Choosing the right pesticide is always a bit challenging. Organic pesticides are one of the best alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides. These organic products help to control pests without harming humans and other animals. Natural pest control for vegetables contains natural ingredients that help to minimise and eliminate infestation of such pests like spider mites, slugs, and plant eating insects. They are particularly effective during the growing season. Pests can be a problem for your vegetable garden. A lot of these pests will come from insects that have at some point or another been in or around your house or outside. This is why you also have to make sure that you prevent them from coming into your vegetable garden by sealing off any cracks and holes where they may find a way in. You don’t want to use pesticides in your vegetable garden because they may kill the natural predators which can in the long term lead to an increased number of the insects you are fighting against.

Natural Pest Control For Your Vegetable Garden

Organic Pesticides

Neem oil is a potent insecticide that can be used to kill aphids, whiteflies, scale insects and mites. You can buy neem oil in your local garden center or make your own by using the neem tree as a source of the oil. Simply peel off the bark from a neem tree and crush it with a mortar and pestle. Then add water to make a paste, which you then strain through several layers of cheesecloth until all that remains is pure neem oil!

Neem oil should be diluted with water before applying it to plants so as not to burn them; after dilution it can be sprayed directly onto leaves where pests are present for best results (spray twice per week).

Companion Planting

Companion planting is a way to control pests and increase the productivity of your vegetable garden by using the natural ecosystem around it. The most common types of companion planting are herbivores, predatory insects, and parasites.

Herbivores:

• Marigolds
• Onions
• Garlic

Predatory insects: * Ladybugs (eat aphids) * Lacewings (eat aphids) * Wasps (eat caterpillars) Parasites: * Nematodes (eat root-knot nematodes)

Physical Barriers

Physical barriers are a good way to keep pests out of your vegetable garden, but they can be expensive and time-consuming. Here’s what you need to know about some of the most effective physical barriers:

• Fencing – If you have an area with tall grass or weeds that would make it easy for rodents to hide, fencing will help keep them out. You can also use fencing as part of a larger barrier system, such as an electric fence (which we’ll talk about in the next section).
• Netting – This is another way to keep rodents and insects from entering your vegetable garden—but it can be difficult and expensive if you don’t already have netting lying around in your barn or garage that’s meant for other purposes! Netting should be installed at least 1 foot above ground level by attaching it securely at each corner using nails or screws every 6 inches along each side. If there are any holes left over after installation, consider covering those with wire mesh so nothing gets through!
• Row covers – These plastic sheets fit right over top of plants and trap heat within them; this helps protect against frost damage during cold spells but also keeps out pesky pests like aphids by keeping them away from vulnerable plants beneath its surface coverage area.”

Water, Water And More Water

Watering your vegetable garden is perhaps the most important step in any pest control strategy, and for good reason. Watering not only keeps plants hydrated and healthy, but it also helps to keep pests at bay by making their environment unlivable.

If you have enough space to create a separate area where you can water the soil without over-watering the vegetable garden itself, this is ideal because it allows you to increase the likelihood of developing natural predators while reducing exposure to harmful chemicals that may come into contact with your veggies if they’re sprayed directly onto them.

You’ll want to water both sides of your fence so that bugs have nowhere else to go as they try to escape!

Mulch, Mulch And More Mulch

Mulch is a layer of material that’s applied to the surface of the soil. It can be as simple as grass clippings, leaves and other materials commonly found in your yard. Mulch serves several purposes:

• It helps to protect your garden from erosion by keeping water in place so it doesn’t run off too quickly. If you don’t mulch your vegetables, they’ll likely dry out more quickly and become infested with pests because the moisture won’t be retained well enough for them to thrive.
• The organic matter used as mulch adds nutrients back into the soil where they are needed most – right at ground level where plants need them most! This is especially helpful if you’re growing vegetables in raised beds or containers where it is difficult for nutrients from deep below ground level reach those portions closest to us (which tend not be near any plants).
• The best part about using mulch? It’s free! If you just can’t afford commercial weed killer products then try making one yourself instead!

Safflower Oil

Safflower oil is a natural insecticide. It works by smothering the insects, and is harmless to beneficial insects like bees. You can use it as directed on the bottle, but you should be aware that it has a long residual effect, so don’t spray anything for at least two weeks after applying.

Hand Pick

• Don’t let pests get ahead of you.

If you see an insect or other pest, grab it right away. If you wait and then come back later to pick it up, it will probably have laid its eggs by then, which means that you’re going to have to deal with even more bugs than before!

• Get them when they’re small.

The smaller the pest is, the easier it is for you to kill off without any harm coming back onto your veggies—and remember: larger pests need more effort than smaller ones do! This goes double if they’re babies (but don’t worry—even if they’re full-grown adults).

• Don’t pick them in your house.

No matter how tempting it may be because of how gorgeous those little green caterpillars were when crawling across your lettuce leaves this morning (or however else someone might feel about picking insects), please do not bring any unwanted guests into your home! It’s simply not safe for anyone involved—especially since many pests carry diseases such as salmonella and ecoli along with them wherever they go. Plus there’s no need since there are plenty of other ways we can deal with unwanted visitors besides carting them around on our person at all times; we’ll discuss those next time around instead 🙂

You can control pests in your garden without using chemical pesticides.

The use of companion plants is one of the most effective ways to control pests in your garden. Companion planting involves planting certain plants together so that they help each other out. For example, you can plant marigolds among your tomatoes because the marigolds repel pests like hornworms and tomato worms.

Another way to control pests without using pesticides is through physical barriers. You may want to consider using butterfly weed or straw mulch around your vegetable beds as a natural barrier against slugs and snails. In addition, using water-filled plastic bottles can deter pests such as squirrels from eating your crops (a common problem when growing corn).

Finally, if all else fails and you need a chemical pesticide, there are some natural alternatives on the market today—including safflower oil spray!