By Shidonna Raven, Chef Editor
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We have been facing a few pests in our garden some unseen; some low key and some unknown. As we have shared in the past, the Ants have been a persistent pest that we have been dealing with. While we thought they were gone or no longer an issue, we can see that they just became more low key. Here are a few organic remedies we have identified:
Ants
Ground Black Pepper and Water solution around the perimeter of the garden. We also poured it between the rows. You can also apply via spray bottle.
Cinnamon Oil and Water. We have not yet tried this remedy, but we hear that it works.
White Vinegar
Boiling Water
We like the Ground Black Pepper and Water Solution better because it should create a border around the garden that the ants do not cross. The Vinegar and Boiling Water had some adverse effects on the plants. Although they recovered, we think the Ground Black Pepper Solution should be a lot less intrusive.
Flies
We saw the flies in the garden but thought they were harmless until one of our friends and contributors came by to check on the garden. He informed us that the flies were eating the plants. That is why we have seen holes in the cabbage and Brussles Sprouts. We had applied white vinegar to the area, which scorched the leaves of the plants when they were younger. Initially we though the holes were because of this. But he clarified that the flies were eating our delicious plants. Naturally, we plan to do that.
Our friend and contributor informed us that we could get a spray to discourage the flies from eating the plants. We went to our local nursery / store and talked to an associate regarding the problem and he know just what we were talking about. I told him that we are on an organic journey and needed an Organic solution and he immediately pointed out a product with Neem Oil as the active ingredient. Neem Oil is indeed a natural fly repellent that comes from the Neem Tree, which is an evergreen. The product we got / Neem Oil is a Fungicide, Miticide & Insecticide. It thus is a three in one repellent. The product we got has less than 1% of Neem Oil. We have since seen products with more Neem Oil and would probably opt for those next time to give us a bigger bang for our buck. We are guessing that the other inactive ingredient is water.
Mole like
We have also been under the most duress by the disappearing of our transplant leaves. Green Bean, Tomato and Pumpkin all have fallen prey to this pest. We thought it was because of the ants. The ants have indeed gotten more clandestine and are still a pest problem. However, some of the activity seemed too large for ants even if it was an army of ants. So, we talked, again, with the staff at the local nursery / store and conducted some research and discovered that while the issue may not actually be a mole it could be a mole like animal causing the issue. We discovered this after the staff member put in a call to her mother who is somewhat of an expert on these matters. She seems like a lady with several years of observation experience.
After identifying this underground culprit we could not see, the nursery staff member was able to recommend an organic and environmentally friendly product that uses sound as a repellent for these pests. The Mole Max – Mole & Gopher Repeller Sonic Spike. It uses solar power to operate and sound to repel. It covers 7,500 square feet, which should be more than enough for our small garden. We have to let it solar power up for 2 days before anchoring it into the ground and activating it for use.
As the sowing season is closing fast, we hope to get the rest of our transplants out and to alive our plants of any hindrance to growth. Many of these plants are small and vulnerable. They need to develop roots systems in order to get the nutrients they need to survive and to grow. So they do not have a fighting chance because of the types and multitudes of attacks they have been facing. We are hoping to get them off the ground and growing like the other plantlings that were brought here from the nursery / store. Some of the remedies we have identified will take some time to be effective. Some will take up to a few weeks before we begin to see results. We must persist with our Organic remedy regimen knowing that pests can also be persistent.
Stay tuned for updates on how these Organic pest remedies are working and what alterations we make based on the results we get. In our research we discovered many natural remedies for pest that you can get right out of your kitchen. We have also discovered there is a good product selection on the market for the Organic Gardener, which is a huge relief and resource. We are hoping these remedies are effective for us and help our plants get the fighting chance they need to grow into plantlings and full fledge fruit bearing plants. These pest issues have been simmering for too long and we hope today that we are well on our way to nipping them in the bud. We will begin putting our transplants out once we have the Mole Max in place. We are working with a fast ticking clock since the sowing season is quickly wrapping up so we will put them out and monitor the issue closely. We hope for fruitful results.
As always you are the best part of what we do. Some of you are already aware of the pest issues we have been facing. Thank you for your feedback and suggestions. My dad was spot on weeks ago that the pest issue was a mole or a golfer, so the staff member at the nursery / store believes.
How do you identify pests in your garden or yard? What are some organic, natural or environmentally friendly remedies that you have identified? How will this help you with your garden?
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