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GARDEN PROBLEMS? TRY THESE TIPS AND HOME REMEDIES!
By homejack | May 25, 2008
Healthy plants are much less likely to be affected by bugs than weak ones. The 1st goal is to produce a healthy plant. Sounds simple, but how do you grow healthy plants?
Improve the soil, mulch around plants, supply proper nutrients along with water and sunlight, control weeds and bury or mulch dropped fruit. Also helpful is to choose native plants that are suited to existing conditions.
Consider a selection of insect-resistant plants. You can find these in fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants. If you have had a previous problem with pests, plant what they don’t like. For instance, if the green beans have been attacked, maybe the purple kind will not be eaten.
Try companion planting to confuse flower and vegetable pests such as planting chive or garlic among the roses and use crop rotation.
Inspect daily and remove the first few pests before they become a hundred. Wear gloves if handpicking the critters bother you.
- Aphid problems: Try a spray of water from the hose. If this is not successful, spray the plant’s leaves with a soap and water mixture. Repel the aphids by planting chives and garlic among the other plants.
- Weeds between concrete, brick or paving stones: Pour a vinegar and water solution on the weeds or use a salt and boiling water solution. ( 36 oz net wt. (1 kg) of salt to about 2 gal (8 L) of water)
- Caterpillars, flies and aphids: Try oils from citrus fruit peels (orange, lemon, lime).
- Confuse the pests: Pests love gardens with just one type plant and no weeds. So diversify. Plant a variety of plants, not just one type.
- Use mulch: This keeps the soil surface cooler which promotes earthworms, microorganisms and plant roots, holds moisture, eliminates weeds, and repels pests.
Topics: Lawn/Garden |