How To Use Essential Oils In The Garden
Last Updated on February 2, 2022 by Organic Aromas
If you love gardening, essential oils can be handy. A beautiful garden is only achieved when you follow a good care routine. Among others, you have to repel pests, attract the right pollinators and even get rid of unwanted fungus. Essential oils can help you attain your dream garden naturally. This article shows you clever ways to use these oils to make your garden magnificent.
Using Essential Oils In The Garden
1. Deal With Snails And Slugs
Are you grappling with gastropods in your garden? Snails and slugs can wreak havoc and make your gardening endeavors futile. However, a spray bottle of suitable essential oils can make this a problem of the past. The best oils to help deal with this menace naturally are pine, hyssop, cedarwood and many more. Using these oils together in a water spray bottle is the way to go. A teaspoon of the oils is enough with your spray bottle. Spray directly on the plants where the gastropods like to frequent. Use as needed and solve a big problem in a simple way.
2. Curb Fungus
Did you know that more than 80% of all plant diseases are caused by fungus? This warring statistic calls for an effective remedy. Once you realize that you have a fungus problem, act immediately to avoid dire consequences. Fungi operate by blocking the breathing pores or stomata in plants. Plants then become lifeless and this becomes evident on the plant.
One of the best essential oils to stop parasitic fungus is tea tree oil. This option is not just curactive but also prevents fungus from colonizing your garden plants. Tea tree works by killing a huge number of fungus species. One tablespoon of tea tree for every cup of water is ideal for your spray bottle. Spray directly to the affected areas or areas you want to protect. Avoid spraying leaves in very hot weather to avoid burning leaves.
3. Repel All Manner Of Insects
There are all kinds of insects that frustrate your plants. From ants to beetles and aphids, the list is long. Tackling these naturally using essential oils is safer than using harmful sprays. Peppermint oil is one of the best natural insecticides. It works on squash bugs, beetles, white flies, fleas, aphids, spiders and more.
To repel roaches, ticks and chiggers, thyme essential oil works like a charm. To deter flying insects, choose clove oil. Blending several oils in a water bottle gives you better results. Using 10 drops of each, mix clove, peppermint and rosemary oils in a water bottle and shake well. Spray on the areas you want to repel critters, crawlers and flying pests.
4. Discourage Pets From Garden
Cats and dogs can ruin your delightful garden with their litter. This is more pertinent when you have an herbs and vegetables garden. To effectively dissuade pets from your garden, use essential oils. To begin with, cats do not like the smell of rosemary. Therefore, using a spraying bottle with this oil can greatly keep unwanted cats at bay.
When you want to prevent larger pets like dogs, black pepper essential oil will be more effective. Their delicate noses cannot stand the oil. You can use strings or pieces of cloth soaked in this oil around your garden to prevent pets from invading your garden.
5. Keep Rodents Away
When you have a vermin issue, you have to repulse them accordingly. Rodents such as mice hate the smell of peppermint. To this end, you can soak some cotton balls in the oil and apply at entrances of mouse holes and squirrel nests. This action will lead to rodent relocation.
6. Entice Pollinators
Natural pollinators like bees are essential for your garden. To attract them, use pleasant scents of essential oils. One of the most notable scents that attracts pollinators is orange blossom essential oil also known as neroli oil. There are many other great oils to use including sage, basil, marjoram, lavender and more. If you wish to draw a variety of beautiful butterflies in your garden, consider fennel, yarrow, helichrysum and others.
7. Set The Mood In Your Garden
A beautiful garden is healing to the soul and relaxes you. Take this feeling to the next level by setting the mood with essential oils. An essential oil burner in your garden takes aromatherapy to a new height. Create a calming haven by using your preferred oils like lavender, geranium and more.
8. Attend To Stings And Bites
When gardening, you cannot escape the occasional sting or bite. Ants, wasps and bees sting hard and you need to act fast. Lavender and chamomile oils can treat these bites effectively. Basil oil is also awesome in soothing the skin for relief. Use jojoba carrier oil to dilute essential oils before applying to the affected area.
Final Thoughts
Essential oils are highly versatile – they seem to answer every problem. For the keen gardener, using natural solutions to get rid of pests is key. In addition to the examples above, garlic oil is another excellent pest repellant. Other options are lemongrass, cajeput and citronella oils. If you don’t have a garden and have the passion for it, get started and use essential oils to achieve the best results naturally.
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I swear by peppermint oil for nausea.
Great tips
This is great information. We struggle with aphids every year so I was pleased to read that peppermint oil can help.
Aromatherapy is the best. Tranquillity at its finest
interesting
Never realised I could rid my garden of snails and slugs ! Definitely will try this season
Thank you so much for these helpful tips.
I haven’t tried using essential oils in the garden. Can’t wait!
I had no idea Essential Oils could kill garden bugs
I use the peppermint in my garage to keep the mice out.
This is what we need. To many rodents and insects in the house.
Essential oils for pests in the garden, who knew – something to try
Lots of great uses. Thanks for the info.
Fantastic information! Can’t wait to give them a try
Thanks for the tips!
Great ideas
Great tips. Hopefully this will take care of my pest problems in the garden
I love Peppermint, so to hear the uses of it especially in the garden is so helpful
looks like i will need to add essential oils to my garden seed kit this year. i hope it keeps away bugs mold and rodents. these little mosnters have eaten my plants before they could mature. its heart wrenching to loose my entire garden just as it starts to grow.
Thank you for all these helpful tips
I really love the info and I’ve actually tried the Tea Tree Oil in my garden and it does work. I’m going to try out some of the other mixes.
Love the advice on repelling insects. Thanks! That will come in handy.
Oh WOW! These are all really great tips! I knew there were a thousand uses for peppermint oil! And I also really appreciate the one for snails. I’m going to try spraying some pine and some other essential oils to see if it helps my garden grow without the threat of pests! Thx so much for this! I’m gonna print this page out and use it as a Garden Guide. Thank you!!
Wow – black pepper and peppermint. These are getting added to my to-do list!
Good luck everyone.
Interesting read. I’ve actually used peppermint cotton balls under my floorboards and in cupboards before to deter mice. I generally have to be super careful though when it comes to essential oils as quite a few are toxic to cats which I have.
very interesting. I will definitely try this.
we have a new puppy and I plan to use your tips this summer and also with some of my indoor plants which my puppy seems to love
this is great information…I did not realize all the aromatherapy and essential oils can do…
I enjoyed this very much! It was very interesting.
Sounds cool to use essential oils in the garden will they really keep the rodents away
I am going to try peppermint oil to keep the mouse away
Can’t wait to try these tips out in my garden this year, thank you so much!!!
Very useful information. I will definitely use essential oils
In my home and garden.
i like those beneficial tips, and it was a great explanation.
I have used hot pepper spread over my garden. This gives me more ideas to use in my garden. Thank you.
Fantastic information.
Who’d of ever thought of all these possibilities !!
Great tips.
i always thought of essential oils as a personal home use this, so this is good information.
I am really bad at gardening or keeping any plants alive lol so thanks for the tips with using essential oils. Plus I like that it isn’t harmful to humans as well.
Great way to deal with garden pests naturally!
I love these suggestions! I can’t wait to try some this spring!
Great reading it. Great ideas
Excellent ideas indeed. Thanks for sharing them with us 🙂
Cheers
I never thought about essential oils for my garden. Bugs love plants.
great information. I never thought you could use the oils in the garden!
I don’t have a garden
Can curly leaf in fruit trees be treated with an essential oil?
Thanks for sharing much information! It helps a lot.
good to know
I had no idea essential oils can be used in our gardens. Great article, thank you!
Great ideas for the use of essential oils in our gardens. Fantastic information.
These are great ideas to help out in the garden.
Thanks for the share. I had no idea we could use it in the garden.
Very nice ideas!
Wow, great information! I never knew essential oils could be used in the garden! I have a garden and I’m excited to try this out!
This is very interesting I will try some of these
WOW LOVE THESE TIPS ,,, DIDNÈT KNOW ABOUT THE RODENTS ONE
blows my mind I never would have thought about using oil in the garden/flower beds. I always hated slugs getting in my flowers not to mention cats using it as litter box.
I’m going to try the peppermint. The squirrels ate the whole veggie garden last year
cool
Great infos, I want to try peppermint against rodents! 🙂
thanks for the tricks, i will try to grow in my garden
I never thought of using essential oils in the garden.
This is great info! I haven’t tried using essential oils in the garden before!
Fantastic info, can’t wait to try them out!
It seems like peppermint oil would be really beneficial in the garden.
I never would’ve guessed you could use essential oils in the garden. Thank you for the garden tips.
Wow. This was a fun read. I never thought of using oils in the garden and outside like this. I have never heard of black pepper essential oil and I wonder where it can be purchased.