Protecting Your Trees Near Me.
Been trying one thing after another to keep your garden and trees free of pests.
Free of diseases yet nothing seems to be working very well?
Stop using all of that store-bought stuff and all of those chemicals in your garden and try some of these natural remedies instead.
Keep in mind that any treatment will usually take at least two – to – four weeks before you see some kind of results.
PROTECTING FROM DISEASES & PESTS
_Cleaning_
You need to properly sanitize because this is one of the main ways of making sure to keep your garden clean. Clean up any trash or cut leaves and grass. This leaves nowhere for those pesky pests or diseases to hide. That alone gives major protection to your garden.
_Strong Fences_
Are you having the larger pests too? Ones like deer and foxes? If so then you may need to build a fence to keep them out. Since they will have such a difficult time getting to your plants, they will go elsewhere where it’s easier for them.
_Insects (the good kind)_
The easiest way to get rid of insects is to bring good insects into your garden. Good insects include hoverflies, ladybugs, honeybees, lacewings, dragonflies, and praying mantis. If you can get bas attracted to your garden, they love eating bugs!
_Big Bugs Be Gone_
If you find bugs like cabbage worms, slugs, squash bugs, or any of the bigger bugs, just pick them out by hand and get them out of your garden.
_Sick Plants Go Away_
If you see any sick plants in your garden, whether it be by bugs feasting on them on disease, get rid of them. Do not compost them or try to help them, just get them out of your garden, you don’t want the disease to spread.
_Spray Natural_
There are sprays that you can make at home that will work better than store-bought sprays. Things like salt spray, mineral oil spray, or garlic spray that you spray on your plants will usually make pests run away.
_Coverings_
If you only have a couple of plants that you need to protect then just cover them. Buy some of the wire teepee-looking protection that is used for tomato plants and put over them then cover those with a sheet or blanket.
_Netting_
As much as we love birds they can be a huge pest in your garden if you’re growing any kind of berries. To combat the birds, buy some netting and cover your berry plants. The birds cannot get to them and when you’re ready to harvest just remove the netting.
_Space In Between_
You need to space your plants apart when you plant them. If you don’t have enough airflow between the plants, it can be a breeding area for all kinds of diseases.
_Don’t Water Foliage_
Make sure to water your plants at the base instead of watering the leaves. When you get the leaves wet it helps to spread diseases to all your plants.
_Rotation_
Make sure to move your garden every few years when possible. Leaving it in the exact same place helps the pests to find it easier. Leaving it in the same place also encourages diseases to get into the roots of your plants.
_Time To Boost_
If you have moisture problems it can cause your plants to get diseases. You need to have your soil tested and alter it as needed so that it drains really well and will feed your plants properly.
_Mulching Time_
Mulching will keep dirt away from the plant’s stem so water can get to it. Make sure t always mulch around the bottom of your plant.
_Pull Them Weeds_
Weeds are bad for so many reasons but one of the main reasons is because disease and pests have a breeding ground in the weeds and they also get to the nutrients and take it away from your plants.
_Cold Pepper Soapy Water_
If you can’t seem to get rid of the little pests in your garden, try spraying soapy water with pepper included in it. It makes the plants less attractive to pests.
_Cold Baking Soda & Vinegar Water_
For an organic garden that has fungus in it, spray water that is mixed with soap, vinegar, and baking soda. This is a natural fungicide!
_Cold Water Milky Soap_
If you are growing grapes and there is powder-type mildew on the plant then spray them with soapy water mixed with milk and you’ll have a natural remedy for this disease.
_Give Them Eggs!! (shells)_
Throw crushed eggshells around the outskirts of your garden. When the pests crawl over them, it cuts them to shreds and saves your plants.
_Herbs_
There are certain herbs that pests do not like! So put some of these growing in your garden. Herbs like basil, fennel, mint, and lemongrass should do the trick.
_Natural Poison_
Things like flour, salt, and beer are deadly to pests. Just spritz your plants with any of these and watch the pests drop!
PROTECTION FROM WINTER
_Bring Them Inside_
Since potted plants seem to be affected more by the colder weather, simply bring them inside.
_Cover Them_
For potted plants being left outside, insulated them. Bubble wrap works perfectly!
_Mulching_
For plants in the ground, add a thicker layer of mulch, about six – inches to keep them warm. Things crushed leaves, pine straw, or wood shavings are the best.
_Get Rid Of The Snow_
Make sure to knock any and all snow off of the branches of your trees. It adds extra weight that can cause your branches to break. Use a broom and sweep gently so you don’t cause injury to the branches.
_Temp Shelter_
Build a frame with wooden poles and place a polythene sheet over it. Put rocks or something of equal weight around the bottom on the ground, leaving a tiny gap on one of the corners for airflow.
_Don’t Step On The Grass!_
Since you really can’t cover all of your lawn, try not stepping on the grass during the winter. It causes the blades to break even if they are sleeping (dormant) and can end up causing problems with their roots.
_Don’t Water The Plant (water the soil)_
A soil that is moist will hold in the heat a lot more than dry soil does. However, if your water while the ground is frozen, this will cause other problems because when it freezes it causes your soil to get hard and will cause your roots to be choked.
This guide should help you to protect any and all plants and trees during the winter. It might be just a little time-consuming, but it is definitely worth it!
