How to keep pests out of the garden - using this unusual and perfectly natural method

It's never any fun to see your flourishing garden invaded unwanted pests and insects, and it is even more frustrating having to spend extra money on products to repel them when the real repellent could be sitting in your kitchen.

It's not everyday you think about how some ingredients in the kitchen might be the answer to some of the little burdens inside or out the home, but experts at SporeBuddies reveal how mushrooms can kee- pests away from your garden, and how you can make your own repellent to promote a healthier and more resilient garden ecosystem, free from chemicals.

Expert Waine Delaney says ''Mushrooms growing in the garden is usually a good sign; it means that your soil is healthy and rich in organic matter - and if you have entomopathogenic mushrooms, it can be even better.''

Delaney continues on about different mushrooms and how exactly they work, highlighting that entomopathogenic mushrooms cause disease and this kind of fungi kills insects biologically, rather than poisining them with a chemical pesticide. the fungus produces microscopic spores that land on the insect, germinate, grow, and consume the insect from within. They are particularly effective against pests such as:

• Aphids
• Whiteflies
• Caterpillars
• Thrips
• and beetle larvae

Though they are able to control pests, they do not harm insects that are beneficial - such as bees, butterflies, or ladybirds - and they are completely safe for humans, pets, and birds. You can often buy this kind of fungi from garden centres and online, in liquid and powder form.

The most common kind of mushrooms in the kitchen are the kind that are edible, and many like shiitake and oyster contain certain bioactive compounds that are antifungal, antimicrobial, and insect-repelling.

They also contain enzymes, phenolics, and bitter tasting compounds that repel pests like slugs and snails; when sprayed onto a plants surface and the surrounding soil, the surface residue and unfamiliar scent confuses them, and signals that the plant is inedible.

Place your mushrooms in a blender or food processor with water, and blend until you get a smooth mixture.

Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer into a jug to remove any remaining large chunks that could block the spray.

Optional: you can also increase the pest-repelling by adding things like peppermint oil, rosemary, garlic extract (good for slugs and snails), or neem oil (good against caterpillars, greenfly, and aphids)

Carefully pour your mixture into a spray bottle and add more water if required.

Shake well before each use and spray directly onto the leaves - not forgetting the underside - stems, and around the base of your plants. Reapply every few days, and after rain.