I'm a self-admitted lover of nature and natural gardening. When I was a boy I remember working in my Grandpa's garden. He used to call me 'Gordie The Apprentice'. Back then, before gardening was even called organic (it just was organic!), we were controlling pests the natural way.

I was impressed by how the art and science of gardening was perfectly coordinated and balanced. And as I play in my garden today, I can still hear my Grandpa's wisdoms come through my own gardening practices.

It is heartening to know that traditional organic gardening practices are 'in' again. And it's about time. I want to introduce you to some time-tested ideas for your own organic gardening enjoyment.

Pest Prevention

When looking at pest control for your organic garden, there are a variety of things to consider. The first thing to remember is that prevention is your first line of defence. Plants that are strong and healthy, grown in healthy soil, and given all they need to thrive are much less likely to submit to an insect attack.

Beneficial Predators

However, if you find your garden already infested, identifying the insects that are chomping on your prized broccoli, for example, is a crucial step. You may, in fact, have beneficial bugs such as Ladybugs, Praying Mantises, or Dragonflies that are preying on the bad boys. You definitely want to attract these bugs into your garden. Keep them content and they will stay there and work to keep the holes out of your savoy cabbage.

Companion Planting

Planting complementary varieties near each other can make each plant stronger. Also, certain plant smells will confuse the insects, and effectively control damage passively. For instance, if an insect is sniffing out your carrots, planting Dillweed amongst them will likely have the pest pass right by their favorite lunch. Garlic is a well known companion plant as well, fooling the 'sniffers' of many insects.

Non-Toxic Repellents

There is also a myriad of spray-on mixtures and insecticidal soaps that you can either purchase or make up fairly easily yourself. These usually consist of a little natural detergent, some oil for stickiness, and a camouflaging smell such as Garlic, Cayenne Pepper, Oil of Peppermint, among many others. These types of repellents need to be re-applied initially after both rain and dew. Once the infestation is under control, the application many be reduced somewhat.

This is just a taste of the vast subject of organic pest control. Just know that you have an arsenal of natural weapons at your disposal to safely deter any pests in your garden. Happy gardening!