The use of poison in the garden is a common solution to garden problems because people often work against nature instead of with it.
Personally, I have never wanted to use poison in my garden, and it is not always necessary. There are many different solutions to maintaining a good balance in nature.
Precise combinations to cultivate certain plants can ensure that you can minimise the use of poisonous chemicals. The appropriate combinations of flowers, vegetables, and herbs reinforce each other to make the crops less susceptible to unwanted insects and pests.
With so many animals roaming your backyard and vegetable garden, it is essential to invite those “common” enemies in an effort to achieve a natural balance. In doing so, you will naturally rid your garden and vegetable garden of unwelcome guests like snails and caterpillars.
The following animals are useful in the vicinity of a vegetable garden, so it is best to place them close to it:
Birds
With so many gorgeous and beautiful creatures roaming your backyard and vegetable garden, it is a very good idea to invite them to come just because of the beautiful songs that they sing and the sounds that they make.
In addition, it is a good idea to have a place close to the vegetable garden where birds like to come. They ensure that all kinds of harmful insects on your crops, such as caterpillars, are eaten.
With so many fruit trees being planted in our garden, we were shocked by the large number of birds that were attracted to the young fruit. Later, we found out that there were all kinds of caterpillars on the fruit and that they were all eating it nicely.
So ideal! In order to provide a more diversified diet for a variety of birds, it’s most effective to add a variety of insects to the garden.
For example, the blackbird is fond of snails. You can attract birds with nesting boxes and bird feeders, but it’s most effective to ensure that there’s enough room in the garden for diverse insects so that more birds come to visit.
Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders
Because these lovely amphibians love snails, it is ideal to have frogs and toads near your vegetable garden.
For example, you can try luring them by creating a pond that is at least 100 cm deep in the middle (this will allow them to hibernate). You can also do this by placing a compost heap near your garden.
Hedgehogs and Shrews
Because these animals are fond of snails, they like to live on branch walls or thorny hedges.
For that reason, it is a good idea to place a natural hedge near your vegetable garden or a fence around your garden, for example, a blackberry bush, a hawthorn bush, or a dog rose.
Worms
Precise mixtures of worms in the soil can provide beneficial microbes and nutrients that boost soil quality and can improve the air permeability of the soil at the same time.
The presence of worms in the soil helps to make the soil more fertile with their faeces, and research has shown that worm droppings are one of the best ways to make the soil more fertile. If you do not want to spend money on buying compost, you can make your own by leaving dead leaves and grass in a pile.
Worms love this compost, so essentially, you’re done with building a compost pile. You can then use the compost for the vegetable garden, and because worms reproduce very quickly, they will quickly spread in your vegetable garden.
Recently, I wanted to find out just how quickly the composted waste in the compost heap had decomposed, and I was very surprised at the speed at which it went and also by the number of worms that were in it.
Chickens
The objective of keeping chickens is, of course, to get fresh eggs from them every day.
However, your chickens can also play an important role in the health of the soil in your vegetable garden during the winter months when your vegetable patch is dormant. As these adorable creatures enjoy consuming all kinds of insects, including caterpillars and snails, they will keep these harmful insects away from your vegetable garden.
Due to their pecking and digging, their faeces are extremely beneficial for your garden soil. As a result, the soil remains airy and permeable.
At the beginning of winter, as part of our winter preparations, we released our very own bantam chickens into our vegetable garden. We were very curious to see what effects this would have on the soil in the vegetable garden. In any case, the chickens are having a great time.
Bees, Bumblebees, and Butterflies
Precise pollination of crops by solitary wild bees and bumblebees plays an important role in the growth of fruits and vegetables from seed.
Although many crops self-pollinate, cross-pollination provides an added advantage in fruit development and, thus, the ultimate yield. Likewise, the wind moves a great deal of pollen, but butterflies and bees do this more carefully.
By planting a variety of flowers, fruits, and herbs, you can attract bees and butterflies to your vegetable garden.
