Given the increasing global use of commercial pesticides and the insecticidal immunity and resistance that many bugs have developed in response, gardeners sometimes have to think a bit outside the box when it comes to pest management, especially those of us who wish to garden organically. For this reason, I’m a big proponent of natural…
Wherever you live, you’ve probably seen these little bugs. As a child, I called them “rollie pollies” or doodle bugs, but as I got older, I learned that most people refer to them as pill bugs. Members of the family Armadillidiidae, pill bugs are a type of woodlice that thrive in damp areas, particularly among…
Last year, I set aside one of my raised garden beds for herbs, but I decided to intermix radishes, kale, lettuce, and spinach to make the most of the space. Everything was taking off, but out of nowhere, aphids and spider mites showed up and started proliferating. Whenever that happens, I normally pull out the…
Over the past few years, I’ve come to love neem oil. It’s derived from neem trees (Azadirachta indica), which are native to Africa and Southeast Asia, and it contains a natural chemical compound called azadirachtin that wreaks havoc on over 200 destructive bugs. When bugs pierce or munch on plant foliage that’s been coated in…
Neem oil is an incredible natural insecticide that will repel, harm, or kill over 200 different kinds of pests. But what happens to earthworms when you spray your plants with neem oil? Are they harmed in any way? Neem oil won’t harm or kill earthworms unless it’s applied in excessively high doses. If applied in…
If your garden plants have ever been torn up by armyworms, then you know firsthand what a nuisance they can be. These pests are the larval form of dullish brown moths, and although the moth is perfectly harmless in and around the garden, its larvae can be particularly destructive to both gardens and lawns. One…
I like harvesting my vegetables whenever I feel like eating them. I also like spraying my plants with neem oil to keep aphids, spider mites, and other bad bugs from taking over. So what do you do if you’re recently sprayed your plants with neem oil but need to harvest some veggies for an upcoming…
Have you ever unintentionally doused your plants in neem oil? Maybe you got carried away and accidentally used your garden sprayer way too much? Neem oil is an incredible organic insecticide, given the ways that its primary ingredient (a natural chemical compound known as azadirachtin) disrupts insects’ feeding, hormonal, and reproductive patterns. But it can…
A few years back, I began using neem oil in my garden to get rid of aphids and spider mites, and I’ve come to love it. Neem oil has natural insecticidal qualities, and I’ve had lots of success with it, especially when it comes to keeping my tomato plants as pest free as possible. But…
When spring rolls around each year, I’m always excited to see the first ladybugs hanging around my garden. But my garden usually needs more help than ladybugs alone can provide (especially against pesky spider mites), so this is why I so often turn to neem oil to help repel and get rid of nasty bugs….
