Essential Oils and Gardening

If you are already an essential oil user and a gardener, then this blog is for you! Let’s talk about the best essential oils for gardening!

If you are like me you are always trying to keep all chemicals away from your home and family.  I try my best to do all organic gardening and not use any chemicals on my plants and flowers. 

Here are just a few essential oils and their benefits for the plants in your garden….

Rosemary Essential Oil

This oil has a wonderful woodsy scent and works well to help repel many pests in the garden. Place a few drops right on the flower pot to keep the bugs from chewing up the leaves of your plants. Rosemary oil is also a butterfly attractor, they love it.

Peppermint Essential Oil

This oil has a sweeter scent and repeals several garden pests like aphids, flies, beetles, and even spiders! Any way to get rid of those creepy crawlers is good with me. You can place a drop of peppermint oil around baseboards and in cabinets in your kitchen and baths to help keep spiders away. I use it for ants as well!

Melaleuca Essential Oil

This oil is great for anything that has to do with getting rid of fungus on your plants. You can make a spray with it to mist your plants and soil.  I would suggest using it more on the steams of the plants than the leaves because it can make your plant more sun sensitive and you don’t want to burn the leaves. 

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender’s scent is another one butterflies love, so you can spray lavender oil near the plants to attract them. Lavender also attracts bees which we all know we need more of for pollination. Place a drop or two on a cotton ball and place in the pots or in the garden to attract them. You can never have too many bees in your garden!

Cinnamon Essential oil

Cinnamon oil is one of the best essential oils for getting rid of weeds. Make a spray bottle with water and several drops of cinnamon oil and get to spraying those pesky weeds!

Here are some great oil recipes to use in your growing garden! For the following recipes I recommend using a 4 ounce glass spray bottle.

Garden Insect Deterrent

• 10 drops rosemary oil
• 10 drops peppermint oil
• 10 drops clove oil
• 10 drops thyme oil
• Add oils to your bottle and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake to mix.
• Apply anywhere you would like to get rid of insects

Plant Fungus Suppressant

• 25 drops melaleuca oil
• Put in spray bottle and fill up with water
•  Spray on plants and soil to help keep away the fungal growth.

Pollinator Attractor Spray

• 6 to 8 drops wild orange oil 
• Put in spray bottle and fill with water.
• Shake to blend and spray on flower and buds to attract bees for pollination.

Fruit and Veggie Wash

You can use either plain vinegar or apple cider vinegar to make a fruit and veggie wash. Add 6 to 8 drops of lemon essential oil or wild orange essential oil for extra cleaning power.

If you have any great uses for oils in your garden let me know! Would love to try them in mine!

Happy Gardening!

Blessings!

XOXO-Alisha