Yesterday I spent most of my morning picking Colorado Potato Beetles from my two beds of potatoes and.... yes it was a yucky mess! I just hate to pick those pests off but it was needed. I picked two bowls full. While I was out in the garden I checked everything and I found many aphids on my tomato plants. I thought I would tell you how I get rid of aphids the organic way.
Aphids: These are very tiny insects they get on your plant and suck the juices out of the leaves and stems..this just weakens the plant.
There are many predators for aphids...my favorite the lady beetle larvae, lacewings, small wasps and syrphid fly larvae.
I never spray chemicals for aphids it is not good for the plant or for you. I use my hose and spray a strong spray of water on all my plants. I have also mixed some soapy (dish soap) water together and sprayed if I felt they were getting out of hand.
If you are having a Really Bad problem I suggest getting some floating row covers to protect your plants. You can usually get these at a garden supply store. I think you can get them over the Internet.
I have heard of people ordering lady beetles and placing them in their garden... I think this is a great idea. I have never had aphids that bad to do this.
Happy Gardening..
Lynn
Showing posts with label aphids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aphids. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Mint
I am a big fan of mint....I love it in a nice tall glass of ice tea.
Mint is easy to grow but it can be invasive...I grow mine in large pots. I have see my friends grow mint in pots and place them in the ground. This way the mint doesn't spread out into the yard.
You need to clip off young shoots regularly to promote new growth. Pruning especially hard to stimulate growth of tender leaves.
I have my pots of mint near my house to prevent ants from coming in my house. You can place bundles of mint in your cabinets to prevent insects from getting into your beans, rice and even cereal.
One of my favorite ways to use mint is to make a pesticide to get ride of aphids and little caterpillars.
Recipe:
1 cup chopped mint
1 quart of water
placed in blender....blend strain....place in spray bottle
Spray on aphids and caterpillars until gone.
Happy Gardening...
Lynn
Mint is easy to grow but it can be invasive...I grow mine in large pots. I have see my friends grow mint in pots and place them in the ground. This way the mint doesn't spread out into the yard.
You need to clip off young shoots regularly to promote new growth. Pruning especially hard to stimulate growth of tender leaves.
I have my pots of mint near my house to prevent ants from coming in my house. You can place bundles of mint in your cabinets to prevent insects from getting into your beans, rice and even cereal.
One of my favorite ways to use mint is to make a pesticide to get ride of aphids and little caterpillars.
Recipe:
1 cup chopped mint
1 quart of water
placed in blender....blend strain....place in spray bottle
Spray on aphids and caterpillars until gone.
Happy Gardening...
Lynn
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