Organic Gardening
Garden Vegetables
Gardening is one of the activities that brings me joy. I love planting a seed in the ground, burying it and watching it sprout and turn into a plant that produces vegetables. Spending time in my garden in Hudson, Wisconsin weeding, pruning and picking vegetables is so peaceful. My son, Danny (who has a rare genetic condition Cohen Syndrome), is usually on his trampoline nearby. It becomes a time we enjoy chatting outside together.
Growing my vegetables organically and sustainably is very important to me, but it does pose challenges. Pest control is the biggest challenge, and I am happy to report a spray made with essential oils has actually worked this summer.
Organic Bug-Away Spray
I mix 10 -15 drops each of TerraShield, Peppermint, Siberian Fir (or White Fir) and Cedarwood essential oils in a glass spray bottle. Next I fill it almost to the top with water, and then add a couple drops of organic liquid dish soap. I spray my plants daily after their morning watering to naturally keep pests away. The spray doesn’t harm them, they simply stay away because they don’t care for the scent. You can pick and eat vegetables that have been sprayed that day, because the spray contains not harmful toxins/chemicals. The only downside is that the plants have to be sprayed daily. The scent doesn’t last after watering or rainfall, because essential oils naturally evaporate (unlike chemical pesticides which can last longer). The benefit of no harmful toxins on the veggies my family and I eat makes this daily spraying worthwhile to me (plus, I like to check in on my garden daily anyway).
Essential Oil Pest Control
You can alter this spray to fit your needs. Simply Google the type of pest you encounter in your garden and essential oils. You will easily find lists of which essential oils are known to repel which type of pest. I tend to have a lot of slugs, and learned that Siberian Fir repels slugs.
TerraShield is a blend of oils that doTERRA makes to repel many types of insects. It is great all on it’s own, and you can also add oils to it to make it even stronger for your needs. You can also purchase TerraShield Repellent Spray as a bug repellent for you and your family. It is very effective and contains no harmful chemicals, so no need to take a shower or bath at night after using TerraShield (which is especially helpful when camping)!
I also put Cedarwood in my compost before tilling my garden. Cedarwood is great for repelling insects and leaving your garden with a nice woodsy scent. Cedarwood is known to repel bugs, snakes, spiders and rodents. It can also be effective in sheds, garages and homes.
Peppermint is great for repelling bugs, mice, spiders and ants. In our home, we add a few drops of peppermint to a cotton ball and place anywhere we have seen signs of these pests. They sell peppermint/spearmint garden insect repellent spikes at many garden stores, because these oils are known to be helpful for organic gardeners. You can make your own much cheaper. Simply apply peppermint and/or spearmint to craft sticks and place around your garden.
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If you would like to try this spray in your garden, here is the link for the ingredients: https://doterra.me/O1XhvWvz. This spray is easy to make, inexpensive and effective! I would love any tips you have that have been successful in your organic garden, so please share!
Tried the bug spray when I was up north. Smelled great and it worked.
I make my own bug spray, too, with terrashield. It has done a great job of repelling ticks! Thank you for this insight!!
We use peppermint on cotton balls throughout our cabin when we close up for the winter. Haven’t seen any unwanted critters since!
We use the same in our shed. Thanks for sharing!