14 easy ways to rid your organic garden of pests and diseases

Creating your own organic garden can take a lot of work and getting rid of pests and diseases can be tough when avoiding synthetic chemicals. Getting rid of them can be as simple as properly identifying the pest or disease and proceeding with an organic treatment that rids your garden of the problem. Here are some safe and easy methods of dealing with pests and diseases in your organic garden.

There are many simple, direct and inexpensive ways of dealing with common vegetable garden pests and diseases.

• A saucer of beer will lure snails and slugs to crawl in and drown.
• A sprinkling of sawdust around seedlings will deter snails and slugs.
• Make a spray by boiling rhubarb leaves in water, then dilute this mixture with four parts of water — it deters both aphids and caterpillars.
• Sprays based on derivatives of the pyrethrum plant are effective against many leaf-chewing insects.
• White oil is useful for controlling scale insects on shrubs and fruit trees. Do not apply to trees that are about to fruit.
• Wood ashes thrown into trees affected by pear and cherry slug will '"dry out" the pests and kill them.
• A cardboard barrier around the trunk of fruit trees is a simple method of controlling codling moth, which climbs from the ground up the trunk; its path is stopped by a smooth surface. There are also some commercially-made tapes for this purpose.
• Control borers in fruit trees by cutting off and burning the affected branch or branches. If the trunk is affected, scrape away the gum from the infected area with a knife and poke inside the borer holes every few days to squash grubs.
• Boards placed between rows in the vegetable garden will be a haven for snails and slugs — turn them over once a day, squash the pests and, like any other organic material, return them to the garden.

• A garlic spray wards off caterpillars and aphids. Combine 225 millilitres (one cup) of chopped garlic with 10 millilitres of mineral oil, and allow to soak for two days. Add 500 millilitres (two cups) of water, and leave to soak for a few hours. Strain, and store in an airtight container. To use, dilute with six parts of water.
• A chive spray reduces mildew on zucchini and squash plants. Combine 225 millilitres (one cup) of chopped chives and 750 millilitres (three cups) of boiling water. Allow to steep, then strain and spray diluted with one part of water.
• A chamomile spray reduces damping-off fungus and powdery mildew. Combine 500 millilitres (one cup) of chamomile leaves and 750 millilitres (three cups) of boiling water. Steep, strain and allow to cool. Dilute with equal parts of water.
• A seaweed spray combats mildew. Quarter-fill a garbage can with fresh seaweed. Cover with water, and allow to brew for two weeks. Dilute the liquid for spraying. (The seaweed residue can be used as mulch or added to the compost.)
• Nasturtium spray controls woolly aphids. Combine 500 millilitres (one cup) of nasturtium leaves with 250 millilitres (one cup) of water and boil gently for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and dilute with equal parts of water before spraying.

These-easy-to-use methods of pest and disease control are often effective and easy to perform. In return, you  and your family will enjoy a healthier, more fruitful garden.