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5 reasons why plants love garlic

Quite a while back I wrote about all the uses for cinnamon in the garden and have been surprised at how many times that post has been viewed! It would appear that organic gardening is very popular right now and many people would rather use natural remedies then chemical, store bought ones. Who can blame them? After all any chemicals put on your garden ends up in your food, right?

garlic for use in gardens

Well I thought it was time we talked about garlic! Garlic (Allium sativum) can be used in lots of different ways in the garden also. Garlic is well known to have antimicrobial properties, but did you know it can inhibit certain fungus too? 

From chasing off herbivores to curing fungus, garlic is very versatile and of course...organic. After all who wants to be dousing their homegrown produce in chemicals, right? Especially since something natural can d the job just as well!

Plus garlic is super cheap compared to pretty much anything available in the garden center, right?

How to use garlic IN your garden


1) Critter control: rabbits, moles and deer don't like the taste of garlic at all! They also hate red pepper flakes so I started mixing the two and found it very effective. 

Crush 3-4 garlic cloves. Put in a quart mason jar with 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes. Cover with hot water, put the lid on loosely and allow to set for 2 days. Strain. Dilute with water 1 to 1 and pour into a spray bottle. 

Spray on foliage to keep grazing animals away. 

You can also sprinkle garlic powder around the perimeter of your garden to keep rabbits and squirrels away, but it will need reapplied after a heavy rain.

Garlic for garden health

2) As a fungicide: if you're having problems with mold or fungus, crush 5 cloves of garlic in a garlic press and pour a pint of boiling water over it. Let cool and strain. Dilute 1 part garlic solution to 2 parts water and spray on infected plants.

3) Late blight is similar enough to a fungus that garlic seems to help control it. Using the same recipe for fungus, spray on affected leaves lightly. I like to reapply this spray every two weeks.

4) Pest spray: The garlic and water spray from #2 works to keep away ants, fruit flies, carrot flies, aphids, cabbage loopers, leafminers, Japanese beetles and grasshoppers also. Spray on and around any plants you want to protect.

5) Companion planting: Garlic is a great companion plant since it's a natural pest and fungus deterrent. Garlic gets along with just about everything but beans and peas. Plant rows of garlic in between rows of other vegetable plants for the best results.

Garlic for the garden

I like to plant rows of garlic between rows of tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce and carrots especially. Both garlic and chives also attract beneficial insects. 

When using pesticides it's good to remember that while they do keep away the bad bugs they may keep away the good bugs too, so use sparingly. Even organic or natural pesticides are bad if they keep away pollinators and other beneficial insects. 

Nobody wants to be out there hand pollinating the zucchini, so go easy unless you see an infestation.

Another good reason to use garlic is that it isn't expensive at all, especially when compared to commercial fungicides and pesticides. I can usually find a 3 pack for around $1 at the grocery store. It might cost you a little more for organic garlic, but it shouldn't be much of a difference. 

Plus, a little goes a long way! I'm still working on the pack I bought in spring.

Of course you could just grow your own garlic....but I was slacking in fall last year and didn't get any on the ground. *sigh* It's almost time to plant the garlic again though...wish me luck!

~L



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9 comments:

  1. thanks for the great tip I will put this away and try it next growing season
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  2. garlic solution without the red pepper is better because red pepper is very harmful to animals and birds. they get in in the eye, nose and mouth and scratch till they go blind or create festers that kill them slowly.

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  3. Thanks for the tips. I'm always looking for organic ways to control things in the garden since it drains into the lake where we get our drinking water. - Margy

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    1. YW! Garlic will be perfectly safe for your water supply. Have you tried my cinnamon tricks too?

      ~L

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  4. Great tips! Shared this on twitter and G+ for ya. Thanks for joining the Dishing It and digging it link party. Have a good week!

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  5. Garlic does have a lot of medicinal qualities and as you have written many uses for gardening. It one of Nature powerful and amazing gifts. Thanks for sharing on information about garlic. Congratulations on being featured on Homestead blog hop. Tweeting & pinning.

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  6. Thank you for the information. Am having problem with ants and possums. Have tried the Cayenne and it was not as I had hoped. Coffee grounds, used, seem to be helping. I'll give it a go with the garlic.

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    1. I hope the garlic helped with your pest problems!

      Have a great night,
      Lisa

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