KEEPING pesky bugs away from your garden is easier said than done sometimes.
Of course, there are products you can buy to help keep them out of your garden, but they’re often pricey and not great for other wildlife.
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That’s why Joe, who posts helpful tips and tricks on his Instagram @joesgarden.official, shared a simple hack you can use instead.
You only need two ingredients plus some water and bugs will leave your plants alone.
Joe explained: “obviously you can use bug sprays from the store, but often they will contain quite harsh and environmentally damaging chemicals. This mixture offers a completely natural alternative.”
Start by peeling a whole head of garlic, then pop them into a blender with a drop of dish soap and a splash of water.
Blend everything together until there are no more large chunks of garlic.
Then add the mixture to a large jar and fill it with more water to dilute.
“Leave it stand for at least 12 hours so the garlic can infuse the water with powerful sulphur compounds and then strain through a cloth to remove any remaining chunks,” Joe explained.
You can then add the mixture to a spray bottle – if you don’t have one you can reuse old cleaning bottles once they’re empty, just give them a good clean first.
Use the spray weekly on both sides of the leaves you want to protect and small pests and powdery mildew shouldn’t be a problem.
Joe added: “This remedy is great but I find it works as more of a deterrent than a fix if you already have an infestation.
“That being said it has cleared up quite a few small aphid groups on my plants.”
After sharing his hack on Instagram other gardening fans chimed in to share their tips.
One said: “An easier way is 500ml water, 500ml milk and about 15 drops of cinnamon essential oil! Works a treat!
Meanwhile, others thanked the gardening whizz for the trick and promised to try it out.
“Ooo didn’t know this! My plum tree is quite literally carpeted with aphids, the underside of every leaf is covered with them, the branches are crawling with them,” one commented.
Another said: “Great tip! I didn’t know garlic helped to treat powdery mildew.
“I’ll be trying this August when powdery mildew runs rampant in my area.”
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