It’s truly rare to find people who grow tomatoes in their garden who haven’t had to deal with a pest issue even once.
It’s almost like tomatoes and pests go hand in hand…
In this article, we’ll go over a few natural pest control tips and tricks that really work. Some of them you can even make at home!
So, without wasting further time, let’s get straight into it!
5 Natural Pest Control For Tomatoes That Really Work
5 – Garlic Spray
Garlic has been used as a natural pesticide in crop fields for centuries. Its strong overpowering scent makes plants unattractive to pests and wards them off in no time.
For convenient use, blend a few garlic cloves with water and put the mixture in a large spray bottle. Spray your tomato plants with the mixture once in a while and let the natural pest-repellent properties of garlic work their magic.
4 – Companion Planting
Companion planting is a gardening concept that involves pairing two or more plants in the garden so that they can benefit from each other’s unique properties.
To protect your tomatoes from pests, consider planting either marigolds or basil in the same radius. Because these plants and herbs have a stronger scent that’s often unpleasant to pests, they can be a viable long-term fix for pest problems in the garden.
3 – Diatomaceous Earth Powder
I’ve praised DE powder in a lot of my articles. It’s an excellent pest-repellent that works wonders for eliminating pests and insects from the garden in a relatively short period of time. And, although the name might make it sound like it’s something complicated, it’s really not because diatomaceous earth is just a powder made from fossilized sea algae.
In terms of usage, simply dust a thin layer of DE powder on your tomato plants and fruits and let it dehydrate and eliminate all pests in no time.
2 – Neem Oil Spray
Neem oil is another incredible pest repellent that can bring change to the pest situation in your garden fairly quick. It contains a compound called azadirachtin which disrupts the hormonal system of insects and interferes with their ability to function well. Neem also has a very strong scent, meaning pests naturally find it unpleasant.
To make a neem oil spray for ease of use, add a tablespoon of neem oil to a gallon of water and spray your tomato plants as well as developing fruits with it once every 1-2 weeks.
1 – Soap & Water
Soap and water is the classic pest-elimination combo that’s time-proven and incredibly effective. If aphids and caterpillars are wreaking havoc in your garden, just soap and water is enough to wipe them out entirely.
To create the solution, add some non-toxic liquid soap to a gallon of water and transfer it to a spray bottle. For the best results, spray the solution directly onto the pests.
Final Words
Even though it may seem impossible to get rid of pests as long as you have tomatoes in your garden, with the right approach, you can eliminate them and create a safe space for your tomato plants to grow and fruit.
Use natural pesticide solutions to your advantage and play around with different plant pairings in the garden to see what effect they have on pest activity. It’s really trial and error that will save your plants.
