Homemade Pest Control Trick Secures Your Produce from Birds, Slugs, and Bugs - at No Cost
Protecting Tomato Plants with Organza Mesh Bags: A Chemical-Free Solution
Organza mesh bags are becoming a popular choice for gardeners seeking a natural and effective method to protect their tomato plants from common pests. These bags can be purchased from Amazon, or specific fruit protection bags or mesh netting can be used instead.
According to Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens, organza mesh bags work as a chemical-free, non-toxic barrier that keeps out slugs, snails, harmful insects, birds, and even some small animals when the bags are securely placed over individual fruits or clusters.
To use the organza mesh bags, place them over individual fruiting crops and tie the drawstrings around the top of the crop's stem to prevent pests from getting in. The bags should be large enough for the crops and provide enough room for further growth. Being a transparent and breathable material, the organza mesh bags will not impact the health or growth of crops.
Organza mesh bags are especially useful for protecting soft fruits like tomatoes, berries, and grapes by surrounding individual fruits or bunches securely at the stem or base so pests cannot reach inside. However, they may not fully protect against larger animals like rodents or squirrels, which may require additional measures such as chicken wire plant cloches or sticky insect traps inserted in soil near plants to trap destructive insects and remove them from the area.
Rachel Bull, who trained and worked as a floral designer and stylist in London for six years, before joining the Homes & Gardens team, recommends this method as an effective pest control hack. She also plans to use pest-repellent plants as tomato companion plants to keep her crops safe.
Other chemical-free pest control hacks include using strawberry plant red rock to deter birds and coffee grounds to deter slugs. An ultrasonic animal repellent is another motion-detected device that emits a frequency to deter foxes, deer, and more from plants.
Rachel's journalism career began on Country Living magazine, and she has a background in writing for and editing a range of consumer, business, and special interest titles. She is now the editor of floral art magazine The Flower Arranger.
In summary, organza mesh bags provide an effective, chemical-free physical barrier against many common tomato pests including slugs and snails, especially when applied properly to cover individual fruits or clusters. However, for comprehensive pest management, they may need to be combined with other tactics against larger animals or some hard-to-block pests.
The home-and-garden enthusiast who values a natural lifestyle can use organza mesh bags for their gardening endeavors, specifically when protecting soft fruits like tomatoes, as they create a chemical-free and non-toxic barrier against common pests. These bags can be a beneficial addition to Rachel Bull's garden, who also employs various chemical-free pest control methods such as pest-repellent plants and coffee grounds.
