Gardening is tricky enough without bugs getting to chow down on your precious crops before you do. But, that's all part of organic gardening.
Instead of turning to harsh chemicals to keep bugs away, Instagrammer JoesGarden (@joesgarden.official) offers two easy and natural solutions to keep your garden pest-free.
The scoop
Joe's hacks tackle common culprits for damaged plants: slugs and snails, flies, aphids, and smaller insects.
If you notice slugs and snails in your garden or their bite marks on your leaves, all you need is a small container and some beer. According to Joe, all you do is bury the container near the affected plants up to its opening, then pour in a little beer.
"This will help attract the slugs, which will keep them away from your prized crops," he explains.
Next up is small critters that may like to lay eggs on your leaves, like flies and aphids. For this hack, you'll chop up three or four cloves of garlic, some onion, and a hot pepper. Place those three ingredients into a large container and fill it up with water. Once you've left the liquid to steep for a few days, strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth into a spray bottle.
"The powerful aromas in the liquid act as a natural bug repellent, which you can spray onto your leaves once a week," Joe says.
How it's helping
Using harsh chemicals like pesticides in your garden means you may end up ingesting some of them, even if you wash carefully. Spraying pesticides also means the chemicals get into the air, soil, and waterways due to runoff.
But Joe sums up why these alternative hacks are so beneficial to you, your neighbors, and your ecosystem.
"Using extreme chemicals isn't great for you, your garden, or the local ecosystem, so please try to avoid them where possible," the caption read. "The best pest control is an organic and balanced garden where natural predators do the work for you. By using these methods and avoiding chemicals, you can help build up a natural balance in your garden too."
What everyone's saying
What's not to love about an organic way to save your garden?
"I LOVE all the advice you're giving and the wisdom you're sharing!!" one person commented. "Thanks so much, it's so helpful."
"Wow, these sound amazing!" another said. "Gonna try them both. Thank you!!"
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