Homemade Pest and Weed Control

I like to be as natural as possible with my gardening, and I have tried dozens of natural, homemade recipes for pest control.  Some have worked well, some okay, and, well, some didn't work at all.  I am going to share with you a few of my favorites pest control recipes that I found to work great, and I use them as my go-to solution for problems in the garden and around the yard.  They are inexpensive to make, and you probably already have most of the items right in your pantry.  

Weed Killer

Vinegar (I use white, pickling vinegar because the acetic acid is higher than in other vinegars)

1/2 cup salt

Squirt of dish soap  

Fill a spray bottle with the vinegar, add the salt and dish soap, shake.  That's it!!!  You are ready to spray on those pesky weeds.  You will be amazed at how well it works.

*Another great tip for eliminating weeds and grass around flower beds and in walkways is to sprinkle baking soda on top of the soil where you want to keep the grass from growing.  Since the baking soda neutralizes the pH in the soil, nothing wants to grow there.  I do this twice a year...in the spring and fall.

Black Spot and Powdery Mildew Tonic

2 quarts of water

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Murphy's Oil Soap

Mix together in spray bottle and spray roses or any other plant plagued by powdery mildew.

Another Simple Remedy for Fungal Issues

Two non-coated aspirins can be dissolved in a quart of warm water and sprayed onto plants.

Natural Insecticidal Spray

1 quart of water
1 TBS dish soap or Murphy's
1 TBS vegetable oil
optional: dash of cayenne pepper


Mix and spray on plants.  This works on many of the common garden pests.

The soap interferes with the insects' membranes and the pests die of dehydration (gruesome, I know....but think of all those beautiful cucumbers that will be destroyed if you don't get rid of those nasty little bugs).

Be sure to use "soap" not detergent and dilute the recipe more for use on young, more delicate seedlings/plants. Too much soap can burn the plant's leaves.  Spray in the morning or later afternoon...not in the heat of the day, again, being careful not to burn the plant.

A plethora of natural recipes for gardening can be found on the internet, but the few I have shared are simple yet effective.  I recently stumbled upon a recipe for getting rid of tent moth nests.  I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to soon. If it works, I will share it with you.

Have a great weekend and happy gardening!

Linked with Becoming Martha, Design, Dining + Diapers, Diana Rambles, Liz Marie Blog, Whipperberry, Flamingo Toes, House on the Way, Adorned from Above, The Brambleberry Cottage, The Foley Fam