden, or give bothersome patio pests a squirt as well.
• Spray green. If you want to avoid experimenting with natural remedies, then you can always try one of the countless vari­eties of organic sprays available at local stores, nurseries, or even online. Spraying with organic sprays will ensure that your plants aren't taking toxic breaths, and neither are you.

There are many natural ways to keep pests out of your garden. Take the time to get to know your backyard ecosystem as well as your friendly bugs and spiders. However you choose to approach your pests, just try not to give in and reach for the first can of chemical spray.