Living Magazine Spring 2015 Living Magazine | Page 18
Essential oils can be valuable tools for every gardener. Whether you are
trying to chase away garden pests, improve health and growth of the plants,
or restore those gardener hands, essential oils can help. Here are some easy
ways you can use essential oils to enhance your natural gardening experience.
I clean my greenhouse and garden tools with
a mixture of 10 drops of Melaleuca in about 33
ounces of distilled water. We put this in a spray
bottle and clean every inch of the greenhouse.
-Maila Chan
Last year, I had the best luck getting rid of slugs using White Fir essential oil on my
peppers. I have also used Peppermint oil for aphids and mystery bugs. Peppermint also
works great for cooling your body off in the hot sun. I make after-sun spray with Lavender,
Peppermint, and aloe juice. After a long day of working on my garden, Deep Blue® Rub
comes in handy for the joints and muscles. I clean my hands with essential oil sugar
scrub. I can’t tell you how much I love using dōTERRA in the garden. -Jamie Stitt
I have been an organic farmer for 35 years.
I have been using essential oils in my gardens
since I have been with dōTERRA. I teach the
organic portion of “The Master Gardener” class
for my local area. My class this year will include the
wonderful uses of dōTERRA essential oils in the garden—not only for pest management,
but also for plant vigor and growth. I don’t use any chemicals in my garden at all and love
sharing new and safe ways to enjoy gardening! I have substituted dōTERRA essential oils
for companion plants—the results are amazing! For example, basil is a great companion
plant for tomatoes. I use Basil essential oil in my watering can to give the plants a dose
that can be absorbed through the root system, or I use it as a foliar spray. This helps to
give the tomato plant great vigor for growth and plant resistance. -Kay Pittman
My garden was being attacked by a beetle-like
bug. It was eating away at everything, especially
my favorite lily plant. I put a couple drops of
TerraShield® in a spray bottle with water, sprayed
the plants, and the beetle moved on! dōTERRA
was part of my inspiration for my garden.
-Kristen Willis
Vinegar makes
an effective natural
herbicide and
weed killer.
Last summer, I was attacked by ants. They had colonized near my
strawberry patch. I panicked a little—I hate ants!—and dowsed the
suckers in a solution of water and Peppermint. The next day, the
ants were completely gone! I was impressed by how fast it worked.
Plus, even though I did go a little overboard (a few sprays would have
worked), I know Peppermint is safe for my strawberries and me. -Elizabeth Sperling
TerraShield®
Peppermint
Cinnamon
White Fir
Thyme
Geranium
Cedarwood
Apply Lavender
to soothe irritated
skin associated with
certain plants or bugs.
Lemongrass
Arborvitae
8 Tips for Starting Your
Own Organic Garden
F R O M R I C K L AT T I N
Gardening is one of America’s
top hobbies and with increased
interest in nutrition, healthy eating,
and saving money, growing a
garden is gaining in popularity.
Small urban gardens can be fun,
educational, and productive,
particularly with new methods of
season extension, drip irrigation,
and varieties especially suited to
the garden. Here are a few tips on
successful gardening.
1
Contact your local Cooperative
Extension office. They are part of
the land-grant university system all across
the country. They have expertise on growing
in your specific area and have experts
and publications suited to your climate.
2
Start small and plant easy-togrow crops. Many nutrient-packed
vegetables grow quickly and easily and are
less subject to weather-related problems
than difficult-to-grow crops. Lettuce,
spinach, chard, kale, Asian greens, and
similar crops take up little space, don’t
mind cold weather, and grow quickly.
3
Don’t overlook the root crops.
4
Almost all vegetable crops love
the sun. Sunshine helps plants get
5
If you have a yard with a fence,
use the fence area to grow
perennial crops such as raspberries
and blackberries. They don’t mind a little
shade and you can let them use the fence
line for support.
6
Consider getting your garden
off the ground by adding
compost and forming raised beds.
Shaping and raising beds lets you protect
crops from wind and frost with row covers
to extend your season.
7
Invest in drip irrigation with an
inexpensive timer. You use less
water (good for the environment and
your wallet) and are less likely to water too
much and/or too little. Small garden timers
are inexpensive and easy to program. Many
yards already have a sprinkler system—
it’s easy to add a line for your veggies.
8
Know when to plant and when to
harvest. Most extension offices have
guidelines for the areas they serve. I like to
follow what I call the “Grandpa/Grandma
System” of gardening. Look around your
neighborhood—find the grandmas and
grandpas with the best gardens. They
probably know more than anybody in
town about what to plant, when to plant,
watering, harvesting, controlling bugs,
etc., than anybody, including the experts.
The other trait they usually have is that
they love to share what they have learned
with friends and neighbors.
TIP: If you really want to get into
serious gardening, I can recommend
three national organizations that
serve both professional growers and
home gardeners. They sell seeds and
supplies and give free advice.
• www.groworganic.com
• seedsofchange.com
• highmowingseeds.com
GARDENER’S
HAND SOAP
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup castile soap
•2
tablespoons
Fractionated Coconut Oil
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E
• 1 5 drops Geranium
essential oil
There is nothing tastier than a
home-grown fresh carrot, Asian sweet
turnip, or fresh-picked beets.
off to a good start and helps develop those
sugars that make vine-ripened products
so delicious. Walk around your yard and
check for sunny spots and shady areas.
Most likely, the area that gets the most
sun will grow the best vegetables.
Rick Lattin
Generational organic
farmer, owner of Lattin
Farms, and Founder
and Managing Partner
of Nevada Great Basin
Basket CSA (Community
Supported Agriculture) LLC.
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