If you put in the effort to grow delicious food, you should get to eat it, too. An expert gardener has helped ensure that happens by sharing an eco-friendly hack to keep pests away from your homegrown food without chemicals.
The scoop
Instagrammer and gardener Jess Gough (@happy_smallholding) posted a reel detailing how to use thyme as a natural pest deterrent.
Jess first shows how to cut back thyme plants after flowering so that they will continue to show healthy growth and avoid becoming woody. "I cut back my thyme as far as possible to where I can see green growth coming from the stems. I avoid cutting back to bare wood, as it may not regenerate," she says in the video.
The clippings can then be used as a scented mulch around other plants, repelling many hungry bugs. Jess explains: "The strong scent of thyme repels certain insects such as cabbage butterflies, keeping my cabbages free from harmful pests."
According to Jess, the thyme clippings will give off a strong scent for about three weeks once cut. She also suggests trying several other chemical-free pest deterrents and implementing a "multipronged approach."
One additional strategy is planting herbs like lavender and thyme close to other plants that need protection from bugs. Nasturtiums are helpful to use as sacrificial plants, or trap crops, which attract pests as a method to keep them away from other growth.
Jess also suggests using netting where necessary to keep other wildlife from eating and destroying your garden.
How it's working
Gardening and growing your own food is a healthy way to get more exercise and maintain a better, high-fiber diet (as long as you can keep pests from snacking on your food before you do).
There are also mental health perks such as boosting mood and lowering stress levels, and many enjoy gardening as a way to keep anxiety at bay.
Those who grow their own food also enjoy lower grocery bills and spend less time wandering the aisles of stores looking for good produce. Homegrown fruits and veggies just taste better.
Most store-bought produce also has to be globally shipped. Growing your own reduces the demand for store-bought produce, and lower demand leads to less air pollution and less need for dirty energy consumption.
What people are saying
Other Instagrammers were excited to try this hack in their own gardens. One user said: "Thank you, great tip. My thyme is [woody] and wandering so going to do this TODAY."
Another commented: "I did not know I could trim back my thyme! Will be doing this!!"
One enthused Instagrammer said: "What a great idea!"
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