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Garden Gate:  Your favorite natural insect repellent......  |
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Bart
True Blue Farmgirl
115 Posts
115 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 21 2010 : 07:32:19 AM
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While ridding my garden of green little wormy things that eat cabbage leaves, pepper leaves and various other leafy flowers and plants - I decided that there's probably a world of wisdom in the MJ family...
so- what's your favorite concoction?
I get rid of the green wormy things with a spray bottle (about 1 quart) of tap water, 1 capful of Neem Oil and 3 squirts of Dawn dishwashing liquid.
I got rid of the ants that were eating my strawberries by putting cayenne pepper in the dirt around the plants and spraying the ant holes, that are away from any plants, with vinegar, clove oil and orange oil.
and...
I got rid of the little slug looking things by spreading crushed egg shells in the dirt around the plants and using the Neem & soap mentioned above.
What are your remedies?? |
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Bart
True Blue Farmgirl
115 Posts
115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 06:01:48 AM
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| No one else uses natural insect repellents? How do you all keep the crawlies from eating up your garden? I'd love some help. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 06:46:35 AM
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welcome to the forum, i use DE more than anything for bugs. i also make sure the plants are well fed and happy. strong plants are less apt to be eaten. i also use a soap mixture in a spray. i dont use neem since it is toxic to me and makes me sick. mostly i have no bugs. lots of birds eat the beetles and ants. we are very noisy from all the birds in a.m. getting breakfast. i also am not a big weeder. birds dont eat what they cant find. i hide my food in some weeds.i purchase predators from gardens alive also.it really does depend on the insect or bird that is getting my food as to what i do. i know some girls here have scarecrows also. i have a yorkie on a mission. he thinks its his job to scare away flying things in the yard. he gets tons of exercise too.hope this helps some. i think you never got a comment yet because this topic has been discussed on other threads too. then there is the whole its summer thing. planting weeding milking mowing herding calving canning. so it is my opinion we yak on here more in winter. this time of year for me any way i have to make time to get on and talk. i am so busy. so off to do chores. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Bart
True Blue Farmgirl
115 Posts
115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 12:23:12 PM
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Thank you Sherrye, I appreciate it. I'll work on the 'search' feature and see what else I can find.
Have a great summer! |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jun 23 2010 : 3:54:27 PM
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I use DE also. I like it. The bugs don't. It really works on getting rid of potato beetles and cabbage moths. Also fleas on dogs and cats and houses. And worms in goat and chicken yards. And it's organic. And not too expensive either.
Also soapy water in a spray bottle. And just picking off the nasty little buggars and throwing them in a jar of gas.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sw80689
True Blue Farmgirl
207 Posts
Sharon
Papillion
Nebraska
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2010 : 2:30:39 PM
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What is DE?
Sharon
Farmgirl Sister #1393
*We are all angels with one wing, the only way to fly, therefore is to embrace one another* |
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quiltin mama
True Blue Farmgirl
436 Posts
Heather
Crescent City
CA
USA
436 Posts |
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Bart
True Blue Farmgirl
115 Posts
115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2010 : 06:08:44 AM
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| The one thing about DE that scares me is that it kills all bugs (good ones too!). The containers have a number of scary warnings too. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2010 : 07:13:38 AM
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my thought is... if you need to get rid of a pest this has the least impact. DE can bother other insects but soapy water or other sprays will too. with DE you are targeting more what you are needing to control. i also think a healthy plant in a diverse ecosystem does not get buggy until its time for the bugs to come clean up the plant for winter. in essence all bugs even butterfly s have a undesirable stage of life where they are eating. we have just chosen in our minds which bugs are good. by having a diverse garden you bring in all kinds of insects and they keep each other in check. i get potato bugs but usually when the plant is done blooming and needs to be eaten. i strive for a balance rather than eradication of insects. again luring wild birds into your yard will help immensely they eat bugs all day. feeders water habitat for them. i have woodpeckers here and they and the robins etc. eat my bugs for me. just a thought happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Bart
True Blue Farmgirl
115 Posts
115 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 07:08:39 AM
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| Thanks Sherry! that puts it into perspective. I'm going to strive for more birds.... and I'll cover my tasty yummy blueberries - (to keep them from the birds! lol) |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 07:29:30 AM
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I went crazy w/ the d.e. a few weks ago when we had an ant invasion on the porch.
Sprinkled this all aroujd the outer perimiter and they havne't been back since.
Ought to try this out in the garden too....instead of that nasty 7 dust that my hubby and his dad always reach for |
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Jun 28 2010 : 08:46:44 AM
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I decided to use nothing but nature. I read an article about a guy who did the same thing, just let nature take its course because all insect control no matter how "natural" will kill a good bug. If he lost a crop so be it. In the end his garden far outproduced his neighbors who sprayed like crazy and was overcome by bugs. I wont even use soap spray now. I have to admit this spring I was sure I would lose everything to flea beetles and the like. But the plants pulled through. I used some row cover and next year I am going to row cover everything, it works the best. My cabbage looks like swiss cheese, but I know that no chemicals are on it. And When I see those predator wasp eggs on the hornworms, or praying mantis in the garden I know I did the right thing. Everything has a natural enemy, even squash bugs.
Jane
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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Garden Gate: Your favorite natural insect repellent...... |
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Your favorite natural insect repellent......
