Hobby Farm by Carol Ekarius

Author:Carol Ekarius
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: i5 Publishing
Published: 2005-08-18T16:00:00+00:00

This garden snail can munch an entire seedling in one evening. You can discourage destructive snails and slugs by sprinkling eggshells a round your greens; these pests don’t like to drag their bodies over the jagged pieces.

A birdhouse, swinging from a tree branch over a garden, waits for the arrival of feathered guards.

• Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around the base of plants and on leaves will reduce populations of soft-bodied insects, such as aphids.

• Hose down plants and shrubs with water to rid them of aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites, being careful not to damage flowers or buds.

• Place a tin can with its ends cut out around plants to a depth of 1 inch to keep cutworms away from plants.

• Use agricultural fabrics to create a physical barrier that keeps insects away from plants. For example, floating row covers are very effective at protecting brassicas from cabbage loopers.

• Brew your own bug sprays. Mix 100 ml of crushed hot peppers with 400 ml of water. Strain the concoction and spray it on infested plants. (Note that hot peppers can irritate eyes and skin.) Do not spray when it is windy or in strong midday sun. Or, finely chop ten to fifteen cloves of garlic and soak them in 500 ml of mineral oil for twenty-four hours. Strain the solution and spray as is, or dilute it with water before applying. (Be aware that use of these solutions may also repel beneficial insects.)

• Use commercially available nematodes, which are microscopic worms that prey on grubs and other pests, to control grubs.

• Place bat houses and birdhouses near your garden.

• Use companion planting, as many pests have a natural aversion to mint, garlic, basil, chives, dill, onions, marigolds, and other aromatic plants. These plants may be interspersed with more vulnerable plants in your garden.

• For bad infestations, try using insecticidal soap (dissolve one part dishwashing liquid in forty to eighty parts water). Spray infected plants, covering undersides of leaves, and rinse off after fifteen minutes to avoid damage to foliage. For severe infestations, repeat three times during a ten-day period to treat successive generations.

• Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a commercially available, naturally occurring soil bacterium that infects and kills caterpillars when they eat it. It’s used for many garden pests.

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