Submitted by Joan Regan
The following are hints I have shared before but have had requests for again. They are all natural (thankful more and more folks are wanting to stay away from harmful chemicals).
SLUGS: Right now with all the rain our biggest garden enemy is SLUGS. Orange peels thrown around in the garden will attract them. They eat, they die, they and the peels disappear into the garden. No clean up. Tangerines and clementines will work as well. I have bags in the freezer and so glad this year with all the rain.
WEEDS: 1 cup salt, 4 liters white vinegar, 2 tbs cooking oil, boil salt and vinegar then add the oil with 1 tsp Dawn dish detergent. Keep in a spray bottle and spray weeds every day till they’re withered and easy to dig up. Rinse out the spray bottle after each use.
BUGS: This was Muriel Erb’s trusted recipe. 1 tsp dish detergent (she liked sunlight), 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 liters water, spray plants as needed remembering to spray the underneath as well… bugs are sneaky and will hide under the leaves.
ANTS: Got this hint from couple of guys, both named Joe, so it has to work. Equal parts baking soda and icing sugar, sprinkle around where you have a problem. Please remember that Peonies need the Ants to open their petals. Before using this I will rake the daylights out of where the ants are to discourage them.
EARWIGS: Hate those things. A piece of garden hose 12 inches long will do, laid in the garden in the evening attracts them and they will spend the night, so in the morning (early) plunge the hose into a pail of water making sure the water is not up too high for the darlings to jump out. Repeat every evening till they’re gone. A rolled up newspaper will do too.
MILDEW: Equal parts water and milk, spray on plants that tend to get mildewy. Phlox especially are prone to this.
APHIDS: A good hard shot from your hose will knock them off the plants and they’re so slow they die before they can crawl back up.
Not liking to use harsh chemicals in the garden and so many others feel the same. These tricks work not as quick as the commercial killers but so much safer for us to use. I have had these and more natural fixes given to me and all work. Anyone else have a natural fix for their Garden Nasties please send me a message so I can share it as well.
HAPPY SUMMER GARDENING,
Joni
jpregan@amtelecom.net or 519 596 2389
