Essential Oils in the Garden
The sun is shining again, which means it’s time to tend to your beloved plants! While we prepare our gardens for a bright and sunny season, nothing quite dampens the spirit of things like unwelcome pests and fungal blight. From aphids to mold, essential oils can help bolster the health of your spring garden. Below are some of our favorite methods to keep gardens happy.
One of the strongest champions for your garden is Neem carrier oil. Acting as a potent insecticide, Neem can repel and manage the presence of over 200 species of garden-destroying bug species, including aphids, mites, snails, moths and gnats. It also acts as an antifungal that supports soil while remaining friendly to birds, bees, ladybugs and other wildlife (as long as they are not sprayed directly).
To spray your plants using Neem, add about 1.5 tablespoons of the carrier oil with ½ a teaspoon of castile soap to a gallon of water. Be careful not to spray directly onto friendly bugs, and avoid spraying your plants in direct sunlight or hot weather. Be sure to coat the leaves on the top and undersides, and even spray a little bit on to the soil.
Essential Oils
Our favorite essential oils for gardening keep pests away while simultaneously supporting the health of your precious plants, indoor and out. Basil, Lavender, Helichrysum and Hyssop can all attract welcome guests like bees and butterflies while driving away mosquitoes and opportunistic flies.
Here a few other essential oils and their areas of expertise:
- Tea Tree: fights mold and fungus
- Peppermint: repels ants, aphids, beetles, moths and spiders
- Basil: repels flies and supports vegetable plant health
- Lavender: attracts pollinators; repels mosquitoes, chiggers and ticks
- Cedarwood: repels roaches, slugs and snails
Tips & Tricks
- Making a beneficial spray is as easy as adding 10 drops of essential oil to a gallon of water with a couple drops of castile soap. If a spray bottle is preferred, you can also add 2-3 drops of EO for every cup of water used, plus a drop of castile soap.
- Mix the essential oil combination of your choice into Epsom salt and add a layer around your garden. The plants will thank you for the magnesium boost as well.
- We recommend spraying your plants for preventative purposes every 1-2 weeks, and every 3 days for a week or two to combat a specific pest issue.
- Similar to Neem oil, we recommend that you spray your plants when the sun is setting and the weather is not too hot. You may want to spot check your spray on one particular leaf to ensure it does not have a negative reaction.
- Research, research, research! There are tons of tried-and-true recommendations all over the internet. Find what works for your particular garden.
About the Author, Jenna Jones
Jenna Jones is the Chief Marketing Officer of Edens Garden. Jenna’s background in journalism led her to investigate the world of essential oils, and what she discovered inspired her. She joined the team in 2016, spurring Edens Garden into a leading source for aromatherapy education.
This article was reviewed by our Lead Aromatherapist,
Bella Martinez is a Certified Aromatherapist, Natural Skincare Formulator and Edens Garden’s lead aromatherapist. An industry expert, Bella has spent years training and learning in the aromatherapy field, which she continues annually. Her passion is taking evidence-based aromatherapy and making it approachable for all.
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2 comments
Rowena Mould
I have an Aquaponics system and am concerned about using oils as they could be harmful to our Tilapia. Any advice would be appreciated.
Edens Garden
July 12, 2021 at 9:07 am
Hi Rowena! Fish don’t metabolize essential oils the same way humans do, therefore we don’t suggest using essential oils on or near your aquaponics system.