Home Tip Tuesday: Green Pest Control for the Lawn and Garden

 Use beneficial insects, natural products, and smart practices to get a great yard naturally.

You can have that lush lawn and those beautiful flower beds you crave without putting chemicals on your grass, shrubs, and garden beds. Natural lawn and yard care practices incorporate beneficial insects, natural products, and smart practices to keep pests out of the garden - and chemicals out of your home. Learn how to get a pest-free yard the natural way. 



Green Lawn Care Pest Control 

Use organic fertilizer - Grass will be less susceptible to pests when it is healthy, so fertilizing your lawn is key. Switching from chemical to organic fertilizer can keep your grass healthy and happy. Place grass clippings on your lawn for a natural mulch, or try spreading compost on the lawn. 

Try milky spore for lawn grubs - If lawn grubs trouble you, try milky spore instead of reaching for the chemicals. Spread the natural product on your soil. The grubs will contract a disease and die, leaving your lawn pest-free. 

Aerate the lawn - When thatch develops on your lawn, pests soon follow. Simply by aerating your lawn, you will make the lawn less hospitable to pests. If this measure is not enough, introduce ladybugs into the garden.


Keep the garden clean to avoid pests.

Green Garden Pest Control 

Plant beneficial flowers and herbs - Flowers like cosmos, sweet alyssum, and nasturtium attract butterflies, moths, and winged insects that eat plant pests. By incorporating some of these in your garden, you can attract the good guys and keep the bad bugs out. 

Prune pest-infected plants - A simple solution is to watch garden plants and remove the parts of plants that show signs of pest infestation. By plucking infected leaves at the first sight of an aphid infestation, or manually removing tomato hookworms and other bad bugs, you'll reduce the pest presence and keep plants happier. 

Keep the garden clean - Develop a habit of cleaning up after plants and removing all plant debris. Plant matter that is infected or diseased should be thrown away; healthy plant clippings can be composted. By removing this plant matter in your yard, you can help deter pests. 

Use neem oil - A natural insecticide, neem oil is effective and safe for use in the garden. Neem oil is shown to be effective against mites, whiteflies, scale, mealybugs, and other pests. It also acts as a fungicide. 

Work through these solutions to keep the lawn and garden healthy. Natural solutions may take some time to work, but they are proven effective and great for the environment. For more landscaping tips to keep your home looking its best year round, check out homechanneltv.com