Just wondering what others do for their plants. I have notice this week that I have aphids on some. What do you do for that problem? Also, I read an article about using apple cider vinegar as a replacement for harsh weed killer. Has anyone tried this? LMK Please feel free to post all your good garden tips here.

Teresa in KY

Happy Spring, Everyone!!


Royal Vestments Mahieu 03

Compost is my trick for growing things. I start gardens with 10-12 inches and top dress every 3rd year. My landscape company is just opening on Mon and I have my order in for first 4 yds (and 1 yd bark mulch to add to pots as suggested).

Sorry, I don't know what to suggest for aphids. Birds? Grasshoppers?

I tried vinegar one year. Ha!

Oh, I tried something that worked for those spade type running weeds (lambs quarters?)

Liming the lawn worked. They must like acid soil.

But then gill over the ground came in.

Tried regular household vinegar and it didn't work. I understand there is a special garden variety you can buy a garden centers that is stronger. Haven't tried it though. I have also heard that corn gluten is an organic alternative to use for weeds but it is very expensive.

You can try using this for the aphids.

1 TB spoon canola oil.
1 Quart of water.
A few drops of liquid soap.

Use something like Dawn original dish soap or something that's NOT antibacterial.

Sometimes you can just spray them off with a blast from the water hose. With daylilies though they like to get down in the fans so it's hard to knock them off.

I have read that the vinegar for weeds needs to be the 20% vinegar which is agricultural vinegar and may be hard to find, usually at farm and garden type places. I did see mention somewhere to use pickling vinegar (I think it's 10%).

Depending on WHERE you are trying to kill weeds, salt works. If I dig up a thistle in my yard, and don't get the entire root, I poor a little bit of salt in the hole. Anything else killed, I just wait and eventually the grass will cover the dead spot back up.

But aphids? No, haven't a clue ~Jan

I use the Canola Oil, Soap and Water. Works well for me. Just keep in mind nothing is a 1 time fix.

As much as the idea of organic gardening is appealing, I would have a tough time gardening at all without some pre-emergent or roundup now and then. I seldom fertilize other than adding compost, alfalfa and mulch into the planting holes. I anyone who can grow a variety of veggies and flowers organically.

I too, admire anyone that can garden organically. I tried but the aphids were winning so I had to go for a bigger gun. I'm very careful to follow instructions and don't use too much. It's something that I learned in my master gardener course years ago. They had a chemical saleperson give a talk and he stressed over and over to never use more than the directions called for. He said it wastes money and can be very dangerous to your plants, animals and self. So, this is definetly one of those times that less is better!!!

Be safe and have fun, Mona

Well, tomorrow the temps should hit 75 so I am going to try the cider vinegar as an experiment. I will be buying a load of Western mix for the new bed and also a load of leaf mulch. It is shredded and looks nice when down and breaks up quickly.
Another thing I have read is putting down cardboard in difficult areas and then added your mulch.

Is that 2 4 D or something like that a generic roundup?
Teresa

I have had this recipe for a spray for slug control by my computer for a couple of years. It was posted on Dave's Garden, maybe by Joy. I plan to give it a try very soon. I am seeing lots of slugs and snails, and slug and snail bait is expensive for the amount we need.

1 cup ammonia
1 quart water

8 oz:32 oz.

My notes say that it is safe to spray on the daylily plant.

2-4-D is one of the active ingredients in some of the Weed B Gone products; it doesn't kill grass just weeds and certain other plants that may be in some weed families. Some people say it's safe to use around daylilies at the lower mix ratio. I have sprayed it around my daylilies and the spray drift didn't bother them. There are generic versions as well.

Roundups main active ingredient is Glyphosate and it will kill just about everything.

How does the slug spray work? Does it have to be sprayed on the slugs?

Michele, I have not used the slug spray yet. I think I will use it either early in the morning or late evening when the slugs will be out. It just seems as though it would be more effective when the slugs/snails come in contact with it, but I really do not know that. I will report back once I have used it and had a few days to see the results.

I have cardboard in the bed I made after I had that beautiful maple tree removed last year that died midyear. I had told the tree company NOT to seed the area, and they broadcast grass seed anyways (grrr)

Even though I hauled fresh dirt and compost and layered the cardboard, the grass just LOVES that bed, and is growing up, around and through the cardboard.

I will continue to use cardboard and layered newspaper in my beds, but in my experience, it doesn't work as well as everyone claims. ~Jan

Slugs - eggshells and diamatacious (sp) earth - is that something that you use for pools? Never used it, just know about it.

I am getting snails here. Must have come in with some plants as it is not normal in the area. Grrrr. I wonder if the above would work for that.

Wanted to be out working today but it is low 40s with pretty high winds which make if feel like the 30s. March, you know!

Diatomacious Earth is used in the pool industry in some pool filters. It is crushed up fossilized plankton. It is sold in 12# and 25 # containers in my area. It is fantastic on all soft bodied bugs, slugs and caterpillars. Just put it down around the plants that you want to protect. When the critters crawl over it, the teeny tiny sharp points on the powder will open cuts on the critter and they will basically dehydrate to death. You will have to reapply after a rain though. Remember to wear a dust mask when applying this. It is very fine and is harmful if inhaled. Sometimes you can find this in small containers at the garden center but it is cheaper in the large quanities. It is 25#'s for 24.99 at the pool store where I work. Just so you will have a price reference,( no we can not ship it) .

Did you guys know that there are snail eating snails? I had no clue, but was reading it yesterday. You can order them. They will also eat plants but they say its way less as severe as the other slugs/snails.

Another thing I read is spraying them with coffee will kill them and sprinkling coffee around the plants or around in the beds will make slugs leave and if they come in contact with the coffee they will die. It has to be caffeinated coffee.

We can do the caffeinated coffee! Coffee grounds are a recommended addition to compost piles. Sounds like a win-win! We pour out left over caf. coffee every day. Thank you, Michele.

Michele, I think the snail eating snails are the elongated ones -- the shell is sort of a long cone. I know we had a couple of local gardeners show them on a TV gardening show, and they said they were the snails that eat other snails. I have a bunch in my garden, and when I apply my deadline I'm always sorry to see one or two of those mixed in with the shells of dozens of the bad guys. And when I'm weeding or planting I always "rescue" the long-shelled snails along with the earthworms.

I've used the amonia/water spray here. It does need to be sprayed directly on the slugs, they then melt right before your eyes - something I take great pleasure in watching, others may be grossed out. What I have found works for snails is to place the mix in a pail and then pick them off and put them in the pail. Snail in a shell, are ok to touch.... I do not touch slugs, ewww. Last weeek I was doing a search on coffee grounds for organic gardening and came across the info about slugs/snails that Michele mentioned. Apparently the caffene is what they do not like. Interesting info on the snail eating snails, will they live in the north too?

I hear you bb! Windy, 34 degrees and snow off and on today.....