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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2009 13:55:56 GMT
Here's a thread to devote to those areas of gardening that can at times send us into utter despair;pestilence,diseases and overall problems that occur that prevent our gardens from looking their absolute finest. I prefer a strictly organic approach however ,if those of you have some tried and true chemical approach and want to post it,feel free. I always ask my clients if I can try it "my way" first and invariably don't have to take the nuclear approach but only if you remain diligent. There are no lazy ways of going about organic pest control in my experience. Your diligence will pay off in more ways than healthier,happy plants. You'll also allow the birds and bees to continue to do their thing as nature intended .
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2009 14:17:21 GMT
Upon request here's a tried and true recipe for Black Spot on roses.
Peak development of this fungus is during warm,wet weather. Black spots appear on the foliage and canes,followed by yellowing and leaf drop. Plenty of sun, GOOD AIR MOVEMENT,and healthy soil increase plant resistance. Periodic clean up of shed leaves,particularly in late fall after dormancy or early spring before the buds begin to swell will limit this. After the clean-up,apply some compost to increase overall health and disease resistance, and then mulch. Spraying the foliage with "compost tea" (live compost soaked in water for several days, at about a one to five ratio, then strained will act as a SLIGHT anti-fungal remedy. Spraying with a mixture of 1TLB baking soda plus a TLB of dishwashing liquid,(I have always used Palmolvive I think because that's what I was told)to 1 gallon of water will prevent new outbreaks of blackspot,rust and powdery mildew.There is also a commercial brand of organics by the name brand SAFER and they make a sulpher based fungicide,also good but pricey for me. With any spray,be sure to cover both the top AND bottom of each leaf. The name of the game is prevention not cure.
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welle
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om sweet om
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Post by welle on Mar 26, 2009 22:12:14 GMT
Thanks casimira! How do the roses do with the diluted dishwashing liquid/baking soda sprayed onto them though, do they tolerate it well?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2009 0:56:31 GMT
In that you're spraying it on the foliage,they do fine. Some roses have different textured leaves,some are dark and glossy,others lighter and perhaps a bit more fragile so some may be a little more fussy I guess. I never water or fertilize or treat plants in the heat of the day no matter what. The best ,safest time is always early in the day for just about anything.Some say evening time is ok but in humid climates you don't want to leave any more moisture than necessary on the plants to promote fungus/mildew problems.
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Post by spindrift on Mar 27, 2009 12:43:36 GMT
Casimira - I use very diluted washing-up liquid as a spray against green and white files. Do you do this?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2009 13:26:58 GMT
Yes, I use diluted dish washing liquid . It's very versatile. Sometimes, depending on the degree of infestation, a shot of just plain water will do. Flies(all kinds) seem to have the same fondness for pale colored blooms as we do.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2009 15:03:00 GMT
Please be mindful that if plants are already stressed from heat or drought you can do damage no matter what you apply, be it fertilizer or insecticidal soaps.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 25, 2009 15:29:07 GMT
I need help! Yesterday I discovered two basil plants full of holes and teensy grasshoppers munching away on them. I grabbed as many as I could, then then sprinkled the plants with powdered cayenne. It rained hard last night, but some of the pepper stuck. There are fewer hoppers today, but I just discovered that they were checking out the adjacent mint, but still prefer the basil. What to do? It has to be not only an organic but an edible (or at least easily washable) solution. And keep in mind that I probably can't get most of the safe products available to the rest of you. Thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2009 17:00:38 GMT
[urlhttp://www.gardeninsects.com/grasshopperbait.asp][/url]
OR I've heard, never tried: Bug Juice,Collect 1/2 cup of specific pest and mash well. Mix with 2 cups of water,and strain. Mix bug juice with a few drops of soap and 2 cups of water and spray
OR catch and post in On the Menu for hw
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 25, 2009 22:18:57 GMT
www.gardeninsects.com/grasshopperbait.aspOR I've heard, never tried: Bug Juice,Collect 1/2 cup of specific pest and mash well. Mix with 2 cups of water,and strain. Mix bug juice with a few drops of soap and 2 cups of water and spray I would not use the first one -- even if I had access to it -- in this area where there are so many birds, some of whose diet surely depends on the grasshoppers. As for the 2nd one -- thank you .......... I think.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2009 22:27:16 GMT
I've had years where the grasshoppers were fairly prolific,they never messed with my fruit or vegetables.I have so much foliage here they didn't bother me too much. You just need to plant more stuff!
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 24, 2009 23:18:37 GMT
I would have sworn that we already had a thread on this subject, but I sure cannot find it.
Anyway, I tried something this year and so far it seems to be working. Last year I planted roquette and nasturtiums. The cabbage moth caterpillars totally wiped out the natsturtiums and made heavy inroads on the roquette. This year I planted them again (different yard). However, as soon as I saw the first cabbage moths fluttering around prettily and poised to wreak havoc, I took counter measures. I took all the pieces of broken mirror I could find, plus broke up old cds and put the bits on the ground around the nasturtiums and the roquette. They still manage to lay eggs, but with vigilance I can keep on top of the problem, either snipping off leaves with eggs or pouncing on one being rasped by the baby caterpillars.
old, duplicate thread -- merged into the Troubleshooting thread
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2009 23:35:15 GMT
The TROUBLESHOOTING thread was kinda meant for this but is way back in there somewhere. Anyway,I have found that companion planting is sometimes effective in deterring certain pests. The companion plants recommended specifically for deterring white cabbage moths are, hyssop,sage,rosemary and mint. Don't know the broken CD thing and would wonder if over time the UV rays would release some nasty into the soil?
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Post by bjd on May 25, 2010 8:34:49 GMT
As I was deadheading roses this morning, I saw that some of the bushes have what looks like little spiderwebs on them. Not only on roses, but on some other plants too.
Does anyone know what kind of bug does this and what to do about it?
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2010 10:46:25 GMT
BJD, can you take a pic of and post it? It would be much easier to determine upon seeing, than guessing what I or others might be able to diagnose and help you with. I think I know what you're talking about...
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Post by bjd on May 25, 2010 13:37:40 GMT
Here it is Casimira, on a rose bush and on a small plum tree: Everything is a bit sticky too.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 25, 2010 14:54:36 GMT
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Post by bjd on May 25, 2010 16:00:05 GMT
Thanks, Bixa. That sounds and looks about right. The weather is supposed to cool and we are supposed to get some rain, so that might help -- right now they are concentrated in one small area, but the article does say they spread and breed quickly.
I'll go spray some water on them.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2010 14:50:11 GMT
Bixa to the rescue! Yes,best nip those in the bud,gets nastier...A good organic,incredibly effective insecticide is NEEM oil,I use it on just about everything. Pestilence always seem to ensue when weather gets extreme and or plants are stressed. Sometimes one plant will be a magnet for certain pests,when and if this happens,I oft times get rid of the plant in question,sacrifice for the rest of the garden. I had this happen years ago,was a mallow of some kind,white flies loved it,before I knew it,the whole garden was infested. That mallow went...gone. No one plant that precious when it comes to disease.
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Post by bjd on May 26, 2010 15:26:17 GMT
I just looked up neem oil and here it only seems to exist as part of some beauty products. Typing "neem oil" only gets me US sites. I'll have to look around here.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 26, 2010 15:43:20 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 9, 2010 0:34:15 GMT
Dahuffy wants to kill grass and weeds in her flower beds. Here is a way to use newspapers as a weed barrier: www.ehow.com/how_4871033_low-cost-weed-barrier-garden.htmlThe grass & weeds really need to be pulled out, then the trick is to keep them out. If the lawn goes right up to that flower bed, trench out a sodless, shallow moat all the way around it. Then get some buckets of water, squirt in a good bit of dish detergent, and shred newspaper &/or paper bags into it. Keep adding the paper until you get a mold-able slurry, and form that into a curbing around the flower bed.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 9, 2010 15:17:34 GMT
If you selectively want to kill weeds and grasses in a bed where you have plants you don't want killed, you can use the non-selective and deadly but short-lived Roundup and a WIPER APPLICATOR. Here's one, but I'm sure you can get them for less money than that: www.bizrate.com/garden-tools/oid843065128.htmlOr just take a jar of Roundup and a sponge paintbrush and apply the poison directly to the plants you wish to kill. No drifting of spray to harm your precious garden plants.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2010 15:57:33 GMT
Please try the newspaper technique first before resorting to the chemicals. It really really does work. You need to be a little hypervigilant at first but it's very effective. If you want to grow any edible plants at some point in that area,you don't have to worry about ingesting god knows what and killing off half the food chain along with it.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 9, 2010 17:39:52 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2010 20:14:22 GMT
"Relatively benign" isn't good enough for me...I'm afraid. I don't think it's been around long enough for us to really know it's long term potential effects . They said DDT was relatively benign when it came out too! Sorry,am a diehard when it comes to this.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 9, 2010 20:21:10 GMT
I don't think that something that makes you wait to plant for a minimum of two weeks after using can be benign in any sense of the word.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 12, 2010 13:52:49 GMT
I don't think that something that makes you wait to plant for a minimum of two weeks after using can be benign in any sense of the word. Tordon stays in the soil 3-5 years. Two weeks is very short. And if you followed the link above, for some plants it's only 3 days. The reason for the wait is to make sure that what you plant next isn't harmed by the residue left from removing the weed population. But if you want to use newspapers instead, that's fine.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 12, 2010 17:07:45 GMT
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Post by Kimby on Jul 12, 2010 18:04:41 GMT
Yes, Roundup is a broad-spectrum plant killer. It is NOT intended as a lawn weed eliminator because it will kill the grass that you accidentally spray while spraying the broad-leaf weeds. But, a "wiper applicator" allows you to directly apply the chemical to only the plants you want dead. A paintbrush and jar would also work. And no, I do not work for Monsanto and do not own stock in the corporation.
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