The thought of using essential oils on plants might seem like a foreign concept, but it’s actually quite simple and provides many benefits.
Using essential oils on plants can not only help you to rid your plants of pests but can also encourage growth and enhance the natural appearance of any indoor garden you may have. Some essential oils will kill plants if used in large quantities or by using the wrong application method.
In this article, you’ll learn what types of essential oils are good for plants, their benefits, and how they’ll affect your plant growth. I’ll also share a super effective essential oil plants spray recipe with you guys that will help your plants in more than one way.
What type of Essential oil is Good for Plants?
I’ll list some of the best essential oils for your plants, their benefits, and some other factors. Let’s begin.
Peppermint Oil:
Peppermint oil is pretty good at preventing infestation. Its scent highly irritates the insects like spider mites, and they prefer to stay away from peppermint-oiled plants—a plus point.
You can also use the oil on your indoor plants and see the results for yourself. But then again, avoid applying an excess quantity on the plants, as its overdose is toxic to plants and humans.
If you want to try this method yourself, it might help to keep a few drops of peppermint oil around your house. The smell will repel pests. Just mist a diluted amount of peppermint oil onto the leaves and around your plants and let it work its magic!
Clove Oil:
This oil is pretty reliable when you suspect any fungal growth. Basically, clove oil is well known for breaking things down. That is how it stops any fungi from growing on your plant or its premises.
Furthermore, it breaks down pretty swiftly, so it does little to no harm to the plants. Cockroaches, ants, or other insects prefer to stay away from clove-oiled plants.
If you are looking to try essential oil on your plants, I recommend this set from Amazon, which comes at an amazing price. And your plants will love it.
Cajeput Oil:
Cajeput oil is usually used to keep the garden bugs away from the plants. This oil is often used on indoor plants, and cajeput oil carries out its job pretty suitably.
Thyme Oil:
If you are fed up with unnecessary pathogens and insects causing irreparable damage to plants, both inside and outside, then thyme oil is what you should use on your plants.
Precisely speaking, it helps keep the bugs, caterpillars, and other mites away from your plants. Moreover, the oil doesn’t only benefit the plants, but it can also benefit you. The oil’s scent is pretty good for enhancing your memory.
Rosemary Oil:
Spider mites also contribute a lot to the damage to your plants. Using rosemary oil rids you of that problem for the long term.
The rosemary oil’s scent is appealing to the pollinators, and they are highly attracted to it.
Cats pee on your plants’ soil or sometimes, even on plants. But once you apply the rosemary oil to them, it will keep the cats from doing so.
This oil’s scent is so good that many beautiful insects like butterflies are attracted to your plants.
Catmint or Catnip Oil:
Catnip or catmint oil acts as an insecticide sometimes. It repels harmful insects from the plants and keeps them relatively safe and healthy.
The beneficial insects such as pollinators preferably come towards the catnip scent and ultimately benefit the plants.
Lavender Oil:
Highly effective in healing plants, and it has germ-repelling solid properties.
Lavender oil is among the most famous and widely used essential oils on plants. Its scent also helps draw pollinators to the plants and sometimes butterflies.
Also known as a general repellent, lavender oil helps keep the unwanted and harmful mites, bugs, and other insects far away from your indoor and outdoor plants.
It also helps in keeping your plants healthy by improving the overall quality of air around them. You can apply this oil directly onto your plant’s leaves or mix it with water and spray it over the whole plant.
Yarrow Oil:
Yarrow oil is blue in color, so if you decide to apply it to your plants, remember that the color can be blatantly seen on your plants. This oil is often used in shampoos, so you can guess that it has a great scent.
That fabulous scent draws pollinators from the surroundings, which benefits the plants in many ways. Moreover, you can use this oil in your hair care products.
Basil Oil:
Basil oil is beneficial for plant growth, as its scent is also among the best essential oil scents, so the pollinators are drawn to basil-oiled plants in large numbers.
Essential oils are made from secretory structures, which make their scent appealing. Basil oil is no different, as butterflies and other insects are drawn towards the plants.
Sage Oil:
However, sage oil is good for your plants, but you should apply too much of it. That doesn’t change that this oil has a unique scent that captivates pollinating insects like butterflies.
Moreover, sage oil can also hold off many types of bugs, flies, and other unwanted insects. Its scent is considered to be a cure for anxiety and depression. That’s good news, right?
Melaleuca or Tea Tree Oil:
Again, be sure to apply a suitable quantity of tea tree oil to your plants, as an excess of it may cause a sunburn on leaves. So, don’t apply it more than necessary.
Moreover, the tea tree oil kills the fungus and stops it from growing on your plants again. It is recommended to apply the melaleuca oil to the plant leaves once the sun has set.
Orange Oil:
This is one of the safest oils to apply to your plants as its excellent scent draws the pollinators to the plants and eventually benefits them.
You can mix freshwater with the orange oil and apply it to the soil for better performance. The oil keeps the pests and insects away from the plants.
Cedarwood Oil:
Cedarwood essential oil helps repel many kinds of insects like bugs, pests, and others. It is also known as a molluscicide because it chokes these insects and eventually frees your plants of those insects.
While cedarwood is working, the plant can easily focus on its growth and development. It can also help relieve stress and anxiety. So, also a plus point.
Patchouli Oil:
It is not a well-known oil like a hidden gem. Most commonly, you can use it on your indoor plants. It helps keep bugs, pests, and others. It is also known as a natural repellent.
Patchouli oil helps stop fungal growth on your plants. Its beautiful scent also draws pollinators to benefit the plants.
Spearmint Oil:
15 to 20 drops of spearmint oil on your plants also act as a pest-repellent. Moreover, its beautiful scent helps you with depression and tension.
You are free to use it mostly inside your homes, as it is entirely safe to be used. One of the best essential oils can also kill off pests and prevent fungus growth on your plants.
What are the Benefits of Essential Oils has on Plants?
All of the essential oils mentioned above are highly effective in pest control. The most effective ones are peppermint oils, lavender oils, tea tree oils, citronella oils, and some others.
Using these oils can prevent fungus from growing on your plant and keep the pests far away.
However, there is one thing to consider here, don’t apply these oils more than necessary, or else your plants will be the ones facing the repercussions.
Furthermore, using essential oils can also encourage plants’ growth and improve their overall look. Nutrients in essential oils are considered to encourage plants growth.
Do Essential Oils Affect Plant growth and How?
Yes, they do affect plant growth. How? Well, it affects both positively and negatively.
Positive Effect:
When applied, the essential oils increase the shine of plant leaves. Their unique scent draws pollinators from the surroundings towards the plants.
As the plants refine the air, the oil’s scent gets mixed, and the air becomes fragrant.
Negative Effect:
Remember, do not apply the oils to the plants more than needed because the denser layer of essential oil will make it difficult for the air and the sunlight to reach the plants or plant leaves properly.
No air or sunlight means no photosynthesis, and no photosynthesis means that plants won’t perform their primary task.
Essential Oil Plants Spray Recipe:
The essential oil plant spray recipe is pretty simple, and you can make it in your home. Only some basic things are needed for this.
- Around 20 drops of any essential oil (peppermint or lavender oil, most probably).
- Purified water.
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of Everclear or any grain alcohol.
- 2 or 3 oz spray bottles.
Once you have all the ingredients, simply put around 20 droplets of preferred essential oil (peppermint or lavender oil) and then add 1 or 2 spoons of grain alcohol (Everclear, most probably).
Now mix water with those two ingredients and entirely fill the spray bottle. Close it from above and jerk it properly. You are good to go! Whenever you want to use it, just shake it once or twice and use it as required.
How to Use Essential Oils on Plants?
Once you have made the essential oil spray, simply spray it over the plants and plant leaves. By doing so, the leaves will become shinier, and it will give the plants a new look.
Furthermore, don’t spray more than twice or thrice at a specific part of the plant, as it will harm the plant’s health and growth.
- Application of essential oils should be done once or twice a week, allowing enough time for the scent from the previous application to die down.
Can You Use Essential Oils on House Plants?
Yeah, definitely. Some essential oils have a highly effective scent that helps cure anxiety or depression.
People who apply essential oils to their house plants tend to have a happy environment in their homes by having great smelling plants.
Conclusion:
Using essential oils on plants is beneficial for their growth and development. Essential oils like thyme, clove, rosemary, lavender, yarrow, catnip, basil oil, and peppermint are considered great for plants.
Using essential oils help in the prevention of annoying pests and also encourages plants’ growth. However, avoid overdosing as this may end up harming your plants.
If you have any other questions regarding using essential oils on plants, please free to comment below. We’d love to help.
