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In the tranquil world of gardening, where soil, sunlight, and water reign supreme, we can find a surprising ally in essential oils! Beyond their traditional roles in aromatherapy and personal care, these aromatic extracts from plants have found a remarkable niche in the garden.
For Gifts of the Garden this May, we are looking at the surprising role our essential oils can play in enriching and even helping your garden thrive. From warding off pests to nurturing plant health and even enhancing the overall ambiance, essential oils have become invaluable companions to both novice and seasoned gardeners alike.
When used properly, essential oils can act as our garden’s natural defence, as they are able to repel pests and predators alike. [1]
Away with Pests!
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Whether you’re just starting your garden journey or have been a proud member of the green thumb club for a while now, you know that pests are part and parcel of cultivating a garden. Trying to ward off hungry little bugs may become annoying sometimes so if you have any essential oils on hand, perhaps you’d like to put them to the test and give those creepy crawlies in your garden a reason to walk away. To create these DIY sprays, you will need to mix essential oils with water and get to spritzing! Just make sure not to overdo the amount of essential oils!
For the most common garden pests, the following essential oils have been found incredibly effective:
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Aphids – small though they may be, aphids are top of the list when it comes to garden pests. They usually feed on plant sap, which weakens plants, causing their leaves to turn yellow and distorting their foliage. Ward off aphids with NOW Essentials Cedarwood Oil or NOW Essentials Organic Peppermint Oil.
Weevils – other common plant pests are weevils. These little bugs feed on plant parts such as leaves, stems and roots. You can usually spot their carnage because they leave behind holes in your flora, some notches and sometimes skeletonised foliage. Not only that but weevils are also known to transmit plant diseases, which can compromise the health of your whole garden. Weevils can also be warded off by cedarwood and some NOW Essentials Patchouli Oil.
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Slugs and snails – though these two bugs are not one and the same, their garden habits tend to be the same. They dwell in moist areas and usually stay away from direct sunlight. In their perches, they voraciously consume plant foliage, seedlings and even fruits, which can affect a garden’s yield. Fight these slowpokes with the use of NOW Essentials Pine Needle Oil.
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Caterpillars – they may look quite cute but caterpillars have very big appetites – which is not always a good thing for a garden! Caterpillars can harm plants by feeding on their foliage, leading to defoliation. Caterpillars may also introduce toxins or pathogens through their saliva, further damaging plant tissues and potentially causing disease in your garden.
Es-scent-tial Garden Recipes!
Fungus Suppressant [2]
Fungi in gardens can be problematic for several reasons. First, they often cause plant diseases that can lead to stunted growth, or even the death of plants. Some of these fungal infections may spread rapidly within a garden, reducing plant yields significantly.
In addition to directly harming plants, certain fungi can produce toxins that are harmful to humans and animals if ingested. For example, some mold produce mycotoxins that can contaminate fruits, vegetables, and grains, posing risks to food safety and human health.
Try this essential oil mix the next time you want to protect your garden from fungus!
INGREDIENTS:
- 20 drops NOW Essentials Organic Tea Tree Oil
- An 8 oz bottle of water
Mix this recipe and you can get spraying! Spray the top and underside of the leaves, mist stems and surrounding dirt to prevent or help cure fungal issues. Plants that are commonly susceptible to fungus are tomatoes, the squash family, cucumbers, melons, grapes, bee balm, lilacs and fruit trees.
Pollinator Attractors
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Essential oils can attract pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden by emitting fragrances that mimic the scents of flowers. If you want to attract the attention of pollinators in your garden, you can use Lemongrass Essential Oil and Orange or Lavender Essential Oils.
- The scent of lemongrass is quite similar to the scent that the pheromone of a queen bee secretes. Spraying some lemongrass essential oil mixed in with an 8-ounce bottle of water can work its magic on your garden and bring over some buzzing friends, however, do not use too much of this! [3]
For Orange Essential Oil:
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- Due to its juicy and sweet scent, orange oil has been found to be able to attract both butterflies and bees. If you want to up the ante of your orange oil attractor, you can even mix it in with rosemary oil and lavender oil! Aside from spraying, you can also add a few drops of these refreshing scents on cotton balls and place them in your pots! [4]
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- If it’s butterflies you’d like, lavender oil is the way to go! Misting your plants with some lavender oil mixed with water can help increase your chances of getting butterflies to visit your garden. Bees also find lavender scents to be quite attractive – it’s the best of both worlds! [5]
Incorporating essential oils into your gardening routine not only adds a delightful sensory dimension but also fosters a healthier, more balanced ecosystem in your green space. So, whether you're warding off pests or inviting pollinators, consider harnessing the power of nature's fragrant allies to cultivate a garden that thrives in harmony with the world around it!
References:
[1] https://www.undecoratedhome.com/post/gardening-with-essential-oils
[2] https://www.undecoratedhome.com/post/gardening-with-essential-oils
[3] https://mountainsweethoney.com/how-do-essential-oils-help-our-honey-bees/
[4] https://www.aosproduct.com/blog/Health/Best-Essential-Oils-for-Gardening#
[5] https://www.aosproduct.com/blog/Health/Best-Essential-Oils-for-Gardening#