If you are passionate about gardening, you probably spend every free minute in taking care of your plants. You have several subscriptions for specialised magazines and you keep yourself informed about the most effective detergents that would help you preserve it in a fantastic condition. On the other hand, gardening can be an expensive hobby as you have to invest in fertilisers, turf and various products for pest control. If you are fed up with being a regular customer at the gardening department at the home improvement store, you should definitely read on and get to know some proven eco-friendly solutions for protecting your plants again pests:

• The most experienced gardeners use tomato leaf spray for fighting mites and aphids. What makes it so effective is the fact that tomato leaves contain alkaloids that eliminate insects.
• If you are used to pouring yourself a cup of a refreshing fizzy drink after completing a challenging gardening project, you probably keep a bottle of coke in the fridge. Well, you might be surprised to find out that cola is an effective window cleaning solution as well as an excellent bug slayer. If you have to eliminate ants, cockroaches, slugs, all you need to do is to spray some coke on the affected areas. Of course, don`t miss to clean your windows so you can enjoy the perfect view of your flower beds from your bedroom!
• Garlic can also help you keep the intruders at bay. It is a fantastic insect repellent. What you need to do is to mix a few cloves of garlic with one tbsp of mineral oil. Leave the mixture sit overnight and strain the garlic cloves out of the mineral oil. Then, take a spray bottle and transfer the mineral oil into it. Next, you have to add some water and a few drops of your dishwashing liquid. Shake well and spray on the affected areas/ plants. Aphids, beetles, whiteflies have no chance of survival. There is one important thing to remember. Don’t treat the plants with the garlic-based spray on a sunny day or you risk doing more harm than good to your garden.
• Alternatively, you can prepare the above-mentioned solution by substituting the garlic with hot pepper sauce. This is yet another effective pest control recipe as the hot pepper contains capsaicin. The latter is irritating to both humans and insects so be careful with that!
• Even if you use a mild dishwashing detergent, you have to be aware of the fact that it contains some chemicals. After all, there is no homemade cleaning solution capable of lifting grease in a couple of seconds. Yet, the harmful ingredients are in reasonable quantities and they do not pose a threat to you. However, they can lead to a lethal outcome for the bugs that have invaded your garden. You just need to prepare a basic solution of water and dishwashing liquid. Shake well and apply a moderate amount to the leaves. The soap will dissolve the outer coating of the insects and kills them.
• Beer is a popular alcoholic beverage for a reason. It is refreshing and tasty and you should not shy away from sharing a cup or two with friends after a tiresome day. As for its gardening properties, beer is a fantastic solution against slugs. What you need is an empty tuna can. Sink it into the soil and pour some beer into it. Keep the beer at least one inch lower than the soil. The slugs will be attracted by the smell of the yeast and they will not resist the temptation to go in for a drink and drown.
• If you are out of beer, but you have some citruses at hand, you can make citrus rings for trapping slugs. Lemons, oranges, grapefruits – any of these will do the trick.
• Let’s focus on the most effective eco-friendly solutions for dealing with pests. Surprising or not, vinegar can come to your rescue. Along with helping you sanitise the entire house, vinegar is also a great method for fighting weeds. However, you have to be cautious when treating the garden with vinegar as it can cause damages to your plants. The safest approach is applying the vinegar to the weeds leaves with a suitable brush.
• If you don’t have the patience to apply vinegar to each and every leaf, bring some water to boil and pour it over the weeds. In case you have to deal with weeds grown in between the patio tiles, sprinkle some salt before soaking them in hot water. Once again, be careful not to damage your plants. Few are the plants that would survive such a treatment.

It seems fighting pests can be both inexpensive and eco-friendly. You just have to arm yourself with a bit of patience and determination to keep your garden thriving. Your efforts will pay off and you will gather the envious looks of your neighbours!