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Organic Pest and Disease Control
Remember there are beneficial creatures in nature and left to its own devices nature often does a good job of keeping things in balance. However, to successful grow enough produce for your own consumption, nature may need a bit of help. When you need assistance, remember to turn to nurturing those beneficial creatures. Bats, ground beetles, birds, fireflies, frogs, ladybugs, ladybug larvae, lacewings, praying mantids, garden snakes, spiders and many wasps are allies. In addition, bats, bees, birds, butterflies, wasps and other creatures will help pollinate your garden, so you will want to make a hospitable home for them. Cultivate a low toxicity outlook on maintaining your outdoor and indoor environments.
There is a tree-step process for identifying and terating gardening problems:
1. Correct any cultural conditions contribuing to the problem and maintain plant health organically.
2. Identify the problem and/or pest correctly.
3. Choose the least toxic strategy for addressing the problem and/or pest.
Don't forget that companion planting with various herbs will often also provide additional benefit as many pests dislike certain types of herbs such as basil.
There is a tree-step process for identifying and terating gardening problems:
1. Correct any cultural conditions contribuing to the problem and maintain plant health organically.
2. Identify the problem and/or pest correctly.
3. Choose the least toxic strategy for addressing the problem and/or pest.
Don't forget that companion planting with various herbs will often also provide additional benefit as many pests dislike certain types of herbs such as basil.
Organic Insect Repellent Sprays
There is a lot of differing data out there on insect repellent sprays. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Chewing tobacco is often referenced as an ingredient. Chewing tobacco is a source of nicotine, one of the oldest insecticides known to mankind. However, you cannot apply tobacco to tomato plants - it will burn, if not absolutely kill them.
2. Soap is often referenced as a wetting agent and/or adhesive for the materials applied. Sometimes it works great. Good success has been seen using Dawn Dishwashing Liquid Detergent for killing fleas. However, soap ingredients are subject to change without notice, so what may be fine for a plant at one time may or may not be wiht anothe batch of hte same soap and vice versa. Proceed with caution and if you do try it, do a small batch test and observe the plant for a couple of days before proeeding.
3. There are organic insecticidal soaps available on the market. These will likely be your safest and easiest bet.
4. Unless you have a large infestation, hand collecting and smashing the bugs is an effective an alternative and one of the better alternatives with pests such as squash bugs.
1. Chewing tobacco is often referenced as an ingredient. Chewing tobacco is a source of nicotine, one of the oldest insecticides known to mankind. However, you cannot apply tobacco to tomato plants - it will burn, if not absolutely kill them.
2. Soap is often referenced as a wetting agent and/or adhesive for the materials applied. Sometimes it works great. Good success has been seen using Dawn Dishwashing Liquid Detergent for killing fleas. However, soap ingredients are subject to change without notice, so what may be fine for a plant at one time may or may not be wiht anothe batch of hte same soap and vice versa. Proceed with caution and if you do try it, do a small batch test and observe the plant for a couple of days before proeeding.
3. There are organic insecticidal soaps available on the market. These will likely be your safest and easiest bet.
4. Unless you have a large infestation, hand collecting and smashing the bugs is an effective an alternative and one of the better alternatives with pests such as squash bugs.
Two home-made recipes to try: hot pepper and garlic repellent
These concoctions are most effective with direct contact on the target insect.
1. Hot pepper spray
Liquefy a handful of habanero peppers (be sure to wear waterproof gloves) in a blender. Add to 2 cups of water, strain and spray.
2. Garlic spray
Finely chop about 12 garlic cloves. Soak them in 1 pint of mineral oil overnight, strain and spray, or dilute with water and add a drop or two of liquid soap.
Common Gardening Problems
Below are some options for the least toxic solutions for addressing your garden's pest and disease problems. Remember, raking up fallen leaves will help keep fungus under control. Gather and compost those leaves in your compost bin and return them to soil as an amendment.
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APHIDS
Spray the plant with a blast of water every 3-5 days, but be careful not to damage the plant itself. Release ladybuys and avoid all pesticides of any kind thereafter Srpay with fish emulsion every 5 days. Spray with insecticial soap every 5 days BLACK SPOT Pick off the most damaged leaves; rake up fallen leaves Spray with Potassium Bicarbonate Spray Garlic GP CATERPILLARS You may want to consult a guide to make sure your catepillars are not soon-to-be-beneficial butterflies and moths. If so, forfeiting some of your crop may benefit you in the future. If not, hand pick and squash Free ranging poultry will eat many, but not all, species. I found haven't anything yet that will eat the big, stinky ones, so just smash those. CHIGGERS Apply diatomaceous earth (not the swimming pool kind) FIRE ANTS Apply beneficial nematodes Use a mound drench such as citrus oil or compost tea. Some claim some benefit to pouring boiling water on the mound. This may be effective for some time, but does not kill the mound. FLEAS Apply beneficial nematodes. Free ranging guinea fowl. On dogs, cats and humans, bathing in Dawn Dishwashing Liquid will immediately kill fleas FLIES Apply fly predators |
GRASSHOPPERS
Poultry loves grasshoppers and you'll notice an improved flavor in your' eggs from the additional protein source GRUBWORMS There is no need to for control if there are fewer than five grubs per square foot. Dig them up for your poultry; they are an excellent source of protein. Apply beneficial nematodes MOSQUITOES Put mosquito eating fish in areas where water collects Keep other water sources covered Drain areas where undesirable water collection occurs If you have decked areas, install fine meshed screen under the decking and closing off the sides to prevent mosquito access PECAN WEBWORMS For most pecan growing areas, release Trichogramma wasps For most pecan growing areas, the release times will be early May, mid-June and early August Open webs POWDERY MILDEW Spray with milk Spray with garlic spray SCALE Spray horticultural oil weekly, at least 3 times SNAILS AND SLUGS Collect and feed to your poultry or allow your poultry to free range in these areas Place half-full, shallow containers of beer into the ground in shady areas SQUASH BUGS, STINK BUGS, LEAFFOOTED BUGS Pick bugs by hand and squash or drown in soapy water (squashing is easier) SQUASH VINE BORERS Slit open stem lengthwise' remove borer; cover stem with soil TICKS Poultry love ticks. Allow your birds to free range in the infested area. |
