– by Carolyn Herriot –
This month I am going to switch things around with some proven recipes for the garden that either improve growth and blooming, or help control pesky problems, naturally and inexpensively.
Spectacular Rose Recipe
Before blooming:
1 cup alfalfa pellets
1/4 cup rock phosphate
2 Tbsp magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts)
Mix well, scatter under your rose bush and work in gently.
Deer Repellant
To keep deer off roses (which they love) beat one egg in one litre water and spray this mixture onto rose foliage every five days. The egg white acts as a sticking agent. A bonus is the sulphur in the eggs acts as a fungicide and keeps powdery mildew and blackspot off roses too.
Hydrangeas of Every Hue
To change the colour of hydrangeas to blue, lower the pH by adding aluminum sulfate at the rate of one pound to seven gallons of water. Soak the ground in spring every two weeks as necessary to lower the pH. To change colour to pink or red, raise the pH by adding lime at the rate of five pounds per 100 square feet in spring or fall.
Organic Fertilizer Recipe
Granular fertilizer takes four weeks to breakdown before plant roots can access it.
Blend well:
4 parts seed meal (non-gmo alfalfa, canola or soy) or fish meal (non farmed)
1 part dolomite lime
1 part rock phosphate
1 part kelp meal
Combine in soil mixes for planters and containers for boosting food production in confined spaces. If soil fertility is in question work lightly into the soil under transplants. To give plants a boost sprinkle as a side-dressing alongside existing plants. Apply around the drip line of fruit trees and berry bushes, working in gently so as not to damage roots.
Garlic Oil Spray
Controls aphids, spider mites and whiteflies.
10 cloves of minced garlic
2 tsp mineral oil
2 cups water
1 tsp liquid dish soap
Soak garlic in mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain garlic and add water and liquid dish soap. Mix thoroughly. Spray affected plants with this solution. Repeat if necessary.
Beating Bugs
Little green caterpillars-leaf rollers, webworms, winter moth or codling moth larvae, prevalent in fruit trees in spring (they sometimes spread from neighbouring trees). For severe infestations spray the whole tree with Bacillus thuringiensis Bt, available from garden centres. When the larvae ingest the leaves they will die within the week. Your tree will soon recover, and you should have no more problems.
Defeat Weeds
Kill weeds growing between cracks in the pavement and patio by pouring boiling water over them. Eradicate immature weeds by spraying them with undiluted vinegar. Acetic acid (4.5%) penetrates and kills roots. Several sprayings may be necessary if weeds have become more established.
Ward Off Wasps
Eating outdoors in summer can be a nightmare because of pesky wasps. Discover the power of cloves which keep wasps away. Simply place several small dishes filled with ground or whole cloves (or a mix of both) on food tables and watch the wasps disappear!
