Organic Pest Control Remedies

MILK

Milk is effective against a range of mildews on peas, pumpkins and cucumber leaves. Use equal parts milk and water and spray every couple of days until the mildew is under control. If the mildew is out of control remove the affected leaves to avoid the mildew from spreading and do not water at night, try watering in the mornings.

MOLASSES SPRAY

Molasses is a good deterrent sticky spray, ideal for cabbage moths and grubs. Blend 1 tablespoon of molasses with 1 liter of hot water until the color of weak tea, then mix in one tea spoon of detergent, which will help the molasses to stick to the leaves, spray top and under side of the leaves. You could also add vinegar to this brew to make it more potent.

VINEGAR SPRAY

For cabbage moths and grubs. Blend 1/4 vinegar with 3/4 of water, then mix in one tea spoon of detergent, which will help the vinegar to stick to the grubs, bugs and leaves of the plant, spray top and under side of the leaves. You can also add molasses to this brew.

Severe damage done by a cabbage moth.

 

 

CHAMOMILE TEA

Is a mild fungicide. Pour boiling water over a chamomile tea bag, leave to steep for ten minutes, when cool use as a spray.

VEGETABLE OIL

Spray recipe: Mix 1 tbsp of liquid soap with 1 cup of vegetable oil. Dilute as required using 1-2.5 tsp of the mixture to 1 cup of water. Oil sprays can cause burning when applied to sensitive plants. If in doubt, test a plant sample first and wait 2-3 days to see if burning results. Oil sprays can also cause burning if applied when shade temperatures exceed 29 degrees Celsius or when applied within 4 weeks of a sulfur spray such as wettable sulfur or lime sulfur. 

PURE SOAP

Pure soap when mixed with water can be used as a natural insecticide for the control of some sap-sucking insect pests, including aphids and mealy bugs. It is a contact insecticide and works by breaking down the insect’s exoskeleton, causing it to dehydrate and die.

CURE FOR WHITE/BLACK SPOT (mildew)
Add *1 liter of FULL fat milk to an *8 liter watering can, watered on Roses or mildew attracting plants, will kill white/black spots.  

SCALES

Make the oil spray by blending two cups of vegetable oil with one cup of pure liquid soap, and mix it until it turns white.

Dilute one tablespoon of the emulsion to one liter of water and spray all affected areas thoroughly. Do this during mild weather, because if it’s hot it may burn the plant’s leaves.

Scales shoot a sweet substance called honeydew. Ants literally farm the scale to feed on the honeydew. They’ll pick them up and they’ll move them all over the tree. Honeydew also leads to sooty mold, a black dusty fungus that grows over the leaves and stems. Controlling the scale will also get rid of the sooty mold.

To keep APHIDS and OTHER PESTS off your Roses: Finely chop 1 onion and 2 medium cloves of garlic. Put ingredients into a blender with 2 cups of water and blend on high. Strain out pulp. Pour liquid into spray bottle. Spray a fine mist on rose bushes, making sure to coat both tops and bottoms of leaves.

GENERAL PESTICIDE

3 hot green peppers (canned or fresh) 2 or 3 cloves garlic 3/4 tsp liquid soap 3 cups water Puree the peppers and garlic cloves in a blender. Pour into a spray bottle and add the liquid soap and water. Let stand 24 hours. Strain out pulp and spray onto infested plants, making sure to coat both tops and bottoms of leaves.

ORGANIC BUG SPRAY FROM ONION SCRAPS
You can make your own organic bug spray from kitchen leftovers! Simply save your onion skins, peels and ends then refrigerate in an empty margarine-sized tub or ziplock bag until the container is full. Once you have enough, place the onion pieces in a pail and fill with warm water. Soak for a few days, up to a week. You can keep this on the patio in the sun to steep but this is optional. After one week, strain the onion bits out and store the onion water in spray bottles.

Photo Credit: Australian Organic Gardening

AGAINST INSECT PESTS

1. Soapy water (NOT detergent). Try to find one based on caustic potash, rather than caustic soda and mix well with water until frothy (you’ll need more soap in hard water areas). For aphids and other soft-shelled insects

2. Oil sprays suffocate insects. Boil 1 kg soap with 8L of oil, stirring until dissolved. Dilute 1:20 with water just before use. Spray on cool days only.

3. Tomato leaf spray (very poisonous). Cover leaves with water, boil and cool. Use immediately as a general insecticide.

4. Wormwood spray. Infuse leaves in boiling water and leave for a few hours. Dilute 1:4 and use for sap-sucking insects.

5. Chilli spray – equal volumes chilli and water blended and sprayed fresh onto caterpillars. (Prevent contact with eyes and skin.)

6. Lapsang Souchong tea – a strong brew (1 tbsp in a pot) deters possums from nipping rose tips.

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Great Gardening Freebies

1. You can get free seeds by sending a SASE to Winterstown and they will send you a 6 pack of free seeds, along with information on how to save your own seeds for next year's garden!  Click here to get the info and get your seeds!

2. Marigold's Loft is offering free square foot gardening planner printables! These come in handy even if you aren't into square foot gardening, just to have a printable planner on hand. Click here to go to her page and print it out! 

 

3. There is a free visual garden planner available at BHG.com. You can choose the plants and set it up, and see what it will look like - very nice for flower gardens! 

Try it Here! 

4. You can sign up for more than 10 free gardening catalogs! I love to window shop for gardening stuff more than anything else, I think! 

Check out the full list by clicking here.  

© Annie's Annuals and Perennials

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

12 Foods You Can Re Grow from Scraps

Going Green in the Garden: Helpful Tips to Get Started

Not only is going green in the garden better for your wallet, it is a great idea if you are worried about pesticides, GMO foods or if you are trying to help the planet by eating locally. Plus, it is a fun and educational experience for kids and adults alike! Not to put too much of a hippy-dippy spin on things, but my daughter and I love the feel of dirt in our hands, feeling like we are "one with nature" and bonding in the process. It is something special we share.  

Composting doesn't have to be a big commitment. Even a small bucket of well-tended compost can make a big impact in a garden, and cut down on kitchen waste. (Photo credit: Kitty meets Goat)

1. Compost
Kitchen scraps, coffee grinds, grass clippings… composting will reduce your garbage and produce an excellent fertilizer to mix in with your garden soil.

2. Use a Rain Barrel
Capture rain water in a rain barrel, a great clean source you can use to water all of your potted plants and gardens, even a small lawn.

3. Attract Helpful Critters
Build a bird and bug paradise to attract these critters to your garden.  Local birds and many critters (like spiders and bees) are helpful in controlling the pest population naturally, as well as helping to pollinate your fruit trees and flowers.

4. Grow Native Plants
Native plants are naturally more pest and disease resistant.  They grow well with less maintenance and are very often instrumental in attracting beneficial creatures of all sorts.  Find out what plants are native to your area and scatter your favorites throughout the garden. They also tend to use less water!

5. Mulch With Natural Mulches
Mulch is an easy way to retain moisture in the soil, which will help you to conserve water usage.  It’s also a handy way to combat weeds and when you use natural mulch, it will breakdown into the soil and fertilize the area over time. It is also known to discourage several types of garden pests. 

6. Use a Push Mower
Cut down your power or gas usage and get some exercise with a push lawn mower.  Sometimes called a reel mower, these do an excellent job on your lawn and are powered by none other than you. It is also a handy way to get your teen to get some exercise!

7. Try Companion Planting
Companion plants are those that pair well together, forming a natural barrier against pests and weeds. It is also helpful to know what types of plants should not be grown together. 

8. Use All Natural Bug Spray
Find a good organic insecticidal soap or mix up something yourself using natural liquid soap, horticultural oils and water.  Add to a spritzer and spray onto infected foliage.

9. Use Natural Pot Materials
Using things like paper, stone or clay for your pots is a great way to make a green container garden. 

 10. Try Square Foot Gardening
 When paired with companion gardening, this is touted by many avid gardeners as the most efficient way to grow your own.

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

10 Minute Office Chair Recover Project

 I upcycled an older style office chair for my daughter, and it only took me 10 minutes! You can see the finished product above, with her retro desk (we plan to paint it a fun color for her "big girl room".) When I inspected the chair, screwdriver in hand, I realized there was no way to take it apart. I would have to tuck the fabric between the hard plastic shells and the upholstered seat/backing!  I chose a pastel purple fabric, grabbed some scissors and got to work...and it was easier that you would think!

Copyright Little Mom on the Prairie & J.Rae 2013

Sell More with Signs ~ 10 Tips for Garage Sale Signs

Having a successful Garage or Yard Sale is an art form... and so is knowing how to do your signage right. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you make your signs, and when you place them!

1.  Bigger is better...to a point. You want to make sure your signs are big enough to see from the road (i.e. in a moving car) but not so large that they cause a distraction.  I once saw a minor traffic jam cause by a sign made from a full sheet of neon poster board, with tiny lettering. Which brings me to my next point...

2.  Be effective. Use sturdy cardboard and make sure the sign is clearly written, perhaps with big block letters...fill in the big block letters, too. Or use block letter stickers. 

3.  Less is more - Don't clutter your signs with a list of what you have to sell. Just say Garage Sale, day(s) it will be held, times (open to close) and maybe an arrow pointing the way towards your sale. 

4. Location, Location, Location! Hit all of the major intersections nearby, and make sure you have arrows pointing in the right direction (sometimes it helps to add the arrows after you hang the signs). 

5. Some areas have laws regarding the placement of signage (like yard sale signs). Most places have laws that say something like: "It is illegal to post, without a city or county permit, private signs on a Public Right of Way. "Public Right of Way" is commonly defined as both sidewalks on either side of a street and everything in between (including the grassy medians between the sidewalks and gutters, medians, traffic signs and light pole, trees and foliage, fences, etc.". 

6. Do a drive-by test of your signs. After your signs are up, drive past them and see if you can read them easily, because if you can’t, nobody else can either.

7. Place your signs early. When I first started having sales, I would scramble around the morning of, placing signs around town...and get back to the house to a line of early birds, waiting to shop. I suggest that, as long as you are not expecting rain, place your signs out the day before (make sure the day of the sale is on the sign). 

8. More is better. The biggest mistake I have made in the past is to not have enough signs. 

9. If you are planning on having a lot of garage sales, you might want to invest in some nicer, more re-usable signage. I got some for FREE from Vistaprint (you do pay S/H). You can get 1 each, a free banner and a free yard sign. 

Free Banner from Vistaprint

Free Yard Sign from Vistaprint
You can order more flyers, banners and more yard signs by clicking here. 

10. TAKE YOUR SIGNS DOWN WHEN YOU ARE DONE! If you don't, you could be fined for littering, depending on local ordinances. Plus, leaving up signs is a sure-fire way to make sure you get rained out on your next sale day! Don't tempt fate, remove your signage! 

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Find Garage Sales Online

Here is a quick list of links you can use to find garage, estate, yard or rummage sales online, free! Bargains are out there, waiting to be discovered...so take a look and see what is in your area! 

Check out Garage Sales on Gsalr.com
View and search for sales by map. Save your gas money and plan your garage sale routes in advance using the directions tool!

Find estate sales and estate sale companies at EstateSales.org

You can also search for sales through yardsalesearch.com

Free-cycle often has listings where people list their garage sale leftovers. You can hit up the sale, too...just don't get all grabby-hands before their cut off time. Be respectful! 

Check out your local Craigslist.com for garage sales. I quite often advertise my own sales here. It's free to put up an ad, and they change daily, so check often!

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.