Thanks, Claud.

I follow many of the same principals here, although I haven't completely won the dock eradication war yet. I haven't used a tiller yet, but I bought one last fall so that may change. My walkways are grass that I clip and use as mulch before it sets seed, and I have a lot of flowers to attract good bugs and birds. Sparrows are some of my greatest garden helpers, but they don't seem to be able to stomach the squash bugs. I can't really blame them...yuck!

I had only one nasturtium germinate last year, and it didn't show up until the season was almost over. I'll keep trying though...

saltmarsh said:Let me try to explain my approach to insect and weed control. I don't try to kill the insects, I just don't want them to eat my vegetables. Most insects don't like garlic, hot pepper, or sage so I make a tea using powered garlic, red pepper, and sage and spray it on anything I don't want the insects to eat or lay eggs on. I use regular table molasses as a sticker for the spray. This works to confuse a number of insects and repel others. If the insect doesn't lay eggs on your plant it solves a lot of your insect problems.

Claud, can you post your recipe for a gallon of this spray?

Thanks so much!

I make the tea in a 16 quart pot and a 23 quart enameled canner. I use a lot of this and also it keeps without refrigeration for over a year so I make 2 three gallon batches of concentrated tea which will make 12 gallons of spray at a time.

To make 3 gallons of concentrated tea put 3 gallons and 1 quart of hot tap water into your pot and add 1/2 cup each of powdered garlic, powdered red pepper, and powdered (not rubbed) sage. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a slow boil for 15 minutes (covered). Allow to sit overnight (don't play with hot liquids). After the tea has cooled, I strain it into used gallon pickle jugs using old stockings, then pour the strained tea into 2 liter pop bottles (they don't break bouncing around in the back of the truck). I store the tea out of direct sunlight until they are used.

To make a gallon of tea concentrate just use the above recipe but only use 1 gallon and 1 cup of hot water and 1/6 cup (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) of each of the herbs.

To use just add a bottle to your sprayer and a 2 liter bottle of water. If you want to use a molasses sticker (it helps keep the spray on the plants so the rain won't wash it off as easily) fill your water bottle 1/2 full with warm water and add 1 teaspoon of molasses per gallon of spray, shake well and finish filling with water. The warm water will dissolve the molasses quicker.

I also use Palmolive Orange dishwashing liquid (it has orange oil and detergent) 1 tablespoon per gallon of spray. This is an effective insecticide on many insects. It only works on contact so if you don't spray your beneficial insects it won't kill them. Add this last to your sprayer just before shaking so soap suds aren't a problem.

I empty the herbs from the stockings and allow them to dry then sprinkle them around the base of my plants.

Hope this helps, Claud.

This is a Great tip! I've been using your recipe, Claud and the results seem to be fantastic.

Thanks again. When you say to "add a bottle to your sprayer," you mean one of the 2-liter bottles of concentrate, right? So it's 1:1 concentrate to water?

This is so helpful. My veggie garden is a fraction of yours, but I had more than I could do to keep up with bugs last year, so wilt ended all my cucurbits early, courtesy of striped cucumber beetles. I didn't have a chance to try any homemade recipes (or anything else, for that matter) before it was too late, but I want to be prepared this year. Can't wait to mix this up to have on hand.

lovesblooms said:Thanks again. When you say to "add a bottle to your sprayer," you mean one of the 2-liter bottles of concentrate, right? So it's 1:1 concentrate to water? ....

Yes, that's correct.

Hi Chelle,
My answer to weeds and bugs is row cover (just insect barrier variety) and black plastic. All are reused each year, The row cover needs no support, just soil on the edges and take it up when blossoms start. Plants thrive for me despite bugs when they are big and blooming.
Hope you had a good winter.

I think that would probably work well, Louise, but my squash and such grow up cattle panel arches (small space here), so there's no real way to keep it physically covered effectively.

But I've also always wondered with row covers: How can you be sure bugs don't get trapped under the cover?

I've never had bugs under row covers; figure the bugs come after the plant so put on the cover immediately. I see the problem with trellises.