Toxin-Free Gardening

I live and garden in Central Texas. This means we've got our hands full with critters and creatures of all dietary needs. I've found a few great tricks for keeping them out of our backyard garden, without the use of harmful chemicals!

Pest-Free Gardening

To deter squirrels & rodents (aka tomato-snatchers): 
1 16 oz spray bottle (plastic is fine)
2 cups of water
1 tsp of Pure Castile Soap (I buy Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps)
10 drops Lemongrass essential oil
15 drops Peppermint essential oil

Directions: Shake before use. Spritz your garden (especially any tomatoes or vegetables at risk of being snatched) every few days and especially after rain. 

To deter varieties of garden pests:
1 16 oz spray bottle (plastic is fine)
2 cups of water
1 tsp of Pure Castile Soap (I buy Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps)
5 drops Thieves essential oil blend
5 drops Purification essential oil blend
5 drops Peppermint essential oil
5 drops Thyme essential oil
5 drops Patchouli essential oil

Directions: Shake before use. Spritz your garden (especially any tomatoes or vegetables at risk of being snatched) every few days and especially after rain. 

For a more intense focus on specific offenders, select ONE of the following recipes per spray bottle: 

• Ants: 25 drops of Peppermint
• Aphids: 10 drops each of Peppermint, Spearmint, and Purification
• Beetles: 10 drop each of Peppermint and Thyme
• Caterpillars: 25 drops of Peppermint
• Chiggers: 10 drops each of Lavender, Lemongrass and Thyme
• Cutworm: 25 drops of Thyme
• Fleas: 10 drops each of Lavender, Lemongrass and Peppermint
• Flies: 10 drops each of Lavender, Peppermint, and Thieves
• Gnats: 25 drops of Patchouli
• Mosquitoes: 10 drops each of Thieves, Purification, and Citronella
• Moths: 25 drops of Patchouli
• Plant Lice: 25 drops of Peppermint
• Roaches: 15 drops each of Peppermint and Cypress
• Slugs: 25 drops of Cedarwood
• Snails: 10 drops each of Cedarwood, Citronella, and Patchouli
• Spiders: 25 drops of Peppermint
• Ticks: 10 drops each of Lavender, Lemongrass and Thyme
• ​Weevels: 15 drops each of Patchouli and Sandalwood

As always, be careful to select 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils to be sure you are breathing, lathering, and consuming only the safest and purest of oils. Understanding the different Grades of Oils is paramount when learning to live an essential oil-infused lifestyle.

To read more about the oils we use in my household, read this post about why we chose Young Living Essential Oils.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Young Living products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Related Topics:

• DIY & Toxin-Free Bug Spray
• Backyard Market Box Gardens
• Fruit & Veggie Wash