Gardening with Essential Oils
I love using my doTERRA essential oils for everything…even gardening!
In this blog post I am sharing my absolute favorite oil tips for gardening: eliminating weeds and pests and even helping encourage plant growth and keeping soil healthy.
Quick Essential Oil Gardening Tips & Tricks
~For a simple garden tool cleaner, mix 10 drops of Tea Tree oil with 33 ounces of distilled water and add to a spray bottle. Spray on tools and wipe clean without any toxins or added chemicals.
~ To attract pollinators to your garden naturally, use Lavender essential oil. Simply add a few drops to a spray bottle, fill with water, and spray! Repeat frequently.
~ Make your own non-toxic weed killer from home using vinegar and Clove essential oil! Vinegar is used as an effective natural herbicide and weed killer while Clove essential oil works alongside to naturally rid your garden of unwanted weeds. To make, mix a full-strength vinegar with 10 drops of Clove essential oil, add to a spray bottle, and spray away! Mix well before each use.
~Bites and stings from bees, wasps, ants, and other insects are always a possibility when gardening, even for the most careful gardener. If this unfortunate occurrence happens to you, apply Lavender and Peppermint essential oil directly to the bite or sting for a soothing and comforting sensation.
~Peppermint and Geranium are both excellent oils to have on hand while gardening. Combine these oils with Fractionated Coconut Oil and apply to skin before gardening to protect yourself from ants, spiders, beetles, ticks, and fleas.
~One of the trickiest parts of building and maintaining a healthy garden is keeping pests out. Conventional insecticides contain harmful chemicals that could be dangerous to pets or family members. Luckily, essential oils contain powerful properties that can help keep your garden bug-free, the natural way. This simple DIY uses the power of Peppermint oil to ward off unwanted visitors, keeping your home and garden happy.
Ingredients
16 ounce spray bottle
15–20 drops Peppermint oil
Water
Directions
Fill a 16 ounce glass spray bottle with water, leaving an inch or so of room at the top. Add 15–20 drops of Peppermint oil and shake well before each use. Apply spray to every plant in your garden, making sure to cover the stems and undersides of leaves as well. Spray again after each rainfall.
Note: To help kill weeds, you may substitute 8 ounces of water for 8 ounces of vinegar in this DIY. If you choose to do so, do not apply directly to garden plants, and use white vinegar only. Apple cider vinegar emits a sweet smell that fruit flies love, and can make a pest problem much worse.