Instead of sharing your delicious basil leaves with the insects, keep bugs off basil plants. Marigold plants attract insects which eat aphids, and will help control the aphid population. HELP!! Be sure to follow label instructions. Spray the basil plants with the insecticidal soap as often as necessary to control aphids. Whiteflies. Bugs like basil just as much as humans do. sandi149. If your home water supply is hard (high-mineral), bottled spring water makes a better choice. I can't see what's doing it; no caterpillars, slugs, etc, and I really don't want to use pesticide or- basically- anything not organic. If you … The basil is being eaten, and not by me! If you irrigate frequently or live in a rainy area, slugs reproduce and grow fast. Whether you have Japanese beetles, aphids or slugs attacking your basil plants, prevent them from destroying your basil so you will have a bountiful basil harvest. Longer term solutions are consider where you have planted basil as your "trap" area. Potato bug duty, my least favorite gardening chore. A principle of organic gardening is to grow “some for you, some for them,” meaning the critters that eat your plants. Dig diatomaceous earth or wood ashes into your planting area before you set your 3 to 4-inch basil plants into the soil. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon. I would bet your problem IS cutworms. The ants don’t hurt your basil, but the aphids and scale suck the fluids from your plants. Barbara Fahs lives on Hawaii island, where she has created Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden. Doing so eliminates pests without harming the insects that help your lawn and garden. https://www.treehugger.com/companion-plants-repel-insects-4856578 As a regular contributor to Natural News, many of Hatter's Internet publications focus on natural health and parenting. Instead of sharing your delicious basil leaves with the insects, keep bugs off basil plants. Like spider mites, whiteflies are garden pests that multiply quickly and gnaw tiny holes in … Bugs like basil just as much as humans do. It looked like something was eating them. Basil contains very heady oil and is useful in the kitchen to keep small gnats and flies out of food. Try this - wrap the stem of your basil plant with a piece of aluminum foil, about 3 inches up the stem. Growing up, my family had a small garden every year. 10 years ago. Last year I planted basil in a pot on our deck. Applying the diatomaceous earth in the morning while dew still coats the basil plant will help it stick more readily. If you use the former, shake the spray bottle and squirt the soap spray directly on the basil leaves, being sure to coat the lower leaves as well as the upper surfaces. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Herb Society of America: Basil: An Herb Society of America Guide. Spray the mixture under leaves, stems, branches, or anywhere else where bugs may be hiding. All Rights Reserved. Sometimes animals like a cat, rat, mole, vole can create a hole in the basil leaves. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! The annual herb basil (Ocimum basilicum) is prized for its large, succulent leaves. It wasn't long before there were holes in the leaves. You can also crush or burn basil leaves to deter unwanted pests. Planting Marigolds If your basil is planted in your vegetable garden, then you could plant marigold plants in your garden as an aphid control measure. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at University of California, Santa Barbara and her Master of Arts from San Jose State University. Deal with leafhoppers by spraying the plant with horticultural oil, neem oil, or insecticidal soap. Start basil seeds in flats filled with potting soil and then keep them on a table in a sunny spot. Avoid planting your basil near lights that are on at night if your region is subject to June bugs. of orange essential oil with 24 oz. If the pests eating your basil leaves are a species of leafhopper, you will see the channels they dig in before you see the small insects, each less than 1/4 inch long, with neutral tan coloring. For garden use, neem products, also known as azadiractin, are available as concentrates. Reapply the diatomaceous earth after every rain shower. Vinegar and Water Fill a spray bottle nearly full of water. 87. Use diatomaceous earth. Also asked, what animal eats Basil? Because diatomaceous earth is a powder, shake it lightly to dust it over the basil and the soil. Full Story. Navigating through row after row of plants, my tiny fingers would reach into the leaves to pluck all the vile little creatures from their homes and deposit them into a can of gasoline. Aside from people, there are a variety of things that eat basil. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth liberally onto the soil around the basil plants to control slug populations. What ants are looking for in your basil is very likely the so-called honeydew. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Spray the mixture directly onto visible bugs you see on the basil plants (tiny white bugs, black bugs, caterpillars, aphids, etc.) Bugs eating my basil plant. I did a bit of Googling and found a few mentions of using homemade garlic spray to keep the insects off the basil. Holes in Basil Leaves. She contributes to "Big Island Weekly," "Ke Ola" magazine and various websites. Slugs love basil (photo). Fahs wrote "Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens" and has been a professional writer since 1984. Add just enough vinegar that it can be smelled lightly. Dig diatomaceous earth or wood ashes into your planting area before you set your 3 to 4-inch basil plants into the soil. Alternatively, use insecticidal soap to do thedeed. Instead, consider using basil as a natural insect repellent. The circle of life is naturally occurring. Control snails and slugs by encircling your bed with copper fencing or diatomaceous earth. Slugs feed at night, so we don’t see them. Spray insecticidal soap directly onto the basil leaves when you see aphids infesting your basil plants. Continue removing Japanese beetles every time you find them, and place them into soapy water. To get rid of pesky fungus gnats from your basil plant, do so naturally, without the use of pesticides so you can continue to grow and consume its harvest safely. Whether you have Japanese beetles, aphids or slugs attacking your basil plants, prevent them from destroying your basil so you will have a bountiful basil harvest. Small moisture gnats that live in the soil of potted plants are also foiled by mixing in some dried basil … Kathryn Hatter is a veteran home-school educator, as well as an accomplished gardener, quilter, crocheter, cook, decorator and digital graphics creator. Find out what bug is eating basil so that you can act against that annoying insect on your plants. For this particular soap spray mixture, you may also want to add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a little neem oil to give it a punch to munching bugs. Whether you have Japanese beetles, aphids or slugs attacking your basil plants, prevent them from destroying your basil so you will have a bountiful basil harvest. Spraying this on the basil leavesgets ridof aphids quickly. Because basil is such a soft-leaved plant, organic pest control methods are best if you don’t want to eat poisonous substances that can remain on the leaves. Spray the leaves in early evening so direct sunlight from daytime sun will not bake the soap into the leaves and damage the basil plants. This is a highly sugary secretion produced by insects when feeding on the plant. Growing tomatoes and basil near each other is said to make each crop taste better. Some basil pests can be controlled with the simplest of sprays - a strong jet of water from your garden hose. Best offers for your garden - http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/1Wy5buU-----How to Keep Bugs Off Basil Plants. Remove any … Encourage Biological Predators.