Organic Pest & Disease Management
Safe, effective products that can help you control garden pests and diseases without using synthetic chemical-based biocides.
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Featured Picks: Pest & Disease Managment
Our top “must have” picks to organically deal with pests and diseases. If you only keep a few things on hand, these featured products should be the ones! Keep scrolling down to see our full pest & disease management recommendations.
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$15.99$14.99Buy on AmazonGrowJourney Note: Safer Brand Caterpillar Killer uses a naturally-occurring soil bacterium (Bt) to effectively kill caterpillar-stage insects and leaf-feeding worms that can wreak havoc on your vegetation. Especially helpful for squash vine borers and cabbage white larvae. One 16 ounce bottle of concentrate protects over 10,000 square feet of plantings. This product uses Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki and can be applied to edible plants up until the day of harvest. This is a concentrated form (not ready-to-use) and will need to be applied with a 1-gallon pressurized sprayer or a smaller spray bottle (for smaller areas). Also note that this product can kill larvae of beneficial moths and butterflies, such as monarchs, thus should be carefully applied only to specific plants you're trying to protect.
Variations: 16 oz Liquid Concentrate (shown) // 8 oz. Dust, we recommend using a mask with HEPA filter to avoid lung irritation from breathing fine particles.
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09/17/2026 06:18 am GMT -
$23.99Buy on Amazon
GrowJourney Note: THE BEST neem oil product we’ve ever used for indoor and outdoor plants. If aphids are a problem on your indoor seedlings, neem oil spray is a safe and effective way to get rid of them. We’ve also used it on other indoor plants for spider mites and scales. It also works on outdoor pests as well, if your predatory insects aren't able to do the work for you.
Additional Info: Mix at different neem concentrations (1% – 4% are recommended, depending on the application purpose). Can be applied UP TO THE DAY OF HARVEST. Neem oil is also an insect repellant, anti-feedant, and growth regulator. This is a concentrated form (not ready-to-use) and will need to be applied with a 1-gallon pressurized sprayer or a smaller spray bottle (for smaller areas). We keep a small 8oz bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap to mix (1-2 tsp per gallon) with the neem oil prior to application to help the neem stick to plants/foliage better, but any natural, biodegradable soap will also work.
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09/19/2026 12:15 am GMT
Pest Management
95% of insects are beneficial or benign. Being a good organic gardener requires you to get over insect and arachnid phobia and learn how and why to attract beneficial insects into your garden to do the work for you. (Best practices: using flowering and/or companion plants including native plants, minimizing soil disturbance, and minimizing pesticide use.) If you have to immediately control an insect infestation, please use non-synthetic organic/OMRI listed insecticides.
GrowJourney Note: Whether you have fungus gnat larvae killing your indoor seedlings (they eat their roots), root-knot nematodes damaging your outdoor plants, or other soil pests causing harm in your garden such as Japanese beetles, these predatory nematodes work like magic. Imagine releasing a pride of hungry lions on a herd of fat, lazy deer. Use nature’s pest control instead of synthetic chemicals.
Predatory nematodes are especially effective against mobile pests: grubs, fungus gnats, root aphids, root galls, thrips, codling moths and more. This product is a combination of two beneficial nematodes – Heterohabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema feltiae. Apply when soil temps are between 42°F-90°F.
Variations: 10 Million, 2-3,000 sq.ft (shown) // 25 Million, 8-10,000 sq.ft // 50 Million, 16-20,000 sq. ft
GrowJourney Note: Safer Brand Caterpillar Killer uses a naturally-occurring soil bacterium (Bt) to effectively kill caterpillar-stage insects and leaf-feeding worms that can wreak havoc on your vegetation. Especially helpful for squash vine borers and cabbage white larvae. One 16 ounce bottle of concentrate protects over 10,000 square feet of plantings. This product uses Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki and can be applied to edible plants up until the day of harvest. This is a concentrated form (not ready-to-use) and will need to be applied with a 1-gallon pressurized sprayer or a smaller spray bottle (for smaller areas). Also note that this product can kill larvae of beneficial moths and butterflies, such as monarchs, thus should be carefully applied only to specific plants you're trying to protect.
Variations: 16 oz Liquid Concentrate (shown) // 8 oz. Dust, we recommend using a mask with HEPA filter to avoid lung irritation from breathing fine particles.
GrowJourney Note: THE BEST neem oil product we’ve ever used for indoor and outdoor plants. If aphids are a problem on your indoor seedlings, neem oil spray is a safe and effective way to get rid of them. We’ve also used it on other indoor plants for spider mites and scales. It also works on outdoor pests as well, if your predatory insects aren't able to do the work for you.
Additional Info: Mix at different neem concentrations (1% – 4% are recommended, depending on the application purpose). Can be applied UP TO THE DAY OF HARVEST. Neem oil is also an insect repellant, anti-feedant, and growth regulator. This is a concentrated form (not ready-to-use) and will need to be applied with a 1-gallon pressurized sprayer or a smaller spray bottle (for smaller areas). We keep a small 8oz bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap to mix (1-2 tsp per gallon) with the neem oil prior to application to help the neem stick to plants/foliage better, but any natural, biodegradable soap will also work.
GrowJourney Note: Agribon is basically magic in fabric form. You wouldn’t want to use it in your front yard since it’s not very pretty (maybe as a Halloween decoration), but if your backyard beds need an insect blocker, frost protection, or you want to extend your growing season, it works wonders. And, yes, it does allow sun and rain in, while blocking bugs and trapping heat. Perfect if you’re covering multiple beds or larger areas. This is the lightest weight Agribon fabric (ultra-light, 0.55oz./sq.yd.). It provides up to 4° F frost protection & 85% Light Transmission
Variations: 83″x25′ (shown) // 83″x50′ // 83″x100′ // 10’x25′ (also comes in 50' & 100' at same link)
Use with: Super Hoops. The 10' x 25′ can be used with either Super Hoops or the taller Hi-Rise Super Hoops
GrowJourney Note: This works the same as Agribon, but comes out of the box as a one-piece, accordion-style cover that you can put on, take off, and store really easily. If you only have one or two beds to cover, this product is perfect.
Additional Info: Dimensions: 118″L x 18″W x 12″H; also available in ‘giant’ size (link below). Made from long-lasting UV-stabilized, high-density 0.6mm ultra-fine mesh polyethylene with rust-proof, galvanized steel hoops. Drawstring ends for easy closing and access.
Variations:
Standard Size, 118″L x 18″W x 12″H (shown) // Giant Size, 118″L x 24″W x 18″H
GrowJourney Note: Super Hoops are made from two heavy-gauge wires joined by cross braces, they’re easier to install than single hoops (no flopping!) and they support fabric, bird net and shade net better, too. They’re ideally suited for 3′ wide raised beds. They may also be used in 4′ wide beds as well as in-ground beds; for these situations we recommend using ground staples to secure the hoops, especially in soft ground and windy areas. Super Hoops are 58″ L and provide 14″ headroom in a 3′ wide bed — plenty of height for new transplants and low-growing crops. Super Hoops are perfect for short plants & seedlings (14"). Powder-coated flexible steel wire, 3.7 mm wire with 2.7 mm wire crosses braces
GrowJourney Note: The support hoops are made from two heavy-gauge wires joined by cross braces, they’re easier to install than single hoops (no flopping!) and they support fabric, bird net and shade net better, too. They’re ideally suited for 3′ wide raised beds. They may also be used in 4′ wide beds as well as in-ground beds; for these situations we recommend using ground staples to secure the hoops, especially in soft ground and windy areas. Hoops are 58″ L and provide 14″ headroom in a 3′ wide bed — plenty of height for new transplants and low-growing crops. Hoops are perfect for short plants & seedlings (14"). Powder-coated flexible steel wire, 3.7 mm wire with 2.7 mm wire crosses braces
GrowJourney note: Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew contains Spinosad, a naturally occurring soil dwelling bacterium. Kills bagworms, borers, beetles, caterpillars, codling moth, gypsy moth, loopers, leaf miners, spider mites, tent caterpillars, thrips and more. Use on fruits, veggies, nuts, and ornamentals. This is a concentrated product (not ready-to-use) and will need to be applied with a 1-gallon pressurized sprayer or a smaller spray bottle (for smaller areas).
Disease Management
Minimize plant diseases by focusing on soil health, including using worm castings and quality compost (which can also be made into “tea” for use as foliar sprays). Even then, you may occasionally need to use other inputs to help control plant diseases in your organic garden. Below are some of our favorites.
GrowJourney Note: A great ready-to-use (RTU) neem oil spray specifically formulated for fungal diseases but also works on pest insects like aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. Neem oil is a safe, plant-derived oil that can be used to control both pest insects AND plant diseases, specifically black spot, rust, powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. This product comes ready to use, so no sprayers or mixing required!
GrowJourney Note: A safe and highly effective bio-based product made from disease-preventing, living microorganisms. Active ingredient: Streptomyces lydicus (a soil bacterium). Use as foliar spray or root drench to prevent or stop common plant diseases.
Additional Info: 2 oz treats up to 5,000 sq ft of lawn or about 550 plants. May be used up to the day of harvest.
